The Rat Explosion during Lockdown

Since the lockdown started in the month of March, the British Pest Control Association has estimated that this increase in reports has peaked up to 51% more than it was in previous months. The reason behind this increase being; the closure of restaurants and shops. Rats and rodents are reverting to residential areas in search of food and places to stay. This has led to a great increase in the number of infestation reports we have been receiving. This lead us to examining what the real reasons behind this great rat infestation explosion are, and here are the answers:

The Lack of Pest Management Services

In the UK, pest management companies are responsible for dealing with any pest issues. Since the covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown, various companies have shut down their operations completely – these include even a number of pest control companies. This reason has acted as the reason for a great increase in rats and rodent infestations all around. The population of these pests increased greatly during the lockdown and is causing massive inconveniences for people in affected areas.

The Closing up of Premises

Apart from the closing down of various pest management services, the lockdown has also led to the closure of a number of commercial premises. These include restaurants, bars, pubs and even cafes. These places acted as places where rodents and rats would go in search of food. With their closures, business owners have decided to stop or even end the pest control contracts they had in place before the lockdown. This is not a wise decision because; it leads to the opening of a great place for pests and rats to invade. They become aware of the fact that no pest control sprays have been made in the closed premises and decide to attack. It is advisable for businesses to continue with their pest control contracts despite the closure of their firms to ensure that rats and rodents are unable to thrive in the closed premises.

The Build up of Rubbish

Due to the lockdown, the rubbish collection services of both commercial and residential premises have slowed down as well. These buildups of rubbish and refuse act as a great place for rats and rodents to invade. They find these places to be perfect breeding grounds and end up reproducing young in the area. They find such places suitable for living and allow for their young to thrive and survive well. Therefore, it is recommended to not leave rubbish buildup in the containers until the bin collection services are near collection.

The lockdown has led to a great explosion in the rate of rats and rodents infestations in the UK and the numbers are alarming. It is important for us to ensure that we are not acting as a cause for these – we should contact and carry out proper pest control management through the help of pest control companies to avoid such mishaps from occurring. Contact us today and get your commercial premises cleared of pests immediately.