A British pest expert has raised concerns over an increase in rat activity across parts of the UK, saying he has encountered some of the largest rats he has ever seen.
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Paul Claydon, a pest control expert, said his workload involving rats has remained unusually high throughout the summer, despite the period normally seeing a drop in rat-related call-outs.
According to Claydon, some of the rats he has caught have measured up to 40cm, or around 16 inches, in length.
He said the increase could be linked to several factors, including milder winters, longer breeding periods and greater access to food in urban areas.
Claydon also pointed to changes in waste collection schedules, explaining that some councils have moved from weekly to fortnightly collections. He said delays in rubbish collection can leave more food waste available for rats.
He cited Birmingham as an example, where bin strikes reportedly resulted in large amounts of rubbish accumulating and were followed by reports of rat problems.
The pest expert also said overflowing bins, takeaway waste, fly-tipping, bird feeding, compost bins and food waste around residential areas can provide rats with easy access to food.
Speaking about the unusually large rats and the risks they pose, Claydon said:
“There’s definitely been a noticeable increase in the number of rats,
“This year in particular has been exceptionally busy.
“Normally, rat call-outs start to ease off through the summer, but this year the volume has stayed really high.
“I’m seeing levels of rat work in summer that I’d usually associate with the peak winter periods.
“And there are probably a number of reasons behind it.
“Much milder winters, which means better survival rates and a longer breeding season, but I think food availability is a massive factor.
Waste collections have changed in a lot of areas, with some councils moving from weekly to fortnightly, and whenever there’s a delay or disruption to collections, you’re effectively creating a bigger food source for rats.
“Birmingham is a good example, where the bin strikes led to huge amounts of rubbish building up and reports of serious rat problems.
“When you have overflowing bins, food waste, takeaway waste, fly-tipping, people feeding birds, compost bins and generally more food available around urban areas.
“Add in building work, disturbed ground and properties with gaps, it’s no wonder they are thriving.