Austin's rat invasion: Drought, construction, COVID spur a rise in rodent problems

Beware: The COVID-19 pandemic, a huge wave of new construction and the drought have created an invasion of rats in Central Texas. And they are on the run looking for new homes. Local exterminators and experts say the new activity is not surprising, considering the disruption of habitat. What that means is rodents are entering both old and new homes, apartments and any place they can find to eat and breed. An influx of rats can create significant health risks, experts say. "Rats forage through garbage. Every restaurant throws a bunch of food into the dumpsters. It was a food buffet every night," said Mike Dillon of Critter Ridders. So when COVID-19 hit and some restaurants closed or had less activity, that meant "a lot of their (rats') food sources are gone. They had to find new places. It's a survival technique," Dillon said.

While Austin Public Health officials said they are not aware of an uptick in rodent issues, local exterminators say they are seeing a rise in home infestations in Central Austin and beyond. If residents experience an infestation, Austin Public Health can send an expert to examine the site and suggest ways to shut it down. "We have seen quite an increase in the population of rodents for the last few years," said Rock Thweatt, owner of Roberts Termite and Pest Control. "When COVID shut down the restaurants, rodents basically had to move to the neighborhoods. And they're staying there." The most common types of rats in Central Texas are roof rats and Norway rats, which like to climb and can run along power lines, scale trees and can easily get under metal or ceramic roofs, exterminators said. As their name implies, roof rats tend to build their nests higher, such as in attics and in thick vegetation high up in trees or vines. Norway rats are most likely the culprits behind the rat holes seen in yards, according to Texas A&M University.