A giant rat invasion is underway even earlier this year as the rodents are driven into homes looking for food and shelter from the chillier weather.
There’s an estimated 250 million rats scurrying around the UK, and the British Pest Control Association reported a significant increase in rodent sightings in 2023, and say this is only likely to be higher in 2024.
‘Ratflation’ was coined by insurers responding to the increased number of rat infestations last year, handling 743 infestations per day in 2023.
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Reductions in waste collection, poor sewer maintenance and foxes learning to flip open bins is said to be causing the increased number of rats seen around.
These hardy creatures are a major pest and can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps to get into homes.
Dave Perrett, Nuture Pest Control’s national operations manager, said: “Interestingly, rodents exhibit what is known as behavioural resistance, where they can adapt their behaviour in response to pest control measures which can make it difficult to effectively eliminate or control rodent populations.”
Perrett recommends checking for any openings in doors or corners and cracks in the walls or floors, as the rodents will try their hardest to find a way in.
He said: “Successfully managing populations of brown rats and house mice requires more than simply setting traps.
“Understanding the rodents’ behaviour, including their feeding habits and activity zones, is crucial in tackling and preventing infestations.”
Increased rainfall, like we have seen this autumn, leads to rats running into people’s homes because their passages and nests outside have flooded.
Perrett said: “There is certainly not a one-size-fits-all approach, and by working with a pest control expert, you’ll be able to design an appropriate plan of action to keep rodents out of your home and firmly in the great outdoors.”
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