Birmingham City Council dealing with 35 rodent infestations every day
In 2022 they dealt with almost 13,000 rodent infestations
There's been a big increase in the number of residential rodent infestations in the UK.
New research shows that last year, Birmingham City Council dealt with 12,736 rodent infestations, the 3rd busiest council.
Across the country, there were 226,831 rodent infestations – that's the equivalent of 621 per day.
It's a 12% increase in rodent infestations from two years ago in 2020 when councils dealt with 203,227 infestations (550 per day).
The problem is now so big, estimates suggest there are now 150 million rats in the UK and some ‘super rats’ have now become resistant to traditional pest control methods – some can even grow to be as big as a cat!
Rodents can cause significant structural damage to homes by gnawing under floorboards, within stud walls and drywall linings, or by making holes in loft insulation which can cause condensation and rot in the joists.
If mice and rats chew through plastic pipes it can also lead to damp, or flooding whilst chewing through electrical cables could cause significant fire risks.
Some rodents also carry diseases such as Salmonella and Listeria, which can easily spread to humans, normally through rodent urine, droppings, or by coming into contact with food preparation areas.
Councils having to spend £36 million
The research from Direct Line Home Insurance also showed that each local authority spent an average of £101,044 dealing with residential rodent infestations in 2022, bringing the estimated yearly total to £36 million.
Almost one in five (19%) local authorities provide these pest control services for free, but households that don’t qualify for discounts, typically get charged £80.
Which areas were the worst hit by rats?
Last year, the City & County of Swansea dealt with the most residential rodent infestations, a total of 16,767.
Southwark Council and Birmingham were the second and third busiest councils, dealing with 16,665 and 12,736 infestations respectively.
Eastbourne Council saw the highest increase in rodent infestations in 2022 with 598, up from 208 in 2021 (a massive 188% increase).
The top 10 Local Authorities dealing with the most rodent infestations in 2022:
- City & County of Swansea - 16767 infestations
- Southwark Council - 16,664
- Birmingham City Council - 12,736
- Liverpool City Council - 10,373
- City of Glasgow - 10,323
- Sunderland City Council - 5,968
- Wigan Metropolitan Borough - 4,715
- North Lanarkshire Council - 4,462
- London Borough of Lambeth - 3,645
- Nottingham City Council - 3,573