Why are there so many mice in London?

Larger cities provide more living space for mice

Question: Why are there so many mice in London?
Position‹2 of 5›: London is huge, therefore there are more mice
Argument: Larger cities provide more living space for mice

Though some people love to label London as one huge, mouse-infested health and safety hazard, many fail to acknowledge that the city's sprawling size means more pests of all kinds.

The argument

While many people complain about the number of mice that live in London, few take into account the sheer size of the Swinging City. Standing at 607 square miles, the city is the third-largest in Europe after Istanbul and Moscow, and over twice as big as New York. Because of its massive size, it currently houses 8.9 million people — and with them, a considerable amount of mice. The argument's point is about what those numbers do and do not show. A raw count of pests says nothing on its own; it becomes meaningful only when set against the area and the population that produced it. However, unlike some people claim, the number of mice is not an indicator of some underlying flaw in the city. It does not stem from poor waste management or architectural quirks. Rather, it is merely an indicator of the city’s impressive size. The reasoning is straightforward. Of course a larger area will have more mice, simply because it covers so much space, and more rodents can live in this space. More people also means more of the food and shelter rodents depend on, so both figures push in the same direction. There is not an unusual amount of mice for the city’s size, and the comparison bears that out: most major cities around the world have similar issues with rodents. Were London exceptional rather than merely large, other big cities would not share the problem. The size that produces the pests also supplies the response. Thankfully, in addition to an increased amount of pests, London has a wider array of management solutions, from preventative measures to extermination resources.

Premises

[P1]London is enormous at 607 square miles, the third-largest city in Europe, housing 8.9 million people and proportionally many mice. [P2] A larger area simply holds more rodents, so London's mouse numbers reflect its size rather than poor waste management or any underlying flaw, much as other major cities have similar issues. [C] Therefore, London is huge, and that is why there are so many mice.

Counter-arguments

People who point out London's rodent problem are not criticizing the raw number of mice in the area. They are pointing out that the city administration has failed to decrease this number. Of course, it is to be expected that a larger area will have more pests than will a smaller area. However, one could also reasonably expect that a city government would have more resources to take better care of rodent management. Throughout history, and even today, London has failed to do so. It is evident that London's sprawling size is not the only reason for its excessive amount of mice; sanitation and architectural issues play a part as well.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Absolute numbers are the wrong measure for the question, which is about why the problem is conspicuous. Area and population predict more mice in total, not a higher density or a worse infestation, and the premise gives no comparison figure for any other city to show that London is unremarkable. [Rejecting P2] The premise dismisses the rival positions rather than answering them. Rodent numbers track food availability and harbourage, so waste handling and building fabric operate alongside size rather than instead of it. Noting that London also has more pest-control resources concedes the counter's point, which is about what has been done with them.