UK: Expert issues warning over rising number of rats in cities

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And while it may not be true to say people living in the capital are never more than six feet from a rat, Paul Blackhurt, head of technical academy at Rentokil Pest Control said it was probable that many who live in urban areas spent their lives surrounded by large numbers of them – some of whom are likely to find their way into houses. The shocking incident reportedly happened on July 19, when Susan Treftub was walking through Blondin Park in Ealing. Ms Treftub claimed the animals swarmed towards her before lunging at her – although thankfully she escaped unscathed.

She said: “I can’t be sure but I thought there were easily over 100. I felt like I was going to be sick.”

Asked about the unusual story, Mr Blackhurt told Express.co.uk the health risks associated with rats should not be underestimated.

He explained: “It is worth noting that a rat is a wild animal and if threatened by being grabbed or trodden on it may react by biting in a way to defend itself.

“Rodents play a role in the transmission of many disease-causing pathogens to humans.

“One of the biggest threats is that rats carry Leptospires, which can cause Weil’s disease in humans if they are bitten or come into contact with rodent urine.”

More serious complications could include heart infections, meningitis, pneumonia and abscesses in internal organs

Paul Blackhurt

The bacterial disease can cause two to four mild to severe flu-like symptoms, including headaches, chills, vomiting, diarrhoea and skin rashes.

The risk of contracting Weil’s disease is quite low, although exacerbated in wetter environments, Mr Blackhurt said.

He added: “Rat-bite fever is also a risk to humans if bitten or scratched by an infected rat.

“This can cause symptoms lasting up to 10 days, including fever, vomiting, joint pain and a rash.

“More serious complications could include heart infections, meningitis, pneumonia and abscesses in internal organs.”

Furthermore, rodents are also potential sources of allergens, with their droppings, skin shed and hair capable of triggering common allergic reactions in humans.

Asked about the factors which might have triggered the sort of incident witnessed by Ms Treftub, Mr Blackhurt said: “Rats live in extended family groups, called clans and are capable of reproducing quickly.

“Their breeding cycles are seasonal, with sexually mature females having a gestation period of around 21 days and are able to give birth to up to 15 young in extreme cases.

“If the environment has enough resources and the right conditions it is not unknown for these family groups to become quite large.”

It was possible the group may actually have been running away from something, he suggested.

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He explained: “Rats have an inbuilt survival strategy called neophobia which essentially means a fear of new things.

“Anything new within the rat’s environment may invoke a strong reaction in the rat which means it could change its behaviour and shy away from that area or object.

“Rats are also prey for many predators which means they prefer to remain protected by cover to prevent being predated on.”

If sufficiently frightened, it was entirely possible for rats to react by biting as a way of defending themselves, he said.

Rentokil Pest Control data shows that web traffic to its rodent advice pages jumped 37 percent in 2020.

Rodent enquiries have also increased over five consecutive years and were 37.3 percent higher in 2020 compared to 2015.

Mr Blackhurt suggested two specific factors which may be behind the apparent increase.

He said: “Temporary business closures and lockdowns as a result of the coronavirus pandemic may have helped create favourable conditions for rodents.

“The quieter streets and unoccupied buildings offered them shelter and opportunities to exist undisturbed.

“It also contributed to a unique scenario where rodents became more frequently spotted during daylight hours, despite being timid and nocturnal creatures.”

This situation is likely to be created by increasing nest sizes, forcing less dominant rodents out of the nest in search of new opportunities to feed and breed.

Referring to the recent torrential downpours, which caused considerable disruption in London last week, he added: “Heavy rains and flooding can destroy and displace rodents’ nests, forcing the surviving rodents to relocate to new areas in search of food, water and shelter.”

And he warned: “Rats are also very resourceful and can use damaged pipework, plumbing, or cracks to enter properties.

“So it’s conceivable that we could see more rodents making their way into people’s homes and businesses following the recent wild weather in London and across the country.”

However, there are other factors at work, Mr Blackhurt stressed.

He said: “Our move to a 24-hour society, changes to waste pick ups, ageing sewer systems and many other factors are likely to play a part in driving rodent populations.

“With these societal shifts, as well as businesses and commercial facilities remaining largely unoccupied during the pandemic lockdowns, many turned to digital pest control solutions, such as Rentokil’s PestConnect, which are connected systems that can remotely monitor for rodent activity 24/7.

“These digital pest management solutions give pest controllers precise data on when and where rodents enter a premises.”

Recent estimates suggest London is home to 20 million rats – but Mr Blackhurt stressed it was important not to exaggerate the problem.

He said: “This old adage about ‘never being more than 6 feet away from a rat’ has been used for over 100 years so is hardly an accurate statistic.

“The ‘six feet’ figure is thought to have originated from an early twentieth century UK land survey which estimated rat populations against the existing human population.

“Today, there are certainly likely to be rodents in close proximity to individuals living in built-up urban areas such as London, but it’s difficult to calculate an exact distance given that rodents are not evenly spread across the UK.”

Rat facts:

• If a rat is trapped and released it can move up to four miles from the release point
• A rat burrow can be three metres deep but is rarely more than 0.5 metres deep
• Brown rats show a tendency to be negative geotaxis which means they prefer to move downwards as opposed to upwards
• Black rats are superior climbers and can climb any slightly roughed surface up or down
• Brown rats can jump vertically more than 77cm and 120cm horizontally
• At one time 11-31 percent of all female rats are pregnant
• Patterns of movement become so engrained in rats that when they get used to moving around an obstacle if the obstacle is removed they will continue to move around it. Thus the correct siting of trap means they do not have to be baited but it is imperative they are placed directly on the run
• Female rats can distinguish the sex of their offspring by smell
• Rodents can live and breed in cold stores and have been known to nest in the fat layer of carcasses
• Rats eat up to 10 percent of their body weight a day and cannot live without access to water

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