The water park The Reef reopens after rat problems – Pest control has given the green light for opening. After an involuntary closure on July 6th due to a rat observation, the water park The Reef at the Quality Hotel in Frederikshavn can finally reopen its doors again from Thursday. Hotel director Marianne Bredevang has stated to Kanal Frederikshavn that the incident with the rat has caused unexpected trouble, and that the pest control took longer than expected.
The hotel’s management contacted the pest control company Anticimex to handle the situation. It turned out that the rat was not alone, but now the problem has been solved, and Anticimex has given the green light for the reopening. Marianne Bredevang states that they have now successfully dealt with the issue.
This incident is part of a broader trend, where pest control companies have experienced an increased number of reports about rats. This is due to the large amount of rain, which has pushed the rats up from the sewers. Claus Schultz, technical manager at Rentokil, which combats rats in 15 municipalities, has stated that the problem is most pronounced in areas with exceptionally heavy rain, such as Southern Jutland and Central Jutland.
Schultz explains that the unstable summer with both extreme heat and heavy rain has driven more rats away from the sewers. Flooding in fields and forests has also forced the rats to seek new habitats.
Although there has been an increase in rat reports this summer, it is worth noting that Denmark has generally seen a decrease in these reports in recent years. In 2023, there were 126,000 rat reports nationwide, which is lower than in previous years. This decrease can be attributed to improved sewer systems, where rainwater and wastewater are separated, as well as more effective methods of rat control.
The current increase in rat reports should be seen in the light of the extreme rainfall over the past 12 months. According to the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), 1125 millimeters of rain has fallen in this period, making it the wettest period ever recorded in Denmark.