Surge in number of pest control visits to tackle rats in North Lanarkshire

dailyrecord.co.uk:

North Lanarkshire Council had to carry out almost 1000 more visits last year following reports of rat infestations than in the previous year.The local authority had to deal with 4,462 complaints from residents about the pesky rodents in 2022, ranking it the top 10 for infestations across the UK, and second only to Glasgow City in Scotland.The figures were revealed following FOI (freedom of information) requests by Direct Line Home Insurance.

A total of 25 Scottish councils responded to the FOI requests.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now. Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android The number of reports of residential infestations requiring visits from North Lanarkshire Council jumped by 29 per cent year-on-year, as during 2021, the authority’s pest controllers dealt with 3,469 reports.A total of 10,673 visits were made during the three-year period from 2020 to 2023, with the number rising in consecutive years from 2,742 in 2020.In early 2020 we reported residents in Newmains complaints that the village was suffering from an “epidemic” of rats.Last year it was revealed that a three-year-old boy ate rat poisoning after gaining access to a closed play area at a nursery in Motherwell, and had to be rushed to hospital.And earlier this year Wishaw councillor Frank McKay called for action from the local authority’s environmental health department to