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Five rat control solutions cities have used to be rid of the pests, though not always successfully

When rats are routinely jumping into prams in search of snacks, you know your city has a problem. From New York to Shanghai, here are five creative ways cities have tried to fix their rat issues – sometimes making matters worse

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Rats are a plague in many large metropolises, and some cities have taken extreme steps to eradicate the problem. Photo: Alamy
Hong Kong’s rat population is on the rise, the Post reported this week, after an early and prolonged heat snap this year spurred surges in breeding.
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Worse, the rodents are finding their way to ever greater heights, with reports from city residents of rats on the sixth floors of buildings in which they had previously only been discovered on the second or third.

Pest-control services across the city have experienced a double-digit growth in demand in recent months, as Hongkongers have sought refuge from their unwelcome guests.

Of course, Hong Kong is not the only world metropolis that struggles with a rambunctious rat population. We look at how five cities have tried – and sometimes spectacularly failed – to keep the critters at bay.

1. New York, United States

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