NEWS: BRUSSELS CONSIDERS FERRETS FOR RAT CONTROL

NEWS:  CITY OF BRUSSELS Considers Recruiting Ferrets to Tackle Exploding Rat Populations

Domestic ferrets being considered to control rat population

10 Aug 2025:  Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is experiencing a rat infestation.  According to the Brussels Times, over the past decade, the City has seen the population of brown rats explode–nearly doubling in numbers.



This may be attributed to the mild European winters which make ideal rat mating conditions, but also the national popularity of compost bins, reports Sophia Williams of the BBC. This has prompted the City council to consider employing domestic ferrets to combat this growing nuisance.  
 
Historically ferrets have been utilized to control rodent populations. Due their small, streamline and agile build, ferrets can follow the rodents into areas unreachable by cats or dogs. Recognized for their prowess as keen-scented hunters, ferret were used by ancient civilizations, as far back as the Egyptians and Greeks. During the Middle Ages, ferrets were maintained in the castles of European royalty and on farms to control fast-growing rodent populations. 
 
Today ferrets continue to be considered as a means of pest control.  Largely based on the ferret’s  innate abilities, a ferret can move very rapidly, navigating in tight spaces where rodents hide. The ferret’s razor sharp teeth and claws enable it to catch, hold, and immobilize prey, often delivering a quick, fatal bite to the neck.
 
Many factors should be considered, however, in the decision to engage ferrets for rodent control.  A ferret must have the proper skills and training. Young ferrets can be trained by their mothers. However, ferrets must hone their skills through experience. When exposed to rat hunting from a young age, the ferret tends to develop better strategies and becomes more efficient in catching and eliminating rats. 
 
Melissa Thornberry of Berry Patch Farms writes that although ferrets are born with a natural hunting instinct, training remains a critical element in an individual ferret’s ability to become an effective hunter of rodents. Each ferret’s abilities are based on its instinctual abilities, or “prey drive,” with some ferrets having a stronger natural drive to hunt, than others. Age and general health of the ferret also impact its ability to hunt and to learn hunting skills. She cautions that “Patience, positive reinforcement, and understanding the specific quirks of each ferret can go a long way in improving their rat-hunting skills.”
 
Control of rodents using ferrets, which are considered to be “natural” and “efficient” predators, has the side-benefits of being both cost-effective and “environmentally friendly” due to the avoidance of using toxic chemical means of destroying rodents.  However, there are down-sides to the use of ferrets for this purpose. Ferrets can be “selective hunters,"  hunting small species that are otherwise important and not pests.  In addition, a ferret requires training and supervision to avoid unnecessary risks to the ferret. Lastly, the challenge may be in locating “trained” ferrets, since  ferrets are not commonly trained and used for this purpose in today’s societies, particularly outside of Europe.
 
These are some of the considerations that the City of Brussels must ponder in their proposal to utilize the domestic ferret for rat control.  Under the City’s proposals, a professional rat catcher would utilize trained ferrets to hunt out the animals and chase them towards traps.  However, the use of ferrets would not be a novel approach for the City. The City’s Etterbeek District reportedly has been using ferrets for some time with positive results.  Therefore, the current proposals before the City Council is to extend the method across the entire City, with a decision expected in the coming months.  
 
For further reading:
 
BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgn841r4ek  (Aug 8, 2025)
Berry Patch Farms blog:  https://www.berrypatchfarms.net/will-ferrets-kill-rats/  (Sep 14, 2023)

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