Surge in number of pest control callouts
THE number of rat and mice infestations in homes across East Renfrewshire has rocketed, latest figures show.
East Renfrewshire Council confirmed it arranged for pest controllers to make a total of 752 residential visits to deal with rodents last year.
This is nearly 500 more than the number of visits made in 2022.
The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information request submitted by Direct Line Home Insurance, show there were a total of 257 visits in the local area during 2022 and 262 in 2021.
For a fee, residents in East Renfrewshire are able to book pest control treatments through council contractor Graham Pest Control.
They are currently charged £94.90 for three visits to treat a rodent problem, the research found.
It has also been revealed that five residential visits to deal with bedbugs were made by local authority pest controllers in 2022, with three made the previous year.
No such visits were made in 2023.
The charge for dealing with bedbugs is currently £219.55, with the same fee charged for cockroach problems.
However, no residential visits to deal with cockroaches were made by local authority-contracted pest controllers in East Renfrewshire during 2021, 2022 or 2023.
The research also showed that, across the UK, 48 people were admitted to hospital in 2022/23 having been bitten by a rat, while councils in the UK experienced a 23 per cent increase in bedbug callouts in 2023 compared to 2022.
Only eight per cent of the 353 local authorities that replied to the insurance company’s request for information with usable responses said they provided pest removal services free of charge.
The majority said they required residents to pay a fee that ranges from £10 to £264.
According to the firm, 104 of the 397 councils contacted did not provide a pest control service at all, meaning 26 per cent of Britons would be required to use a private contractor to resolve these issues.
East Renfrewshire Council has said any residents affected by a rat or mice infestation should contact the local authority as soon as possible.
A spokesperson told the Barrhead News: “There are a variety of pest control treatments, at a range of prices, available to our residents through our provider.
“We believe they offer a best value service. However, residents are under no obligation and can go to any contractor they choose.
“Rats are creatures of habit and will return to the same areas looking for food, which is why it is so important that, if residents see any on their property, they arrange treatment immediately.”
For more information about pest control services offered by the council, visit https://eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/pest-control.