A massive rat invasion is underway as oversized pests are driven into people’s homes by cold weather and flooding.
Brits have been warned to keep an eye out for rodents after an infestation partly caused by delayed waste collection.
The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) said it has seen a 115 per cent increase in the number of people seeking advice on how to control rats in the past 90 days.
It is estimated that there could be around 250 million rats in Britain, and the cold conditions are driving millions of them indoors.
Natalie Bungay, BPCA technical manager, said: ‘It is common to see an increase in rat infestations during the winter period as rats and mice look for warm, dry shelters with access to a food source.
Gas worker James Green found with a rat near Hackney Downs, East London (File Photo)
A giant rat held by residents of Killyleagh, County Down, Northern Ireland (File Photo)
‘Disruption to waste collections over the festive period could also be a factor, as overflowing bins and black bags full of rubbish are essentially a buffet for vermin.’
During less frequent waste collections, foxes can tear apart overflowing bins and spill the contents, prompting rats to emerge from sewers to feed on the waste.
Floods in Britain have driven the rats from their underground nests into buildings as they search for shelter.
London-based pest controller Paul Bates of Cleankill told the story The mirror that since the pandemic, calls about rat infestations have steadily increased.
He said: “2022 was 6% higher than 2021 and last year was 3% higher. Since December I have had 235 calls for rats, which is a lot compared to normal. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the problem has only gotten worse.
‘There are a few reasons for this in my opinion, from reduced waste collection and poor drainage and sewer maintenance to urban foxes learning to pop open food waste bins and leave vegetables all over the pavement, essentially creating a restaurant for rats.
‘Many municipalities have also started to naturalize grass verges, but this creates habitat for them. Recently I was driving around a roundabout and saw several rats running through the grass.
‘Rats are a major problem because they pose a major health hazard and reproduce quickly. Therefore, if suspected, they should be treated by a professional.’
Bins at Whitworth Road Cemetery, Swindon, remained overflowing on Christmas Day
Households across Britain are reportedly plagued by rodents amid a perfect storm of waste collection delays, flooding and budget cuts
Pest controller Terry Walker (pictured) who caught a giant 50cm long mutated rat
Frustrated locals in Swindon posted videos and images on social media of their overflowing bins and raised concerns that the waste would attract pests.
Some claimed they saw foxes, cats and rats rummaging through rubbish and tearing open bin bags at loud doorbells.
Swindon Borough Council has apologized for waste collection delays, citing the amount of cardboard recycled over Christmas and the loss of ‘two working days’ as reasons.
Pest expert Mark Moseley, who was also a candidate for The Apprentice last year, said he had been inundated with calls from people returning from their Christmas holidays only to find rats had invaded their homes.
He said: “People have come home to find their Christmas chocolates hanging on the tree have been eaten. Rats have been in their properties; people have been away and come back to find things that are no longer as they left them.”
The lockdown also forced more rats to hunt for food in residential areas, where they were encouraged to stay due to abundant food waste and access to bird feeders in gardens.
Female rats often leave the sewers to protect their young, Moseley added, because adult male rats see them as a threat to their territory.
‘While the rat population has now had the opportunity to grow again in our major cities, rats have actually remained there (in residential areas). Rat populations are building up in areas where they weren’t before the pandemic,” Moseley says.
Dorset-based pest controller Terry Walker was recently pictured with a giant 50cm long mutated rat he found.
Waste collection is already under threat because some municipalities want to save costs. The Local Government Association has estimated that councils in England could face a £4 billion funding gap over the next two years.
Heavy rain and flooding from Storm Henk left some families facing the nightmare of tunnel rats.
Mark Moseley, who presented his pest control expertise to Lord Sugar on last year’s Apprentice, said people are returning from their Christmas holidays to find their home has been invaded by rats
Rodents ran into people’s homes because their corridors and nests in fields, gardens and forests were flooded.
Mr Moseley, the founder of PestGone Environmental Ltd, gave homeowners tips on how to keep the rats at bay.
He said: ‘If you have squirrel or bird feeders in your garden you want to try to have a catch basin to catch the food so it doesn’t fall to the ground because rats find that food and then stay in the area.
‘The same applies to fruit trees, plum trees, raspberry trees or shrubs. Rats will stay close because they know fruit is good for their diet.
‘Don’t put bins upright on the ground as foxes will tear through them and rats will get in and feed on them. Purchase hardened waste containers and place them in the dumpsters.
‘All the leaves in your garden, try to prune them back as best as possible. It prevents habitat from developing in the foliage of people’s gardens.’