Rats are eating each other in Pittsburgh amid waste shortage caused by coronavirus closures

Turf wars among rats that are resorting to cannibalism because of less available garbage to scavenge isn’t something just happening in New York, New Orleans or some other far-away metro areas during the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is no different here in Pittsburgh as just like these metro cities, with restaurants and other non-essential businesses closing or reducing their regular operation, food supply is diminishing,” said Adam Witt, president of Witt Pest Management in the city’s Polish Hill neighborhood.

“They’re getting desperate,” Witt said.

Hunger and lack of food sources will cause any mammal to “lose it,” he said.

“Our technicians are reporting an uptick in blatant open area behavior with an increase in rat activity and cannibalism,” Witt said.

It is definitely due to the lack of “offering” from public food trash with a lot of the restaurants not generating as much waste, he said.

Pest control services have remained open during the shutdown. They’ve been busy, Witt and other exterminators said.

Greensburg-based D-Bug Pest Control hasn’t seen a rat increase in Westmoreland and Fayette counties, according Doug Moninger, the company’s sales manager.

With businesses closed, D-Bug has gone on the offensive to prevent infestations for its customers, Moninger said.

“We would rather do preventative things to stop bigger issues from happening,” he said.

Spotting one rodent in an area means there are more lurking, Moninger said.

“If you see one rat, there’s a lot more rats around,” he said.

They also reproduce quickly.

Because of mild winters, mice have been more plentiful in Western Pennsylvania over the past few years, Witt said.