Rat numbers are set to explode with many councils now increasing charges for treating vermin. This, plus reduced rubbish collections is comp...
Britain could become overrun with rats because so many town halls have introduced charges for treating vermin. Although rats are a major public health problem some councils are now demanding up to £80 to tackle infestations in homes.
These charges are deterring families from reporting rat infestations, and numbers could be rising as a result.
The mild winter, a fashion for compost heaps and the growing mountain of fast-food litter is contributing to the crisis. Water companies are also failing to tackle infestations by routinely baiting sewers and drains.
Britain's rat population has been rising for years. Yet according to the National Rodent Survey, the number of families contacting their local council to report rats and mice fell sharply in 2007 – it is the first time in eight years that this number has fallen.
Although the findings compiled by the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) appear to be good news, it is suspected that the figures are not telling the true story. Many in the pest control industry agree that it is highly likely that there is a hidden reservoir of rats and mice that are not being counted by such surveys.
Most councils do not charge for treating rats. However, a growing number do – particularly in cities.
While compiling the latest National Rodent Survey, the NPTA spoke to many pest controllers. One revealed how requests for extermination dropped by 60 to 70 per cent after charges were introduced in April 2006, and are still only half the former level.
The survey, carried out at the end of the summer, also found a fall of 23 per cent in treatments for brown rats compared to the previous years and a fall in mice treatments of 30 per cent. A worrying result considering the general increase in the rodent population over the year.
One of the big problems is food waste from fast-food outlets and general household rubbish. Unfortunately, a number of authorities have reduced bin collections, which has compounded the problem. Compost bins are also contributing, yet while councils have encouraged homeowners to turn food waste into compost, few provide composters fitted with wire mesh to stop rats getting inside.
Estimates of the number of Britain's rats vary. Some claim there are 60 million. But a study by Dr Stephen Battersby, president of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Officers, found there were usually 12 to 15 million at any one time.
A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: "Many councils continue to provide a free service for exterminating vermin. In areas where charging is in place, people with financial difficulties are offered heavy discounts or do not have to pay anything."