Rather worryingly, there has been a 94% rise in rodent callouts in 2019. Your county may be here too...
In a rather expected turn, Dublin is the county which accounted for the most callouts for rodent control in 2019.
Figures that were released by Rentokil, Ireland’s leading pest control provider, has also reported a 94% increase in overall callouts around Ireland to deal with rodents so far this year (January-October) when compared to the same period in 2018.
The company expects these levels to rise in November and December as the rodent population moves indoors to escape the cold weather.
In terms of the counties that received the most callouts, it's not surprising to see the more densely populated areas making the list.
29% of all callouts were to Dublin while Cork (10.42%), Galway (5.37%), Kerry (5.25%) and Kildare (4.78%) are the next counties most affected by rodents.
The company is also warning home and business owners to be aware of the dangers that rodents, cockroaches, and fleas pose at this time of year.
Richard Faulkner, Advanced Technical Field Consultant for Rentokil has said, “Rodents can be a serious issue for home and business owners, as they can spread diseases, damage property and contaminate food. They can also introduce disease carrying parasites like fleas, lice and ticks into a premises.
"This is the time of year when these pests are most likely to be found indoors, but we have noticed that rodents have begun to move inside earlier and in higher numbers, and we believe that this could be due to extreme weather conditions as a result of climate change.”
There are a number of signs to watch out for that will indicate the presence of rats or mice in your home. These include:
- The presence of rodent droppings
- Scratching noises at night from inside walls, under floorboards, or in attics
- Grease marks or smears on walls
To avoid attracting rodents into a premises, the following steps can be taken:
- Keep foodstuffs in metal or glass containers with tight fitting lids.
- Tidy inside the house and around the garden - less clutter means fewer places to hide.
- Put outdoor rubbish bags in metal bins with securely fitted lids to stop rodents feeding from contents.
- Clean up pet food and bird seed debris, and store pet food in robust containers with fitted lids, preferably above ground level.
- Keep gardens free from debris
