Map of UK's worst areas for rat infestations - check to see where you live
Check out a map of the UK’s worst areas for rat infestations and see if where you live is overrun with pests.
The new interactive rat map shows where in the country suffers from rampant pest problems with research showing how widespread the problem is. On top of that, expert pest control personnel at the British Pest Control Association (BCPA) have warned the Mirror that recent wet weather could be forcing more rodents into people’s homes.
Rats are developing genetic resistance to coagulants once used to keep their numbers down, as one expert reckoned there could soon be five rats for every Brit. The worst part of the country for pest control problems was Swansea, which saw 16,767 infestations last year.
Meanwhile, Southwark, London, saw a staggering 90 per cent increase in infestations from 2021 - seeing 16,664 infestations in 2022. This marked the worst hit part of the capital according to data from Direct Line, who did a freedom of information request to all local authorities across Britain earlier this year, with 181 responding.
Check out the interactive map below
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However, it's not just cities that are hit by the growing rat numbers as shocking footage from Brickfields Pond nature reserve, showing rats swarming across the pathways in broad daylight. In total, last year saw local authorities tackle approaching a quarter of a million infestations - equivalent to 618 a day. This is up over a tenth from 2021, raising fears the rat infestations will simply keep on increasing.
Amid this worrying wave of pest problems, the BCPA have revealed their top tips to the Mirror for keeping the rats out of your home. Alongside that, they also revealed that shoddy DIY projects could be contributing to the rise in the rodent population, as people resist going to the experts.
Rat infestations are on the rise - see how it is where you live (Getty Images)Best pest prevention tips:
- Keep gardens tidy and clear of rubbish, cut back hedges or bushes close to buildings
- Put fly screens on doors and windows
- Look for entry points around your home - a mouse can enter a gap the diameter of a pencil
- Ensure that drain inspection covers are in good repair and any disused pipes are sealed off
- If you feed garden birds, do not do this to excess and use a bird table or feeder basket to catch any offcast seed
- Always keep lids sealed properly and replace any broken lids
- General good housekeeping will help, as you’re more likely to spot a pest infestation early which makes it easier to deal with
Following Swansea and Southwark, Birmingham is then the next worst hit locality - with 12,736 infestations - but this is actually 12 per cent down on the year before. Liverpool, Glasgow and Sunderland are fourth, fifth and sixth respectively but the north east city has also seen a huge 85 per cent spike on infestations from the year prior.
There are countless horror stories from up and down the country about rats overrunning homes and estates. Brits living between Avian Drive and Bethnall Estate in Fallowfield, south Manchester have been left listening to the pests scuttle through the walls and roofs of their homes as they freely roam their gardens.
Earlier this year, one pest expert warned rats were growing even bigger as well, feasting off the leftovers of an increasingly unhealthy nation. Craig Morris, a pest controller with 15 years of experience, said: "Rats are becoming more of an issue. They are one of nature’s amazing survivors. They have exploited everything we do and done it really well.”
Dauntingly, Steve Belmain, a professor of ecology at the Natural Resources Institute at Greenwich University, London, warned that the UK could soon have as many as 300 million rats here. This would mean that there are almost five rats for every Brit.
A lot of the recent spike in numbers is down to rats developing a genetic resistance to anticoagulants once used to keep their numbers in check. As of last year, rats were a £36 million a year problem for local authorities but this could increase.
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