Oslo man kills 100 rats in single trapping blitz: debate erupts over urban pest control

In a single Oslo backyard, one man’s relentless campaign against an infestation has drawn global attention after he killed more than 100 brown rats in a single trapping operation. Kim Strømsholm, a private pest controller, used firearms to cull the rodents during night-time raids, a method that has sparked debate over urban wildlife management. The tally, confirmed on Sunday, 21 June 2026, represents one of the most intensive private eradications ever recorded in a European city centre .

Strømsholm’s campaign began quietly in early June, when residents in the Grünerløkka district reported a surge in rat activity near communal bins and compost heaps. By mid-month, the problem had escalated to the point that municipal pest-control teams were overwhelmed. Strømsholm, who holds a firearms licence for vermin control, obtained permission from the Oslo police to operate after dark. Between 10 and 19 June, he conducted at least eight night-time sessions, using a suppressed .22 rifle to minimise noise and disturbance. City authorities confirmed the total on Sunday morning, though they declined to comment on the method’s legality or long-term efficacy .

The operation has divided opinion. Animal-welfare groups argue that lethal control should be a last resort and have called for an independent review of Oslo’s rat-management strategy. “Killing over a hundred animals in a confined space raises serious ethical questions,” said Ingrid Berg, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Society for the Protection of Animals. “We need humane, sustainable solutions that address the root causes—poor waste management and inadequate bin hygiene.” City officials, however, point to the immediate public-health risks posed by the infestation, which included confirmed cases of leptospirosis in nearby playgrounds .

Strømsholm, who has worked in pest control for fifteen years, defended his approach. “The rats were breeding faster than the city could trap them,” he told local media. “I gave the residents their backyard back.” The Oslo Environment Agency has now pledged to increase nightly patrols and install motion-activated lighting in the area, while Strømsholm has offered to train municipal teams in his technique.

Elsewhere in Europe, conservationists are turning to technology to protect vulnerable species during the harvest season. In Germany, volunteer groups are deploying drones fitted with thermal cameras to locate roe deer fawns before farmers begin mowing meadows. Each year, an estimated 100,000 fawns die in harvesting accidents, but the new system has already reduced fatalities by 40% in pilot regions .

Back in Norway, the debate over Strømsholm’s campaign shows no sign of abating. City councillors are scheduled to vote on Tuesday on whether to expand the use of lethal control in high-density rat hotspots, while animal-rights activists prepare a legal challenge. For the residents of Grünerløkka, the immediate relief is palpable—but the long-term cost to the urban ecosystem remains uncertain.