Preventive measures

• Keep garbage areas clean and garbage cans closed.
• Keep your property clean and tidy so that rats do not find shelter.
• Do not dispose of food waste in the toilet.
• Store yellow bags and other household waste in places inaccessible to rats. This also applies to food, animal feed and seeds. If possible, only place the yellow bags on the street on the day of collection.
• Remove fallen fruit regularly and only put green waste in the compost if possible. Ensure proper composting.
• Avoid dense, ground-covering planting.
• Do not leave food bowls outside for your dogs or cats.
• If you keep poultry or rabbits on your property, keep it clean and remove the leftover food after each feeding.
• This also applies to feeding birds. In our experience, this poses the greatest risk of rat infestation. Avoid excessive feeding and do not place food on the floor. Rats are very good climbers and can also get up trees or into bird feeders. Always remove any leftover food here too. Also be careful with bird baths in summer. Important: Stop feeding immediately if there is a rat infestation!
• Do not feed wild animals in parks and green spaces.
• Observe the ban on feeding pigeons.
  

Do not offer rats any shelter or food sources. Please make sure that the rats do not feel comfortable and put the subtenants on a zero diet. The better the food supply, the more young the rats will raise. If food is scarce, the females even become temporarily infertile. The population can therefore be controlled directly via the food supply.

Recognizing rat infestation

• Regular sightings of several rats in a local area.
• Rat droppings - Norway rats produce spindle-shaped droppings that lie together in groups. In contrast, the droppings of domestic rats are on average less wide, more banana-shaped and more scattered. If the droppings are still soft and shiny, this indicates an active infestation. The amount of fresh rat droppings gives an indication of the approximate extent of the rat infestation.
• Gnaw marks - e.g. on garbage and garbage cans, fruit, vegetables, plants, electrical cables, etc.
• Rat holes - They have a diameter of approx. 5 to 10 cm (rule of thumb: diameter of a drinks can). Depending on the subsoil, there may be a pile of excavated soil at the rat hole as a result of digging. Look out for holes next to downpipes or manhole covers. This could indicate damage to the house sewer system. Rat holes are often found in or near the compost. Simple, closed plastic composters are no obstacle for rats. They also like to build burrows under garages, garden sheds, stacked firewood or terraces.
• Smear marks - Rats often use the same paths in the house or cellar. The rats' bodies repeatedly come into contact with the surfaces they walk on, leaving behind traces of body fat. This body fat, together with dirt and dust deposits, forms so-called smear marks, which are a typical sign of rat infestation.
• Footprints - In the case of rats in the garden, the burrows of Norway rats are usually found in overgrown embankments and can be easily recognized by the footpaths, as the grass dies off due to frequent walking on the paths and thus shows the way to the rat burrow.
• Odor - Rat infestations produce an ammonia-like odor.
  

Measures in the event of a rat infestation

• Report to the public order office (see below for contact details).
• If there is a rat infestation on private property, the owner must carry out or arrange the control measures in accordance with Section 1 (1) of the Ordinance on the Control of Animal Pests (SchädlBekV). However, we always recommend hiring a certified pest controller. As a tenant, please contact the owner/landlord directly.
• If there is a rat infestation in the public area, the City of Wiesbaden will take over the control measures in the following areas:
  
  • Public roads, paths and squares
  • Green spaces and streams
  • sewer system

In cases of uncontrolled pest infestation, administrative orders are issued with the aim of obliging property owners to take the appropriate measures.