Belfast City Council dealt with thousands of rodent infestations last year

By Sonja Tutty, Data Reporter
Published 23rd May 2023, 16:04 BST
Rats nibble on discarded food in central London as The Keep Britain Tidy Campaign announced that the UK rat population had increased by 24% to 60 million, due mainly to the rise in fast food litter. * The group is launching a campaign to encourage those using takeaways, food halls and concession stands to bin unwanted food rather than dump it on the streets. Rats nibble on discarded food in central London as The Keep Britain Tidy Campaign announced that the UK rat population had increased by 24% to 60 million, due mainly to the rise in fast food litter. * The group is launching a campaign to encourage those using takeaways, food halls and concession stands to bin unwanted food rather than dump it on the streets.
Rats nibble on discarded food in central London as The Keep Britain Tidy Campaign announced that the UK rat population had increased by 24% to 60 million, due mainly to the rise in fast food litter. * The group is launching a campaign to encourage those using takeaways, food halls and concession stands to bin unwanted food rather than dump it on the streets.
Belfast City Council was called out to deal with thousands of rodent infestations last year, new figures show.

Belfast City Council was called out to deal with thousands of rodent infestations last year, new figures show.

The British Pest Control Association said pest management is vital to maintaining people's health and wellbeing, but the high cost of services often leads to ineffective DIY methods.

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Freedom of information requests by Direct Line Home Insurance show Belfast City Council tackled 3,078 rodent infestations in 2022 – up from 2,128 the year before.

It was also up from 591 infestations recorded in 2020.

Ian Andrew, chief executive at the British Pest Control Association, said rodents are a "serious public health pest" with rapid breeding cycles, which means infestations can escalate quickly.

He added: "Unfortunately, being unable to afford pest control increases the likelihood of people either ignoring infestations or attempting DIY pest control methods, which can make the issue worse and endanger other people or non-target species."

Some councils offer free pest control services to residents while most charge for the services.

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