© Stadt Osnabrück, Sascha Dörp

Rats pose a considerable risk to your health - especially for the elderly and for children! 

Rats can transmit up to 120 serious diseases, including rabies, tuberculosis, hepatitis and salmonellosis. They spread these diseases through direct contact, their excrements, or through dirt contaminated with faeces. Rats are magically attracted to waste and food sources such as open rubbish bins (i.e. garbage cans). There they find food and hiding places. 

With simple rules of conduct, you can reduce rat infestation in your neighbourhood and thus contribute to the well-being of everyone.

Protect yourself and your family by:

• Keeping rubbish bins closed and packing leftover food into airtight, drip-free packaging
• not storing rubbish on the property (especially not in the vicinity of rubbish bins)*
• not setting up any food sources
• not disposing food waste in toilets
• not creating compost (food source!) on your property
• not throwing rubbish into parks and plant beds
• Always keeping doors closed
• not storing any building materials (e.g. insulation material) in basements, garages, or other buildings*.
• Clean footpaths regularly

How to dispose of your rubbish*:

• the black bin is for residual waste (e.g. nappies, cigarette butts or food waste with bones)
• the blue bin is for newspapers, paper and cardboard
• the yellow bin is for plastic or metal packaging (e.g. yoghurt pots or crisps bags)
• the brown bin is for organic waste (e.g. fruit and vegetable peelings or used coffee filters)
• Bulky waste and electrical appliances should only be placed on the pavement with an appointment

* If there are not enough bins or you would like to order bulky waste, please contact the Osnabrücker Service Betrieb (phone: 0541 323-3300, e-mail: osb@osnabrueck.de)

Legal information:

According to the Ordinance on Rat Control in Lower Saxony, property owners are obliged to combat rat infestations at their own expense. 

If property owners do not co-operate in the control measure, do not remove waste deposits or do not ensure proper waste management, the City of Osnabrück can order measures subject to a charge. Violations of these regulations are subject to fines.

If the Health Service identifies a rat infestation that jeopardises the health of the population and the danger cannot be eliminated by measures on individual properties, the City of Osnabrück will take preventive measures at its own expense.

Contact:

If you see rats, contact your landlord or the City of Osnabrück:

• Health Service for the City and District of Osnabrück, telephone 0541 501-8313
• Department of Citizens and Order, telephone: 0541 323-4490
• Department of Environment and Climate Protection, Heiko Brosig: brosignoSpam@osnabruecknoSpam.de, phone 0541 323-2434

• Call up the contact form (in German)