Nottinghamshire pest control expert sees 10 per cent rise in number of rats since lockdown

A pest control expert says he has seen at least a 10 per cent rise in the number of rats across Nottinghamshire since the pandemic restrictions.

Andrew Oscroft, who runs his Pestforce business at Calverton, and formerly lived in Mansfield, says he believes the lockdown may have played a large part in the increase in rodent activity across the county.

He thinks it is because there are fewer people on the streets, with less food and takeaway scraps being dropped.

His comments come after residents and the area’s MP complained about ‘rats the size of sheep’ in Sutton.

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Andrew, whose family business covers Mansfield, Sutton, Kirkby and across the county, said: "I noticed after the first lockdown, after a month or so, a delayed reaction, after there had been no people out on the streets dropping food, that we started to see an increase in rodent activity and call outs to houses, gardens and shops went up.

"The Tier 3 lockdown had a lot to do with it. I have had a lot more calls, not just in Mansfield and Sutton in Ashfield, where there were reports in the paper, but right across the county. Other pest control people say the same.

"I also think, but people won’t like me saying this, it could be down to feeding birds. I’d suggest people don’t do that, but I know a lot of people get pleasure from feeding and watching the birds.

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"I would always advise, if they must feed them, to get a rat-proof feeder, rats will climb up and get the bird food. The rat proof ones have a baffle round the bottom.

"Also don’t throw out your scraps of bread onto the garden in the dark. If you must throw bread, do it in the daylight because no bird will feed at night but rats are nocturnal and hungry and it will attract them to your home.”

He added: “People often only know they have a rat because they can hear it. One of the bigger ones I dealt with recently had a 9 inch body and a 9 inch tail, it was quite big.”

Contact Andrew for advice at Pestforce on 01623 347 035.