Cities Are Switching To 'Smart' Rat Control

The next generation of urban rodent control relies on internet-connected traps that shock or impale a rat or mouse before isolating it in a chamber for disposal. From a report: The new Internet of Things (IoT) rat traps, which can be placed above ground or in sewers, continuously transmit data about rodent conditions and the number of animals caught. The information helps cities and businesses tamp down the rodent population without using noxious chemicals, which are bad for the environment and local wildlife. Technicians are sent out to clear traps whenever a rat has been "dispatched" (the pest control industry's preferred euphemism for "killed"). Smart technology is "changing the pest control industry," says Dana Cote, director of SMART operations for Anticimex, which specializes in digital vermin control. The industry has been "somewhat static for many decades, using the same tools and materials," he said. But now "we have the opportunity to use IoT devices and data analytics and AI to really be more proactive than reactive."

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