CDC: Be Cautious Of Unusual And Aggressive Behavior From Rodents
I have to admit - this is one impact of COVID-19 I didn't see coming.
According to a press release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been reports of "unusual or aggressive" behavior from rodents amid the pandemic.
Why? The CDC says rodents rely on food waste from restaurants and other establishments of the like. Because they have been closed, they haven't been able to get the scraps they rely on. The closures of communities and their offices, buildings, etc. have also led to a decrease in food scraps.
The lack of food, according to the CDC, is causing rodents to look for new sources of food and therefore, have caused them to act in unusual or aggressive ways. Eek!
There are a few ways you can avoid coming into contact with one of these hungry creatures. The CDC suggests the following:
- Seal up access into homes and businesses
- Remove debris and heavy vegetation from surrounding areas
- Keep garbage in tightly covered bins
- Remove pet and bird food from your lawn
There you have it! Just reading about this gave me the chills. Hopefully bringing attention to the problem will help solve it because no one wants to deal with aggressive rats.
In April, the CDC released some information, stating that pets should practice social distancing just like humans. They suggest animals maintain a six foot distance from other animals and humans, only interact with other pets inside the household and be cared for by a human who isn't sick with any illness.