RAMPAGING rats spotted on Cairns' Esplanade and inner-city streets have sparked demands from angry business owners for more trapping.

Cairns Regional Council has admitted it has no idea of knowing how bad the problem is, but says the visibility of rats in trees lining the foreshore, stormwater drains, barbecues, picnic tables, rubbish bins and roads has increased because of rain.

Josh Lynex, supervisor at Esplanade restaurant Raw Prawn, told The Cairns Post of his disgust.

"The council should be acting on it," he said.

"It wouldn’t take much at all. A few traps at night and one guy to go along – it’s not a costly problem."

Villa Romana bar manager Chris Baker said the majority of rats were seen near trees on the Esplanade foreshore.

He said the vermin were unsightly for tourists and locals.

"We see them occasionally," he said.

"You can see them sometimes come over the road. It’s very unsightly."

Aaron Algie, from Jamaica Joes, said it was a "turn-off" to see rats running around the Esplanade.

"Obviously if they have a rat management program they should do something," he said.

Complaints about rats to The Cairns Post have increased in the recent weeks.

It took the council eight days to respond, issuing a statement which said it had received 23 complaints about rats in Cairns in eight months. Two complaints about rat sightings on the Esplanade had been made since March but there were also complaints received in relation to vermin issues at private properties.

The statement said the council monitored the take-up of its 70 baiting stations around bins, barbecues and gardens monthly but had "no way of knowing" how bad the problem was.

The statement said the Cairns Esplanade and inner-city baiting program had been introduced five years ago.

Questions about how much was spent on rat eradication and how many restaurants had complained were not answered.

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