shopify analytics
24 HOUR EMERGENCY PEST CONTROL IN LONDON.
CALL US ON 0203 600 0401
London Pest Control Company
Are There Really Super-Sized Rats In London Or Is That A Myth?
Super-sized rats are one of London’ most pervasive urban legends. According to some people, the sewers are running wild with terrier sized rats. But is this really true? Are there giant rats in the sewers of London and do you need to be afraid of them?
 

Are super-sized rats living in London’s sewers?

 
It’s a known fact that London’s sewers are crawling with rats. London pest controllers estimate that there are about 20 million rats in these sewers, which is a stunning figure. As people who work in this business, we can confirm this.


 
What are all those rat’s doing down there? No one knows. It’s easy to dream up horror scenarios where London’s rats are hiding away and mutating, becoming bigger and bigger over time … eventually turning into super-sized rats.
 
The problem here is that many people are frightened of rats, and rightfully so. These pests can become aggressive if cornered. If threatened they will not hesitate to bite you. These bites are extremely painful. Not only that, if bitten, you could be infected with a number of diseases. Rat control specialists will tell you that rats are also riddled with bacteria, meaning the wound could become infected.
 

Should you be worried about super-sized rats?

 
These fears grow with the size of the rats. This is the reason why the myth of super-sized rats continues. People imagine themselves being attacked by giant rats or even hunted by them. Fortunately, this is something you’ll never have to worry about.


 
While rats can grow to a large size, they’re unlikely to become “super-sized.” What you have to understand when it comes to rat and moise control, is that sewers rats are a species known as Norway rats. These rats can only grow to about a foot in length. This is also only with an optimum amount of food, which means that sewer rats are unlikely to get that big.
 
Other rats, such as cane rats, can grow bigger. Allegedly, one of these tropical rats was caught in London.  What you also have to understand is this. If someone reports a four feet rat, well, most of that length is actually tail. What this means is that the rat itself is probably not enormous.
 
But if all of this is true, then why do you routinely hear about South London pests is that there are giant rats in the sewers. Most of these reports come from tabloid newspapers, who want to cash in on sensationalism. Most of their reports are exaggerated, and this is not something that you have to worry about. It’s highly unlikely that there are giant rats in the sewers of London.