Bilbao implements proactive rodent control measures

The Bilbao City Council has detailed its operational strategy to manage rodent and insect populations through preventive and reactive measures. Ana Collía, Director of the Health and Consumption Area, stated that the municipality adjusts its intensive annual campaigns based on environmental factors such as high temperatures and low rainfall, which can accelerate the biological reproductive cycles of rats.

The control procedure involves municipal technical teams and specialized contractors. Operatives place test baits in public sanitation networks to identify active hotspots, followed by intensive localized treatments. Additionally, the city is promoting long-term sustainability by installing nesting boxes to encourage natural predators, such as birds of prey, to help control rodent and pigeon populations.