Warmer winters allow rats to breed into the previously too-cold months. Climate change is what is making rats tougher, meatier, bigger and more present. It's a losing battle, experts now say climate change might be giving rats the competitive edge they need to thrive. Most rats breed all year, yet usually slow down during around Christmas time. But climate change is turning winters warmer, stimulating rats to get frisky. Normally it doesn’t make any sense to keep turning out babies in the winter - food is infrequent, temperatures are colder, and that threatens babies - rats pretty much shut down production when winter is coming. But warmer winters allows rats another litter or two in the off-season. Temperature is just one factor in rat reproduction as there are no technical studies ultimately connecting upsurges in rat populations with climate change but with the last four warmest years on record this is our new normal.
Go Green Pest Control owner Randy Bilesky is a long-time South Delta resident. Trained and certified, Bilesky has first-hand knowledge of the pest problems that local homeowners and business owners encounter.
