Journal of Pest Science (2020) 93, 711-722

Jordi Pascual, Sandra Franco, Rubén Bueno-Marí, Víctor Peracho and Tomás Montalvo (2020)
Demography and ecology of Norway rats, Rattus norvegicus, in the sewer system of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain)
Journal of Pest Science 93 (2), 711-722
Abstract: Norway rats are an important commensal species of human settlements. They are abundant in urban areas and generate several problems to our societies. Integrated rat management programs, based on detailed knowledge of its biology, are needed to keep rat populations under control. One of the main habitats of rats in cities is the sewer system. Unfortunately, very few studies have been conducted on sewer rats due to the logistic challenges of such projects. Hence, information on the ecology of rats in a key habitat, crucial to management programs, is scarce. The aim of this study is to estimate the abundance of Norway rats in the sewers of the city of Barcelona and determine the main related ecological factors. We sampled 63 sewer sections 90 m long during the study. We obtained several rat activity estimates, we compared them, we calculated a minimum rat density, and with that, we estimated the minimum rat population size in the sewer system of Barcelona. Bait consumption and rat capture estimates showed low correlations. Sewer rats showed the highest activity in areas with high density of housing and in old sections. The presence of natural soil favoured the activity of rats only inside the areas with a high density of housing. The activity of rats showed a high variability among sewer sections. The citizen complaints for rats, which were positively related to the human density and negatively related to the mean disposable household income, were bad predictors of the activity of rats in the sewer system.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Rubén Bueno-Marí

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution
environment - cropping system/rotation

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Rattus norvegicus		Spain (continental)