The demise of the weekly bin collection has been criticised from homeowners up and down the country. But there is one section of the population that is certainly benefiting from the rise in uncollected refuse! In the last decade, experts have estimated that the number of rats has soared by 40% in the UK, and that this rise is due in part to the introduction of fortnightly bin collections which has caused the build-up in refuse as well as an upsurge in fly-tipping.

Indeed, according to Richard Kemp, Vice-President of the Local Government Association, government cutbacks have forced some councils to ‘restrict the pest control services they provide to only the most vulnerable in their communities’. With a rise in rubbish to attract rodents, combined with an increasingly inadequate municipal service to deal with them, rat infestations are becoming an all-too-common blight on properties in London and across the UK.

The cutback in drain clearance services offered by water companies has also contributed to this national pest problem. Rats are attracted to properties that can provide food, shelter and not least importantly, water. The stagnant pools that many UK properties host are therefore prime targets for the thirsty rodents. Many of these drains are inaccessible to the domestic homeowner, who likewise possesses relatively little expertise into how best to treat a rodent infestation.

As it therefore becomes apparent that councils and water companies are prepared only to come to the aid of only the most serious of cases, savvy homeowners are turning to private pest-control services such as London Rodent Control, who ensure not only to rid their property of the infestation, but also take the time and expense to advise their clients on how to protect their properties from any unwanted visitors in the future.