Ferrets will soon chase rats in this town of Seine-Saint-Denis

See my news
Follow Paris News

“He runs, he runs the ferret…” The nursery rhyme will take on a very special meaning in Neuilly-sur-Marne. The municipality of Seine-Saint-Denis decided to call on this small rodent, which associated with dogs, leads a terrible rat hunt. “A natural method of combating” these pests, considered “more ecological”, she defends. A testing phase will therefore begin Monday December 9, 2024.

A well-established technique

This method, called furtetagehas already been deployed in several large cities, such as La Rochelle, Marseille and Toulouse. In Île-de-France, ferrets have been used on several occasions to eradicate rats in cities or neighborhoods, such as that of the Robespierre slab, in Vitry-sur-Seine, or in the city center of Évry-Courcouronne.

“The principle is simple and effective: ferrets are introduced into the galleries to track rodents and eliminate them or scare them away, while dogs wait for them on the surface. This approach allows reduce the use of chemicals such as anticoagulants, whose effectiveness decreases in the face of the increasing immunity of rats,” explains the town hall.

A common collaboration

Carried out in partnership with the Grand Paris Grand Est territory (GPGE), social landlords and voluntary co-ownership trustees, this “large-scale” operation will focus on municipal buildings, sanitation networks, and the residences of landlords and trustees involved.

The City recalls the collective responsibility of citizens to limit the proliferation of rats: “avoid feeding animals in public spaces, manage waste correctly, and report the presence of rodents to the right people (the City for municipal buildings, GPGE for public roads, or their lessor/trustee for private buildings).

Using animals to hunt others is a common practice. THE boys are often used to scare away overly invasive species, as in Meudon where nozzles had been deployed to limit the nuisance caused by parakeets.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.