Rat sightings have sky-rocketed in London during lockdown with some pest controllers reporting a 78% rise in call-outs.
It’s thought the capital’s suburbs are becoming increasingly affected as the rats may have moved out of the city centre to more residential areas in search of food.
With offices and restaurants empty, desperate rats are now more likely to target people’s homes, according to a report on CNN.
In addition, with people spending all their time in their house, more rubbish is being generated which is luring even more rats in.
The British Pest Control Association (BPCA), which represents 700 rat catchers across the country, told the broadcaster its members reported a 51% hike in rodent activity during the first lockdown and a 78% increase in November.
They haven’t yet calculated figures for the third lockdown which began in January but say anecdotal evidence shows rat sightings are up again.
Paul Claydon, an exterminator based in Epping Forest, told CNN: ‘It might be that we are seeing and hearing them more often, working from home in the office under the loft… but I fear London may get a big surprise when it reopens.
‘Especially if businesses and properties that did have a problem haven’t kept up with their pest control plans.’
It’s thought the rats are becoming more confident as they get used to having fewer people around.
They are also generally getting larger in size and Mr Claydon said it’s not uncommon to find rats that measure up to 40cm. This means he has to use stronger traps and more poison.
There are fears that people will return to offices in the summer and find them overrun with rats who have climbed in through the toilets and have nested in the ceilings.
Estimates vary as to how many rats there are in London but 20 million is a figure often mentioned. Last year it was predicted that, across the UK, the pandemic has allowed an extra 30 million rats to breed.
Rodents are also venturing out into the daylight more and will chew through hard substances like soft metals and brick in search of food.
People are being recommended to ensure food waste is properly disposed of and to keep food locked away in the home in order to protect where they live.
Air vents and other entry points to a house should be sealed off with steel mesh and cracks should be filled in.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
