The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Animal pests keep area top of leagues
Courier Country staff are among busiest for callouts in whole of the United Kingdom
Councils in Tayside and Fife have some of the highest rates of pest control callouts in the UK, new figures reveal.
A survey conducted by the not-forprofit trade body British Pest Control Association (BPCA) asked each local authority in the UK for details on categories and figures regarding pestcall outs in 2015/16.
Out of every area in the UK, Dundee came out on top for all mammals (other than rats and mice) such as foxes, rabbits and squirrels — cases of which have quadrupled since 2014/15 — and also certain insects such as flies, bees, lice, fleas and moths.
Angus came out on top for cases relating to birds, with Dundee third and Fife was the top area for callouts to deal with ant infestations.
Vanessa Hartley an officer from Tayside-based Andy Law Pest Control, said there are various explanations for the figures.
She said: “Dundee City Council has its own pest control department, whereas other areas such as Perth don’t.
“This could be something to do with why they have a higher number of callouts.
“I’m not surprised by the high figures for rabbits and foxes, though, because as you move up the coast within the city, it becomes extremely sandy.
“As a result, it’s incredibly easy for rabbits to burrow near homes and of course, where there are rabbits, there are also high numbers of foxes.”
She added: “In terms of Angus and Dundee having problems with birds, it is down to the coast line.
“With the areas being next to the Tay and the sea this invariably brings large numbers of gulls.
“However, the figures showing high numbers of insects is surprising. It could just be that it’s better reported in the areas.”
With slightly fewer than 3,000 callouts in 2015/16, Dundee City Council dealt with 19.61 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, meaning the city was second in Scotland.
Angus, which does not provide a pest control service, contracted out 1,319 jobs, meaning there was 11.37 cases per 1,000 people.
Fife, which provides a service and has a much bigger population, had 4,689 callouts equating to 12.85 per 1,000 inhabitants.
Dundee City Council neighbourhood services convener Councillor Kevin Cordell said the council’s pest control staff carry out around 7,000 visits a year.
Overall across the UK, Dundee came 11th, Fife was ranked 37th, Angus 52nd, with no figures released for Perth and Kinross as it does not have a service or contract out calls.