The City of Brussels has moved from considering ferrets for rat control to appointing a specialist for a trial. A municipal decision reported on 15 October 2026 names a contractor, an initial intervention area and an evaluation stage, giving the proposal a clearer operational form than the earlier BBC account.
According to BRUZZ, the city selected De Rattenvanger, run by Bart Verfaillie of Lier, through public procurement. An initial intervention is planned in the canal area in the coming weeks, followed by an assessment.
A trial alongside existing methods
The technique uses ferrets to drive rats from hiding places so they can be caught. It does not use poison in that operation. The trial complements existing controls rather than replacing the city’s wider programme.
BRUZZ reports that the annual rat-control budget has reached €100,000 and quotes the responsible alderman’s count of 1,381 rats caught with 25 smart traps. A capture total measures activity; it is not a census of the remaining rat population.
The city’s public information on smart traps describes the earlier deployment of digitally monitored equipment. The new trial therefore adds a different tool to an established approach.
Approval does not yet demonstrate effectiveness
The BBC background report, dated 8 August 2025, described a proposal under consideration. The October appointment is the update; the trial’s outcome remains to be measured.
The planned evaluation will matter more than the novelty of the method. It can establish whether the approach is useful in the selected setting, without assuming that success at one location proves the whole city’s rat problem has been solved.
