Britain is being overrun by drug-resistant "super-rats" who have become kittens-like because they eat a lot of bird food, chips and high-fat TV dinners, stealing food and crawling over beds into residents' homes.
According to pest control expert Mark Mosley, rat populations have skyrocketed because rat poison is becoming less effective, coupled with rising food waste due to the UK's growing population.
In addition, during the lockdown, rats had to travel to residential areas in search of food, being encouraged to stay amid a lot of food waste and people feeding birds in the garden. Rats also nest in vacant buildings.
Many believe that the problem is also exacerbated by the lack of frequent collection of bins, with some residents waiting weeks to clean up their trash. Earlier this year, Leeds City Council apologised for a duplication of waste collection that had led to an infestation of rats.
According to Rentokil, the UK rat population has grown by 6.4% this year. Meanwhile, another expert said that if no action is taken, the rat problem in London could be as serious as in New York.
He told the media: "The main reason is that rats have developed resistance to the drugs we have dropped. It will take £70-80 million and up to 10 years to develop new pesticides. This is not something that can be made in someone else's cabin. In addition, the number of rats will also increase due to the increase in the country's population. The more garbage, the more food the rats have. It's a vicious circle. ”
Mamosley warns that bad household habits are causing rats to become increasingly obese and numerous.
"People would sit in the garden and feed the pigeons. Rats come to eat bird food, which also attracts foxes to eat mice. Not only did the rats increase in number, but they also became fatter. ”
According to industry estimates, the UK rat population has grown by about 25% in recent years and has reached about 150 million.
A housewife said the rat took the whole banana from her family's fruit bowl and the problem became so serious that she had to seek help.
The mother said: "I first realised we had a problem when the fruit was missing from the bowl. Now, when I come down in the morning, the rats have torn open the bananas, some of which have disappeared completely. ”
Another resident, from Ives, Cornworst, said: "My neighbour and I have had real problems with rats since restaurants were closed during lockdown and my second home was vacant. They have entered the floor slab and are running wild in the adjacent attic of our block. I've asked for pest control many times, but rats keep popping up. For one of my neighbors, things got so bad that rats even entered her bedroom and crawled over her bed at night. She had to move out. ”
This is a serious problem as rats gradually develop resistance to traditional rodenticide drugs, and the increase in the British population and food waste has also led to an increasing number of rats. In addition, people's bad habits in family life also make mice more and more obese.
Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen management in terms of garbage disposal, diet, hygiene and other aspects to reduce the number of rats. At the same time, more effective measures need to be taken to control mice to avoid further exacerbation of the problem.