Residents requested to assist as lockdown fuels rise in rodents

Neath Port Talbot Council reminds people that putting too much food for feral pigeons and other birds can attract rats.

Due to the fact that many buildings in the city and town center are empty and the streets are quieter during curfew, it is believed that the UK’s rat population has grown significantly. The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) announced that around half of the professionals surveyed during the lockdown saw an increase in activity.

Rats can typically have six litters per year and have between six and twelve pups.

A spokesman for Neath Port Talbot Council said: “We would like to urge people across the county not to overfeed pigeons and other wild birds as this could worsen the increase in rodent populations – something that has been seen across the UK. ”

The Neath Port Talbot Council has received 17 percent more calls regarding rats and mice since the coronavirus pandemic began and responded to them with required bait work / treatments.

For the past three years the council had a contract with Welsh Water to carry out bait work on local sewers. This work is carried out both routinely and reactively when complaints of vermin are received in the area.

Should a witness resident in a certain area be vermin, he can report this to pestcontrol@npt.gov.uk.