Leeds pest controller warns of poison-immune 'super rats' as population soars to 1.6 million

Warren Peaker, owner of Leeds pest control company Warren and Sons, says the rat problem in Leeds is worse than it has ever been during his 25 years in the business.

It comes as research from Pest.co.uk found the rat population in Leeds has increased to 1,658,736 in 2020, boosted by quiet urban areas during lockdown and plentiful waste food.

The pest control company estimates there are now 2.2 rats for every person in the city, with the number of infestations rising by 25 per cent this year.

With his trusty dog Minty in tow, Warren is catching more rats than ever in people's homes and warns that rats are "breeding like nobody's business".

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Warren, 56, said: "The first lockdown we were extremely busy because people were at home they were seeing the rats in the garden.

"Now we've had the first frost, the rats are back in houses again. Rats have had a good year - everything has had a good year.

"There are midges flying about in November, it's been bad for mice, we've had absolutely loads of cockroaches in Harehills and Armley, more than ever before.

"We usually stop doing rats over summer and just down to an odd job, but I haven't stopped this year.

"I've put down more rat poison this year than I have in the two years before."

Rats can typically have six litters of between six and 12 pups each year and Pest.co.uk research found that Leeds has the third-highest rat population in the UK, behind only London and Birmingham.

Warren warned that nobody is immune to the 'rat epidemic' sweeping Leeds.

"Even in my street in Swarcliffe, everybody had them and they were breeding like nobody's business in the warm weather," he said.

"My daughter rang and said there was a dead rat on the decking, five minutes later my son in a different house sent me a video of rats running out his shed and then I got back home and looked out the back window and there were rats looking at me in the garden.

"That was three of the same family in different houses seeing them in 20 minutes!"

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Warren advises residents to listen out for scratching in the loft and cement over any cracks or holes surrounding pipes.

He said: "We find them in decking as it's warm for them, or they come for bird feed, or dog or rabbit food outside. There's a number of things that can cause it.

"If you feed the birds make sure you stop at 2pm and make sure it's all cleaned up, don't pile stuff down the side of your garage and check round the perimeters of your house for any gaps.

"But we get called to the poshest houses and the poshest gardens, they don't care who you are."

Warren added: "It's a public health problem and people deserve to know about it. It's definitely going to get worse.

"The place that supplies our poison said in the last 12 months they've sold more poison than they ever have in their career.

"We now have to start mixing and matching the rodenticides because when you're feeding them as much as this, there's a good chance you'll start getting 'super rats' which become immune to it."

How to prevent a rat infestation, according to Pest.co.uk:

- Block up holes – Fill any gaps in brickwork, shed doors and any holes on external walls of your home including cellars and attics

- Clear cupboards – Empty unused cupboards of bags, clothes, rags and keep them clean

- Secure all food sources – Make sure food is not left out, tidy away any open food sources and keep worktops and floors clean of crumbs

- Prepare traps – by leaving out rat traps you can pre-empt any future infestation, however it is better to bait with official rat poison than leaving food scraps out

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