Video: Amsterdam rules out ferret use in rat control, calling snap traps more humane
Amsterdam will not test a proposal to use ferrets for rat control, a measure raised in response to a rat infestation at a restaurant on Javastraat in Amsterdam Oost that prompted political questions and renewed debate over pest management. Rotterdam is, meanwhile, continuing a pilot program using ferrets.
Amsterdam Health Alderman Alexander Scholtes confirmed the decision in written answers to questions from the JA21 party, AT5 reports. “Amsterdam will not conduct a pilot with rat control using ferrets.”
Scholtes said snap traps are more humane than ferret use. He said, "This is due to the stress caused by chasing rats with ferrets and transporting captured rats.”
He also cited cost and logistical concerns, saying ferret-based control would require external contractors and administrative oversight. He emphasized prevention measures such as sealing crawl spaces and structural gaps in buildings. He said, "That requires little capacity and has a greater and longer-lasting effect than control.”
The proposal followed public concern after a viral video showed rats inside a Javastraat restaurant, including in food storage areas and on kitchen surfaces. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) later shut the restaurant down after inspectors found widespread contamination, rats entering through structural openings, including the ceiling, and droppings across the premises.
The NVWA said the restaurant posed a direct food safety risk. The business was ordered to close immediately and could only reopen after extensive remediation, including sealing entry points, deep cleaning, and hiring professional pest control to make the building rat-proof.
Municipal figures show rat nuisance complaints fluctuated in recent years, with declines in 2022 and 2023, slight increases in 2024 and 2025, and 2025 levels roughly comparable to 2021. Scholtes said, "We do not see growth.”
