Rising rat populations cost the U.S. $27 billion a year

Fortune

Rat populations are set to increase around the world due to rising temperatures and more people living in dense environments, according to an analysis of 16 cities.

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00:00Rats are a 27 billion dollar problem for the United States, and their populations could multiply in some of the world's most important cities,

00:08according to a new study published in Science Advances.

00:11Researchers found that 11 out of the 16 global cities they obtained data for saw their rat populations grow over a decade-long period,

00:19with San Francisco,

00:20Washington DC, and Toronto having the biggest growth. Cities where temperatures were rising the fastest and areas with higher

00:27population densities also showed an increased rat presence.

00:31Warmer weather gives rats more opportunities to secure food and a potentially longer breeding window.

00:37A researcher suggested that instead of trying to poison the rodents,

00:40cities should make living environments more hostile to rats by eliminating easy food sources and

00:46comfortable breeding quarters.

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