Rat reports rise 15% across Britain after summer heatwaves

Rat sightings rose by 15 per cent across Britain this summer compared with last year, prompting pest controllers to warn that rodents are becoming a growing problem in cities. The increase followed heatwaves and matters because experts expect more rats to seek shelter in homes and businesses as the weather turns colder.

Rentokil reported a 25 per cent rise in rat activity in Manchester over the past year, while several other cities recorded increases above 20 per cent. More than six in ten people surveyed said they had seen a rat in the past year; 53 per cent said they would feel embarrassed to disclose a rat problem. The company has introduced an air-driven, rodenticide-free control method, which it says is not affected by resistance to those chemicals.