A huge rat invasion is underway as oversized vermin are driven into people's homes by cold weather and floods.
Britons have been warned to be on the lookout for rodents after an infestation caused in part by delayed waste disposal.
The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) said it had seen a 115 per cent increase in the number of people seeking advice on rat control in the last 90 days.
It's estimated there are around 250 million rats in the UK – and the cold is pushing millions of them indoors.
Natalie Bungay, BPCA technical manager, said: “Winter often sees an increase in rat infestations as rats and mice seek warm, dry shelter with access to a food source.”
Gas worker James Green with a rat found near Hackney Downs in east London (file photo)
A giant rat held by a resident in Killyleagh, County Down, Northern Ireland (file photo)
“Garbage collection disruptions during the holidays can also be a factor, as overflowing trash cans and black bags full of trash are essentially a buffet for pests.”
During less frequent garbage collections, foxes may tear apart overfilled garbage cans and spill the contents, encouraging rats to come out of the sewers to feed on the garbage.
Floods in Britain have driven the rats from their underground nests into buildings in search of shelter.
London-based pest controller Paul Bates of Cleankill told The Mirror that his calls for rat infestations have steadily increased since the pandemic.
He said: “2022 was 6% more than 2021 and last year it was 3% more. “Since December I have had 235 calls for rats, which is a lot compared to normal. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the problem has worsened.
“In my opinion, there are several reasons for this: from reductions in trash collection, to poor drainage and sewer maintenance, to urban foxes learning to pop open food waste bins and leave vegetables all over the sidewalk, essentially creating a restaurant for Rats arises.”
“Many local councils have also started rewilding grass verges, but this creates habitats for them.” Recently I was driving around a roundabout and saw several rats running through the grass.
“Rats are a major problem as they pose a major health threat and reproduce quickly. That’s why an expert must take immediate action against them if there is any suspicion.”
Bins at Whitworth Road Cemetery in Swindon were overflowing on Christmas Day
Households across the UK are reportedly being plagued by rodents amid delays in waste collections, flooding and funding cuts
Pest controller Terry Walker (pictured) who caught a huge, 19-inch-long mutant rat
Frustrated locals in Swindon posted videos and pictures of their overflowing bins on social media, expressing concern that the rubbish would attract vermin.
Some claimed they saw foxes, cats and rats rummaging through trash and tearing open garbage bags at their doorbells.
Swindon Borough Council apologized for the delays in waste collection, citing the amount of cardboard recycled over Christmas and the loss of “two working days”.
Pest expert Mark Moseley, who was also a contestant on The Apprentice last year, said he was inundated with calls from people returning from the Christmas holidays only to find rats had invaded their homes.
He said: “People have come home to find their Christmas chocolate hanging on the tree has been eaten.” Rats were in their properties; “People were gone and came back to find things were no longer the way they left them.”
The lockdown has also forced more rats to forage in residential areas, where they are encouraged to stay due to large food waste and access to bird feeders in gardens.
Female rats often leave sewers to protect their young, Mr. Moseley added, because adult male rats see them as a threat to their territory.
“While the rat population in our major cities has now had a chance to grow again, rats have actually remained there (in residential areas). “Rat populations are building up in areas where they weren’t before the pandemic,” Mr Moseley said.
Dorset-based pest controller Terry Walker was recently pictured holding a giant, 19-inch-long mutant rat he found.
Waste disposal is already at risk as some councils look to cut costs, with the Local Government Association estimating that councils in England could face a £4bn funding gap over the next two years.
Heavy rain and flooding from Storm Henk left some families struggling with the nightmare of tunnel rats.
Mark Moseley, who presented his pest control expertise to Lord Sugar on The Apprentice last year, said people return from their Christmas holidays to find their home infested with rats
Rodents ran into people's homes because their burrows and nests in fields, gardens and forests were flooded.
Mr Moseley, the founder of PestGone Environmental Ltd, gave homeowners tips on how to keep rats away.
He said: “If you have squirrel or bird feeders in your garden, you should try to fit a drip tray to catch the food that falls to the ground, as rats will find the food and then stay in the area.”
“The same goes for fruit trees, plum trees, raspberry trees or bushes.” Rats stay near these animals because they know that fruit is good for their diet.
“Don't put the containers directly on the ground as foxes will break through them and then rats will get in and feed on them.” Get hardened garbage containers and place them in the trash cans.
“Any foliage in your garden, try to cut it back as best you can. It prevents habitats from being created in the foliage of people's gardens.”