mice – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Ratflation: Councils tackled 618 rodent infestations a day in 2022

Local authorities dealt with 225,430 residential rodent infestations in 2022 – equivalent to 618 per day
On average, each council spent more than £100,000 on pest control visits to homes
Swansea, Southwark and Birmingham councils tackled the most infestations while Eastbourne Council saw the biggest annual increase (188 per cent)
London faced more than 40,000 infestations in 2022 – almost one in five of all infestations

Local authorities dealt with 225,430 rodent infestations in 2022, equivalent to 618 per day, according to new research from Direct Line Home Insurance¹. There has been a significant rise in residential rodent infestations in the last two years, increasing 12 per cent from 201,871 infestations (552 per day) in 2020.

The research found that each local authority spent an average of £101,044 dealing with residential rodent infestations. In total, local authorities could be spending an estimated £36 million tackling rodent infestations each year². Almost one in five (19 per cent) local authorities provide pest control services to residents for free. For those households that don’t qualify for discounts, councils typically charged £80 for pest control related services.

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.

Table one: Local Authorities dealing with the most infestations

Rank	Local Authorities	2021	2022	y/o/y change
1	City & County of Swansea	15,516	16,767	8 per cent
2	Southwark Council	8,761	16,664	90 per cent
3	Birmingham City Council	14,464	12,736	-12 per cent
4	Liverpool City Council	12,032	10,373	-14 per cent
5	City of Glasgow	7,894	10,323	31 per cent
6	Sunderland City Council	3,232	5,968	85 per cent
7	Wigan Metropolitan Borough	5,382	4,715	-12 per cent
8	North Lanarkshire Council	3,469	4,462	29 per cent
9	London Borough of Lambeth	3,246	3,645	12 per cent
10	Nottingham City Council	4,115	3,573	-13 per cent

Source: Direct Line Home Insurance 2023

The City & County of Swansea dealt with the most residential rodent infestations in 2022, a total of 16,767. Southwark Council and Birmingham were the second and third busiest councils last year, 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 significant 188 per cent increase). London Borough Councils dealt with 40,768 infestations in 2022 – 18 per cent of the total for the UK.

One estimate suggests there are now 150 million rats in the UK³. Some ‘super rats’ are now resistant to traditional pest control methods and can grow to be as big as a cat.

Dan Simson, Head of Direct Line Home Insurance, said: “Mice and rats pose a real risk to the home and people’s health. They take advantage of issues like broken pipes, slipped roof tiles or holes in skirting to gain access to a property, often causing serious damage to the structural integrity of a building or belongings.

“We recommend that anyone with an infestation contacts either their local authority or an extermination service to have it taken care of professionally.”

Ian Andrew, Chief Executive at the British Pest Control Association, commented: “Rodents are a serious public health pest and they have rapid breeding cycles, which means infestations require swift action as they can escalate quickly.

“Unfortunately, being unable to afford pest control increases the likelihood of people either ignoring infestations or attempting DIY pest control methods, which can make the issue worse and endanger other people or non-target species.

“A pest professional such as a BPCA member will have the technical knowledge and experience required to deal with an infestation quickly and safely, as well as having access to products not available to the public.

“Pest management is vital for maintaining the safety, health and wellbeing of people, so it would be great to see something in the UK like the proactive approach New York City are taking, with the appointment of a ‘rat tsar’.”

To help homeowners prevent pest invasions, Direct Line Home Insurance has provided the following five tips:

Keep refuse bins sealed: Avoid attracting rodents to your property in the first place by keeping all rubbish bins containing food waste properly sealed, clearing away garden waste and by using rodent safe bird feeders.
Keep surfaces clean: Rodents are drawn to food debris so wiping down surfaces regularly, clearing up food spillages and throwing away uneaten food will help to prevent unwanted visitors.
Fill cracks and crevasses: Many rodents are crafty at finding entry routes into the home. Prevent them from getting in by sealing gaps around doors and windows. Also block holes above or under the sink as many pests will use this area to gain access to water.
Seal food: Store food in safe and enclosed containers to prevent rodents from being tempted to visit your home.
Avoid clutter: Rodents love hiding in dark areas so keep the home clutter-free to remove opportunities for them to set up a home in your house.

Fruit flies, fleas and bedbugs: the top three pests we’re searching the internet to remove

Fruit flies top the list of Britain’s most troublesome pests as new research reveals the top infestations we’re trying to get rid of

Fleas are in second and bedbugs are third in skin crawling analysis of Google search data

A new study has found that the UK’s most Googled pest problem is fruit flies. The tiny fly tops the list for the most searched pest at the end of the phrase ‘how to get rid of … ‘

The research by experts 24/7 Pest Control found that other popular – or rather unpopular – searches are fleas in second, bed bugs in third and rats in fourth.

Fifth place belongs to mice, while perennial picnic ruiner the wasp is in fifth. Ants take seventh place, flies are in eighth, silverfish are ninth and moles are the tenth most searched pest.

Although arachnophobia is a common fear, searches for “how to get rid of spiders” rank outside the top ten in 11^th position.

Searches for how to eradicate fruit flies total more than 19,000 on average each month. “How to get rid of fleas” is searched an average of just over 16,000 times each month, while advice on bed bugs receives a similar number.

The study also analysed search trends, finding that searches for how to get rid of fruit flies spike each year in August, and in 2020 the phrase received its highest ever number of searches.

Fruit flies are especially common toward the end of summer because they are attracted to ripened or fermenting fruits and vegetables, making foods like bananas, potatoes and onions, which are often unrefrigerated, a key source of contamination.

Fleas provoke a similar late-summer spike with searches at their highest in August and September.

“How to get rid of bed bugs” doesn’t follow such a clear pattern, however April 2020, just as the UK’s first national lockdown had begun, saw the highest ever number of searches for the phrase.

Commenting on the results, a spokesperson for 24/7 Pest Control said: “These results show that a pest doesn’t need to be big to cause problems. Fleas and bedbugs can be particularly difficult to get rid of, so the infestation can eat away at you in more ways than one.

“Although people might feel embarrassed about their pest problems, the volume of monthly searches shows that they’re very common across the country.”

Globally the biggest pest problem that people are hoping to eradicate is flies, followed by rats, with mice in third, while ants are in fourth and bed bugs are fifth.

The research was carried out by 24/7 Pest Control, which aims to provide effective pest control services and make them as easily available as possible.

The UK’s most Googled pest problems, ranked by monthly average number of searches

fruit flies – 19,100
fleas – 16,300
bed bugs – 16,100
rats – 13,000
mice – 12,200
wasps – 11,000
ants – 10,300
flies – 8,100
silverfish – 6,400
moles – 6,000

www.247pestcontrol.co.uk

Mice homes needed for rescued rodents!

The Scottish SPCA’s Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre is seeking loving new owners for 34 domestic mice. Scotland’s animal welfare charity rescued the mice after they were found living in poor conditions.

Twenty four of the mice, 13 males and 11 females, are ready and waiting to be rehomed while another female has just given birth to six babies, a further female is pregnant and there are two small juveniles who need more care before they will be ready to go to new homes.

Manager of the Balerno-based Centre, Diane Stewart, said, “The mice had been kept in cramped, dirty conditions and they had been allowed to breed freely resulting in multiple litters. Their previous owner was not coping so it was in the animals’ best interests for them to be signed over into our care and found suitable new homes.”

“Ideally we’d like them to be rehomed in small same-sex groups and pairs as mice are very intelligent and sociable creatures who enjoy the company of their own kind. They are very attractive with some beautiful markings and we’re sure
they’d make fantastic pets for mice lovers who have the time and commitment to care for them. We’d love to hear from anyone who can give some of our mice the second chance they deserve.”

Anyone interested in offering a pair or small group of mice a home can call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999 and ask to be connected to the Edinburgh Centre.