Connecticut is a beautiful state. While it is often forgotten on the world stage, the wonders of this lush, proud land are many. It boasts some of the most beautiful vistas you will find anywhere. Not to mention the cities within Connecticut are filled with fantastic restaurants, independent shops and markets, and a strong sense of community.
But for all its wonders, Connecticut is facing a two-fold problem that is soon to become an issue across the rest of the United States. Rats!
The Rising Heat
Everywhere you go, you will find rats. While you might not always be able to see them, it is said you are never more than ten feet from a rat at any time. And in Connecticut, this has become an increasingly real fact. But why has the number of rodent infestations nearly doubled in recent years?
To put it simply, the heat. It is no secret that our world is being devastated by climate change. England experiences hotter summers every year. Canada’s frozen tundras are melting by the day. Water levels are rising slightly, but noticeably, every year as well.
And Connecticut is feeling the heat. Every year for the past four years, the summers in Connecticut have reached new daily highs. Sometimes rocking up to 85-86 degrees Fahrenheit. And it isn’t uncommon for the temp to go higher than that at the peak of summer.
The Rodents
Rats love warm spaces. They thrive in them. That isn’t to say they can’t live in colder climates, because they can. But if they have a choice, they will take the lovely, warm, and secure major city with its nice restaurants, hiding spaces, and ever-warming atmosphere.
A new report published by pest control at yalepest has concluded that the restaurant boom of 2018, which saw the service industry double in both the number of restaurants and average customers served per year, is partly responsible for the increase in rats.
In fact, it was originally thought this was the only reason the rat population was increasing. The idea is that more food waste meant more rats.
This was quickly proved wrong as Alaska experienced a similar service industry boom, but has seen only a minor increase in their rat population. It was noted that the average yearly summer temp of Alaska was not rising as much as it was in Connecticut.
The next round of the study saw the pest control firms running regular temperature checks at the sites of the worst rodent infestations. Their conclusions were what we feared most. The areas were experiencing the highest temperature increases, due to the number of buildings or public works, combined with the natural temperature.
Tackling It
All of this sounds terrible, doesn’t it? A State, taken over by rodents as it slowly boils. But it isn’t as bad as it might seem.
While Connecticut is suffering from the worst rodent problem in years, it is also one of the States best equipped to handle it, perhaps only beaten by New York.
The Pest control firms working out of Connecticut are some of the strongest in the world. This is partly due to the fact that America has declared Pest Control an essential service. This means there are a number of strong tax benefits provided to them.
But more than that, it is the Connecticut sense of pride that drives these firms to work as hard as they do. People from Connecticut are ready to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done to make sure their home is the best it can be.