Common poisons can’t halt rat boom
BRITAIN could face an explosion of rats in 2021 after a study revealed that three- quarters are now immune to pest control methods.
Most rodents now carry a “resistance gene” and only a cold winter can keep numbers down, experts warned.
This year’s Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use survey of rats found that 74 per cent of the creatures carried a gene that allows them to withstand popular chemical killers.
And in some areas, one in five rats have two different genes, making them super- resistant.
The campaign’s Dr Alan Buckle said: “This is happening because different resistance foci, that were once separate, are now merging and interbreeding.”
Nest
Jenny Rathbone, of Pest. co. uk, said: “This year has been very challenging for pest controllers with an increase of 25 per cent in the population thanks to lockdown, plus a shift in where rats are looking for food and shelter.”
The UK rat population is estimated to be 150 million – and it is thought they are moving away from shut food shops towards homes.
Homeowners have been urged to block up holes in brickwork, shed doors and cellars and empty cupboards of material rats can use to nest in such as rags and sacks.
Ms Rathbone added: “The best deterrent I can recommend is removing all sources of food. Bird feed is the worst at this time of year as bird lovers overstock bird tables. This high- energy food is like a Michelinstarred meal to rodents.
“Without a cold winter, we will be entering 2021 with huge numbers of breeding rats carrying a new resistance to pest control.”