Types of Rats & Mice in New England
Here are the four most common species of rodent found in the region:
Impact of Climate Change on Rodent Control
Climate control serves as the most important factor in the growing rat population in cities, according to a 2025 journal article in Science Advances. Increasing temperatures lengthen the time frame that rats and mice can forage for food outdoors and reproduce. The report also notes how, besides growing urban populations of rodents, these critters are also extending their geographic range. So, even areas that haven’t typically struggled with rodent problems may find rats and mice in their cities. As National Geographic succinctly summarizes the situation: “Climate change is amazing—if you’re a rat.”
Sixteen cities were examined more closely with eleven of them having significant increases in rat populations. One of them was Boston. Although there’s no definitive data on the city’s rat population’s numbers, complaints about Boston’s rat presence increased by fifty-three percent in the decade between 2011 and 2021.
The Science Advances study also notes a related problem, saying that “The very presence of rats also takes a measurable toll on the mental health of people living in contact with them.” This would include the five or ten percent of the population suffering from musophobia (rat phobias). In the city of Boston, that phobia could impact nearly 70,000 people. Here’s one more problem to consider. Climate change may already be boosting rat-transmitted diseases, particularly leptospirosis.
The reality is that pest control for rats is more important than ever before.
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