Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Jonathan Richardson

Washington Post Opinions @postopinions.bsky.social · 24d

Rats have plagued humans for centuries, but as cities expand, these creatures are thriving like never before, @jrichardson44.bsky.social writes.

"Local governments are struggling to control that swell, and there’s an essential first step they need to undertake."

Opinion | This centuries-old pest is thriving like never before

A rat census is the first step in combatting them.

wapo.st

2 1 3

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Sep 7

Rat numbers are going up. More urbanization & warming contribute to the increase. The solutions aren't a mystery, but are challenging to accomplish. The 1st step is to start collecting better data on rat numbers & track progress. Here's a gift link to an op-ed I wrote for the WaPo: wapo.st/46p7FAe

Opinion | The essential first step to winning the war on rats

This pest is thriving like never before.

wapo.st

1 3

Reposted by Jonathan Richardson

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · Sep 4

The “problem” with vaccines? They so effective at preventing deaths that they create generations of people that question whether disease was a problem in the first place because they have never experienced the horrors of a world without vaccines.

580 7.8K 27K

Reposted by Jonathan Richardson

Dana El Kurd @danaelkurd.bsky.social · Apr 21

Fwiw, he also says: it is best to actually go online and comment on the federal register rather than call your rep. Communications said that a comment was worth more because people will actually review your comment.

Heres the article:

www.npr.org/2025/04/17/n...

Destroying endangered species' habitat wouldn't count as 'harm' under proposed Trump rule

The Trump administration is reinterpreting a key word in the Endangered Species Act that could have big consequences for the habitats of species at risk.

www.npr.org

3 120 180

Reposted by Jonathan Richardson

Mikko Kolkkala @xcsci.bsky.social · Feb 10

Yksi maa teki silleen tyhmästi, että tappoi omat majavansa ja toi Ameriikasta eri majavia tilalle (ja me ne ammumme, kun yrittävät tänne takaisin)

cartographymaster.eu/studentwork/...

5 20

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Feb 9

Looks like a porcupine, with non-prominent quills until it's very back area

1 2

Reposted by Jonathan Richardson

Maureen H. Murray @mhmurray.bsky.social · Feb 6

We've been getting a ton of press for our study about urban rats and climate change, but I think a career highlight for me is getting featured on Atlas Obscura! @jrichardson44.bsky.social @atlasobscura.com

#rats #climatechange #urbanecology

Preview of an article from Atlas Obscura with a photo of a rat under a garbage bag by some cobblestones and the headline "Rat populations are rising"

1 4

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Jan 31

This project was a wonderful collaboration b/w 19 academics, city officials, researchers, & students. We're only going to make progress if we put our collective heads together and share ideas, data, successes, failures, & overall experiences from our varied roles in urban rat management. 🐀

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Jan 31

We were shocked that it was as hard as it was to find suitable long-term rat numbers for even 16 cities. There are a lot of productive areas for collaboration b/w academics, city rodent control teams, pest management firms, & residents. B/c ideally we're all working towards the same goal.

1

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Jan 31

3) Cities need to start collecting systematic data on rat activity & abundance, & not rely on public complaint data. This information is critical for shifting from reactive to PROACTIVE rat management b/c cities need to know current baselines to track how effective their programs are going forward.

1

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Jan 31

2) Cities & pest control staff will need to focus much less on rodenticide poisons (that only deal with current infestations, not prevention), & re-gear their teams to focus on eliminating "conducive conditions" for rats (i.e., remove food waste access for rats; clear debris & clutter they hide in)

1

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Jan 31

But what can cities AND residents (b/c this needs to be a team effort) do about these rats? 1) Cities that are serious about tackling the issue will have to provide more funding & staff to the departments tasked with rodent control. This is a big problem that requires more resources.

1

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Jan 31

Drawing insights from lab rats, warmer temps can improve reproduction. And as cities warm, rats may be able to be active & foraging longer into the winter or earlier in the spring. More foraging may allow them to squeeze out another litter or 2 around the cold winter months (... so population grows)

1

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Jan 31

This is important b/c rats carry 50+ zoonotic pathogens, impact our mental health, & cause A LOT of economic damages. In our study we found that most cities are seeing growing rat numbers. And cities that are warming fastest & are heavily urbanized have the sharpest upward trends in rats. Ok, why?

1 3

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Jan 31

Our study looking at global trends in urban rat numbers is out now in @science.org Advances. This project started b/c we were frustrated that there were lots of media reports about rat increases, but not backed by solid data. Here, we tried to provide that data: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Increasing rat numbers in cities are linked to climate warming, urbanization, and human population

Most cities are seeing increases in rat numbers, linked to climate warming, urbanization, and human population densities.

www.science.org

3 13 38

Reposted by Jonathan Richardson

Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · Jan 31

Well RATS.

Climate change might mean more of them. A new paper from @jrichardson44.bsky.social shows that cities with increasing temps and more urbanization ended up with more rat complaints over time. www.sciencenews.org/article/rats...

Hotter cities? Here come the rats

Well, rats. A study of 16 cities shows that higher ambient temperatures and loss of green space are associated with increasing rodent complaints.

www.sciencenews.org

1 8 17

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Nov 26

Our last field lab of Aquatic Ecology each semester is a wetlands survey. It's been so dry that the vernal pool has no water, but the female marbled salamander is waiting w/ her eggs. The other wetland had some water, & Lord Ganesha was exposed by the dropping water levels:

1 1 6

Reposted by Jonathan Richardson

Laura Williams @laurawilliams.bsky.social · Nov 21

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week #WAAW

My mom is living with cancer for >10 years. Her treatment regimens wiped out her immune system. She took precautionary antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. Many areas of healthcare rely on antimicrobials to prevent infection.

1 2 7

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Nov 18

After submitting my NIH grant (on rodent-borne zoonotic disease risk mapping) this afternoon, I get to sit back and... catch up on grading & letter of rec. writing, while wondering if NIH really will have to pause infectious disease research for 4 years

2 1 2

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Nov 18

I added this to my Urban Wildlife course this week (RIP previously used paper). I couched it in terms of what urban niche space is when native species are mostly gone. Are niches stable & waiting for occupants, or pliable & only relevant with an occupant? When does "control" enter the conversation?

Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · Nov 16

New from me, in the New Yorker: In 2015, I co-discovered a population of non-native Italian wall lizards dwelling in my hometown. Their origins, though, remained a mystery—until this spring, when I learned of a rogue biologist with a shocking secret... #longreads

www.newyorker.com/news/the-wee...

The Lizard King of Long Island

Jon Sperling secretly spread a non-native species across the Northeast. “It’s insane what this guy was doing,” a biologist said.

www.newyorker.com

2 7

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Nov 18

For your reading list, in case you haven't seen this one yet. By a fellow F&ES grad: yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300...

An Entirely Synthetic Fish

An award-winning journalist, aquatic ecologist, and lifelong fisherman tells for the first time the surprising story of the rainbow trout, a revered icon for...

yalebooks.yale.edu

1 2

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Nov 16

Enjoyed my 1st PestWorld meeting in Denver recently - this NPMA meeting was great for interacting w/ stakeholders in pest management that I wouldn't typically have a chance to share our lab's work with (and to learn from). At least 1 new project in the works now, based on remote rat "capture" data.

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Feb 22

I'm on a @NIH webinar (which is generally informative), & as so often happens, the speakers entirely overlooked PUI researchers. They listed funding options people apply for during their careers & R15 was not listed in an otherwise exhaustive list. A LOT of valuable research/training happens @ PUIs!

1

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Oct 25

Damn. I can't argue with AI inference, which I know you are a strong proponent of. I concede that it's a Chicka-destroyer

1 1

Jonathan Richardson @jrichardson44.bsky.social · Oct 24

Losers!

1 2