Rodent Control Market

Market Overview

The global rodent control market size was valued at USD 2,858.26 million in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 4,907.85 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.19% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

Rodent control regulates and manages the spread of rodents such as rats and mice. Rodent control regulates the population of destructive, toxic, or dangerous rodents through chemical, biological, or other means. Rodenticides are pesticides that kill rodents. These are chemicals or a mixture of chemicals used to mitigate rodent damage. The management of rodents is recognized as detrimental to human health. Norway rats, roof rats, and house mice tend to reside in places where human activities can lead to serious health issues. Thus, rodent control has gained significant importance in recent years.

Rodent control technologies are widely used in urban areas, such as megacities hosting more than 20-25 million residents, and rural areas. Stored product facilities, food processing facilities, retail locations such as shops, casinos, hotels, and restaurants, associated locations such as offices, kitchens, and operational locations, as well as institutional locations such as schools, hospitals, and retirement communities, are examples of commercial sites for rodent control. Due to the employment of chemical and mechanical rodent control techniques, commercial sites maintain high sanitation standards and cleanliness, which are more common in such locations.

Highlights

• Chemical dominates the type segment
• Residential dominates the application segment
• North America is the highest shareholder in the global market

Market Dynamics

Global Rodent Control Market Drivers

Increasing Urbanization Coupled with Exponential Growth of Population and Easy Availability of Rodent Control Products and Services

The global rodent control market is witnessing significant growth across the globe, owing to a rise in economic activity, an increase in urbanization, and an upsurge in population. An increase in urbanization and population growth gives rise to garbage generation. Rodents are attracted to those urban areas that provide a wealth of hiding places and easy access to food concentration. These factors facilitate rodent growth and are considered the primary factor that drives the growth of the rodent control market.

Additionally, pest management has become an integrated part of human life. Consistently changing lifestyles and drastic change in the population has led to an increase in pests. In the agriculture industry, rodent management has gained tremendous importance over the years to garner optimum crop yield. This has forced governments of numerous countries to implement rodent management policies and mandate rodenticides in crop management. Therefore, by increasing the implementation of such policies, rodent control products are readily available, driving the market growth.

Changes in Climatic Conditions

Constant changes in climatic conditions are expected to increase rodents, thereby hampering the yields of staple crops such as wheat, soybeans, and corn. Warmer temperatures lengthen the growing season and speed up plant growth, but they also cause an increase in rodent metabolic rate and the number of breeding cycles. In addition, rodents with only two annual breeding cycles gain an additional cycle if warm growing seasons extend, causing a population boom. Thus, changes in climatic conditions have led to an increase in rodents, thereby fueling the growth of the market.

Global Rodent Control Market Restraint

Stringent Regulations and Ban on the Use of Chemical-Based Rodent Control

Rodenticides are manufactured using chemicals to reduce the rodent population that threatens public health. They work by concentrating on rodent enzymes or systems that may be the same as or related to human systems. Therefore, they pose high risks to human health and the environment. Killing rodents can be toxic to other organisms, such as birds. In addition, overusing rodenticides may lead to soil, water, turf, and other vegetation contamination.

Furthermore, food contaminated with toxic rodenticides has severe effects on human health. Rodenticide toxicity can result from ingestion, inhalation, or dermal absorption. Owing to this factor, the government of various developed and developing countries impose strict regulations and have banned the use of chemical-based rodent control products. This factor is expected to hamper the rodent control market growth during the forecast period.

Global Rodent Control Market Opportunities

Rising R&D activities to Develop Bio-Based Rodenticides

Rodent control chemicals are incredibly hazardous to the non-targeted environment, such as air, water, and soil. However, application and developments of bio-based rodenticides like "Biorat" are anticipated to reduce the harmful effects, making the ecosystem safer for humans and non-targeted living organisms. Organic rodent control methods are less environmentally damaging and less toxic to non-targeted insects, mammals, and aquatic life. This factor is anticipated to create new growth opportunities for the rodent control market during the forecast period.

Regional Analysis

North America Dominates the Global Market

Based on region, the global rodent control market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

North America is the most significant global rodent control market shareholder and is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period. Government legislation, strict auditing compliance, and protection of high-value assets have surged the demand for digital pest control in North America. In addition, an increase in consumer awareness regarding diseases spread due to rodents like the plague and others, and a surge in demand for vector control is anticipated to surge the demand for rodent control across the U.S. Likewise, the demand for rodent control services has grown as organic farming practices spread across North America. The rodent and commercial and residential market segments of the professional rodent control business benefited from strengthening the housing market and the gradually improving economy. Further, the number of rodent control companies providing rodent control services has expanded significantly over the past ten years, reflecting growing concern over the health dangers of these rodents' spreading infections and diseases. Government initiatives like the vector control program, a proactive and complaint-based program to discover and eradicate rat and mouse infestations in the City and the Country, are also expected to boost the rodent control market across North America.

Europe is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 7.0% over the forecast period. Europe is anticipated to witness an increase in demand for rodent control services due to new food safety and hygiene legislation and the European legislation's adoption of an integrated pest management program for the sustainable use of rodenticides. The Europe rodent control market is expected to experience growth due to a rise in awareness due to outbreaks of diseases related to rodents. Key drivers of developing the European rodent control market include increased hygiene standards and awareness. In addition, EU regulation to restrict the external use of rodenticides for rats, and only by professionals following a risk analysis, is being implemented country by country across Europe.

Furthermore, France, Italy, and Spain are recognized as significant wine producers. A due rise in demand for wine from Asian countries like India and China and free trade agreements with these countries will grow export demands positively, impacting the rodent control industry as it is widely used in vineyards to protect the grapes crop. Moreover, with the ever-increasing profile of food safety, food processing companies are implementing strict rodent control measures, which eventually drive the growth of the rodent control market across Europe.

In Asia-Pacific, countries like China and India formed anti-epidemic stations for consultation on different rodent control techniques. The rapid growth of commensal rodents in urban and rural areas has led to the formation of committees at central and country levels responsible for procuring rodent control chemicals (rodenticides) and mechanical traps. The expansion of agricultural lands and the number of organic producers in China and India boost the application of different rodenticides. According to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, between 2016 and 2017, the total organic farming area increased by 25% in the Asia-Pacific region. Furthermore, a rise in rodent populations in rural China, India, and other Asia-Pacific nations is projected to accelerate the expansion of the rodent control industry. For instance, around 135,895 rats in China were identified in tropical areas in Guangdong province, damaging crops and grasses. In addition, increasing demands for advanced poisoned baits with 1 to 3% zinc phosphide and 0.025% diphacinone in agriculture create new opportunities for penetrating new market segments.

In LAMEA, the domestic rodent control market is highly dominated by global industry players providing various services such as surveys and consultation through local distributors. Pest management techniques, such as the A12 possum and mechanical traps, are commonly employed in LAMEA for commercial and domestic rodent control. Higher living standards and growing health concern in the middle-class population has increased the need for non-toxic rodenticides in LAMEA. In addition, meeting the increase in demand for advanced rodent control solutions in agriculture that have reduced adverse effects on crops and will not affect other animals except rodents will further encourage new R&D investments, creating new opportunities in the market.

Segmental Analysis

The global rodent control market is segmented by type and application.

Based on type, the global rodent control market is divided into chemical, mechanical, biological, and others. 

The chemical segment is responsible for the largest market share and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.40% over the forecast period. Rodent control chemicals are applied to drive away rodents from a particular area. Industry players focus on manufacturing high-quality rodent control chemicals with specialized quality control techniques. Advanced non-toxic rodent control chemicals are widely used in industrial, commercial, and residential areas such as buildings, godowns, orchards, and other outdoor areas. The use of lower-risk rodent control agents has been on the rise.

In addition, industry companies are concentrating on offering a wide range of products that include less harmful rodent control agents while upholding the safety requirements of the Food Quality Protection Act. For instance, BASF manufactures a Selontra rodent control chemical that comes as a non-anticoagulant solution with a small footprint and no toxic effect on non-targeting animals such as birds and mammals. Further, the expansion of regional distributors and the increased accessibility of rodent control chemicals in urban and rural areas are key market drivers. New rodent control chemicals will also target new consumer segments, requiring less time for maintenance and cleaning, expanding the market potential.

Mechanical rodent control is used to destroy rodents but cannot control further multiplication of rodents like chemical rodent control, making it useful for only low rodent population areas. Mechanical rodent control techniques such as trapping with bamboo bow traps, pot traps, and break-back traps are widely used in farming to control field rats. In addition, plugging holes with glass pieces and cement plastering is commonly used in warehouses as a mechanical rodent control method. Industry participants are concentrating on expanding their product lineup and collaborating with domestic competitors to improve their distribution network. Moreover, an increase in domestic manufacturers increased the availability of low-cost mechanical rodent control products.

Furthermore, growth in demand in agricultural and residential areas is further expected to boost market growth. In addition, technological advancements are anticipated to influence market growth in the upcoming years positively. The application of electronic remote sensor technology increased the efficiency of mechanical rodent control. The moment the rodent is caught inside the trap, the battery-operated sensor sends a notification removing the problem of frequent inspection. Such product development will propel the market growth during the forecast period.

Based on application, the global rodent control market is segmented into commercial, residential, agriculture, industrial, and others. 

The residential segment owns the highest market share and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period. Rodent management, which involves determining the most effective strategy to keep pesky intruders under control while reducing the use of potentially hazardous pesticides, is one of the trickiest environmental concerns facing people living in single-family homes or multi-family homes dwellings. Rodents can be particularly troublesome in multi-family housing. Integrated pest management differs from traditional pest control as it emphasizes eliminating nesting places and sources of food and water for rodents and excludes rodents from the home. In addition, integrated pest management is the most effective way to control rodents in the house. Residents, maintenance and custodial staff, pest control specialists, and the housing manager must work together to implement integrated pest management programs in multi-family housing.

Furthermore, the U.S. government has started the vector control project, a proactive and complaint-based campaign to find and eradicate rat and mouse infestations throughout the nation's cities. Also, communities around the country, including Alexandria and Virginia, started rodent abatement programs supported by the city's annual budget and used to bait the city's sewers and other outdoor properties. The rodent control industry is anticipated to increase due to these factors.

Stored product facilities, food processing facilities, and retail locations like shops, hotels, casinos, and restaurants are examples of commercial rodent control sites. Offices, kitchens, operating sites, schools, hospitals, and nursing homes are examples of institutional locations. The primary rodents in commercial and institutional sites include Norway rats, house mice, and roof rats. Chemical and mechanical methods are the most widely used rodent control techniques to maintain high sanitation standards and cleanliness in commercial areas. Rodent control can be carried out through mechanical, biological, and chemical methods. An increase in the use of chemical and mechanical methods to eradicate insects in hospitals, households, farms, and restaurants has significantly fueled the growth of the rodent control market for these methods. The chemical and mechanical methods continue to exhibit high demand as crop losses from rodents become more evident, and demand for agricultural production continues to rise, owing to the increase in the global population.

Recent Developments

• March 2023- Jeffs' Brands Ltd., a data-driven e-commerce company operating on the Amazon Marketplace, announced that it had inked an agreement to purchase the total share capital of Fort Products Ltd., a company incorporated in England and Wales that primarily sells pest control products on Amazon.co.

• February 2023- Rentokil PCI, India's top pest control and hygiene service provider, acquired Envocare Pest Control Solutions, a Mumbai-based pest control service provider, in an asset-for-asset transaction from parent company SILA.