The rat pack: meet the man who deals with rats

It's not glamorous to work with rats, but it is essential. This is certainly what 49-year-old Li Zhenjiang thinks, who is general manager of Beijing Su Qing Pest Control Company. Li manages a team of around 30 employees. Entering Li's office in Tongzhou district, we found no sign of hazmat suits or trap devices. However, Li did share tales of TV infestation and dancing rats.

How did you become a rat exterminator?

I decided to open my own business in 2000 and thought a pest control company would be a lucrative idea. I learned about the trade at the Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Pest Prevention and Control, entities that provide operating licenses and training.

What type of lessons does the training involve?

We learn about the latest techniques on pest control and disinfection, as well as safety regulations. For example, we learn about different types and ways to handle insecticides.

Who do you work for and where?

We've worked at office buildings, hotels, hospitals, schools and Olympic facilities.

We operate in every district, especially Chaoyang and Haidian, which are two of the most crowded. Where there are people, there's food and garbage and that attracts rats.

What type of techniques do you use?

We mainly use poison and food to attract the rats into traps. We also sometimes use an electric wave transmitter. We don't stay on the lookout waiting for rats to come out; we plant the devices and go back to the site a couple of days later to see if any rats head into the traps. We catch about 10 rats per visit.

How strong is the poison?

It's not deadly to people or animals. If a dog or a cat drinks poisoned water they'll feel uncomfortable, probably dizzy and have stomachache, but they won't die, nor will a person.

Is it true that all rats go away in winter?

Yes, rats hibernate and only come out for food in spring. They're out between April and October, with a peak season during the three months of summer. The house mouse, the buff-bellied rat and brown rats are the most common in Beijing and they measure between 14-30 centimeters.

Were you ever attacked by a rat?

No! Rats are afraid of people - they come out to look for food not to attack people. We wear a uniform and gloves because we handle chemical products, not to prevent attacks.

What is the worst rat infestation you've seen?

A TV station once had to interrupt its broadcast because rats had gnawed the transmission cables. We then caught about 100 rats.

In another instance, which was very funny, we visited a house where rats would just come out to stare and play as we were planting the traps; we'd chase them and they'd initially run, then stare at us again in defiance. Rats are cunning and social, but we'd never seen anything quite like that.

Do you often receive false alarms?

People who hear strange noises at home or find that their objects have been moved mysteriously often think they have rats where they live. They feel more restful after we have paid them a visit.

Is the myth that we all live near a rat true?

I'd say Beijing is quite clean, so not everyone will be able to see a rat near them.

Li Chanyu contributed to this story