Foxes
A growing number of foxes are being spotted in the city, drawn by an abundant source of human food waste. This new behaviour is disturbing the natural balance of fox populations.
As a result of mass vaccination campaigns, foxes are no longer carriers of rabies. However, they can occasionally carry a parasitic worm (echinococcus), which in rare cases (none reported in Luxembourg to date) may be transmitted via pets or through contact between their faeces and fruit or vegetables that are later consumed.
What you can do
- Avoid leaving food leftovers in public places.
- Remember to bring your cat's food dish inside every night.
- Carefully wash all fruit, vegetables and lettuce grown at ground level. Cooking produce kills pathogens.
Martens
Martens can be very troublesome when they gain entry to homes and take up residence in converted attics, false ceilings, etc. They are also notorious for the damage they cause to insulation materials and car wiring.
They are the natural enemies of mice, rats and insects.
What you can do
- Prevent damage to your property by refitting cornices and ceilings so that martens cannot gain entry to your home. Bring cars into the garage or park your car in different spots when leaving it outside.
- Cleaning your vehicle regularly also helps, because these animals track odours left during previous forays.
Rats
Under normal circumstances, there are generally as many rats as human residents in any city. Rats are carriers of diseases (including serious ones, such as leptospirosis, and hantaviruses) which can be transmitted to humans and parasites (lice). Rats are most at home in sewers and vacant lots.
Measures taken by the City of Luxembourg
- Over 700 manholes are treated twice a year with anticoagulants. However, every precaution is taken to limit the use of these chemicals to a strict minimum, and to avoid contact with water whenever they are used.
- The use of a remote mapping system and centralised database accessed via computer tablets allows for the efficient management of intervention points and helps to minimise the environmental impact by better targeting prevention measures.
What you can do
- Organic waste, including fats, oils and grease, must be placed in bins and not washed down the drain.
- Bins must be firmly closed.
- Never leave old meat or cooked food in compost containers that are accessible to rodents.
- Make sure that your home's connections to the sewer lines are up to code.
- The Service Hygiène offers a one-time home extermination service free of charge. For more information on this, see the section entitled "Keeping the city clean".
