Seattle has a bustling metro of about 3.5 million – people, that is.
Seattle’s rat population? Much, much higher.
“That’s all this town is full of,” says Erik Öland.
He’s been in pest control for 28 years, but most people call him ‘the Seattle Rodent Guy,’ which is also the name of his company.
“Rats don’t really discriminate at all, do they? They’re in every neighborhood in Seattle. They cross every demographic,” says Öland.
At the homes he manages, he sets up multiple ‘bait stations’. Rats gnaw on the poisonous bait blocks, leading to their demise.
Öland says each year, he’s relying on more bait to kill more rats. An indicator, he says, of population growth.
“One of the most tangible ways that I know the rodent population is increasing is the amount of bait that I’m putting in each of these boxes. Ten years ago, three ounces per box was pretty standard, but now the standard is four. But some days I’m having to put five or six. That’s how I know,” says Öland.
Another indicator? The number of pest control calls he’s received in recent months. So much so, that he’s started hiring.