The cold winter spell has been good news for pest controllers across the country as calls for help in dealing with rat and mice in...
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Pest controllers are cashing in as unwelcome furry guests flee indoors to shelter from the cold.
Experts said while sub-zero temperatures and snow storms had culled the rat population, survivors were migrating to centrally heated houses, dustbins left full by fewer council collections or gardens where food is left out for birds.
Royal ratcatcher Rentokil said it had seen a sharp rise in callouts compared with previous years. Savvas Othon, technical director at the company, said: "Normally we plan for a five or ten per cent increase in the cold months, but that has almost doubled this year."
"In the cold snap, rats and mice are desperately seeking food and shelter to escape the bad weather. Factors such as less frequent rubbish collections and more properties being left empty at this time of this year have meant an increase in rodent numbers."
There are an estimated 80 million rats in the UK and they can breed from six weeks old.
Last year local councils dealt with 700,000 rat infestations compared with 650,000 the year before.
Richard Moseley of the British Pest Control Association said: "While harsh winters like this one tend to kill off the rodent population, most pest controllers will deal with an increase in callouts as rats head for warmth and food supplies. The freeze also means more people tend to uncover nests as weather-related damage such as burst pipes means they look into places around the house that they don't normally disturb."
Article provided by Rentokil Pest Control