Warning to anyone leaving a Halloween pumpkin outside their home this week

Halloween pumpkins left outside homes could attract rats and mice to your doorstep, households have been warned, as Britain heads into the time of year when rodents increasingly search for food and shelter.

Pest experts say carved pumpkins can become an easy meal for hungry rats, particularly once they begin to rot. The warning comes just a week after new figures revealed reported rat activity across the UK had already risen sharply following the hot summer.

Kevin Lawrenson, chief executive of the National Pest Technicians Association, said pumpkins placed outside front doors could effectively act as an invitation to rodents.

He said: “When people carve pumpkins and leave them outside the house for periods on end, they literally are an attraction to rodents, such as rats.

“You wouldn’t go and leave your rubbish outside the front of your house to attract rats to it, would you?”

The warning could be particularly timely this Halloween after pest control company Rentokil reported a 15% year-on-year rise in rat sightings between June and August.

Manchester recorded a 26% increase in rodent inquiries between 2024 and 2025, according to the company, while Oxford was up 24% and Leeds and Bradford recorded a 23% rise.

Experts believe the exceptionally hot and dry summer encouraged rats to travel further in search of water. But the problem can change rather than disappear as temperatures tumble, with rodents instead hunting for warm, sheltered places to spend the colder months.

Paul Blackhurst, head of Rentokil’s Technical Academy, warned last week that autumn and winter were traditionally busy periods for rat activity. Rats need food, water, warmth and shelter and can find their way into properties through damaged drains, gaps in buildings and neighbouring premises.

That makes a rotting pumpkin sitting just yards from a front door potentially tempting.

Mr Lawrenson said pumpkins were “quite sweet, strong-smelling items” which become increasingly attractive to foraging rodents as they decay.

He added: “The last thing you want on Halloween, or in the days afterwards, is to have rats running around your house.”

The pest expert pointed to Birmingham’s highly publicised rat problems last year, when rodents described as “cat-sized” were reported amid large amounts of rubbish accumulating during the city’s bin strikes. Food and waste left on streets helped provide rodents with a readily available source of food.

Households are therefore being advised not to leave carved pumpkins outside for long periods once Halloween celebrations are over, particularly when they start to soften and rot.

The latest warning follows growing concern about rat numbers across Britain. Rentokil has also warned that genetically inherited resistance to some rodenticides has been detected among rat populations, potentially making certain traditional pest-control treatments less effective.

Experts stress that seeing a rat does not necessarily mean a property is dirty. Rodents are opportunistic and will move wherever they can find the food, water and shelter they need.

Anyone who suspects rats or mice have moved into their property is advised to act quickly and seek professional pest-control advice where necessary.

Mr Lawrenson warned that ignoring the problem could allow an unwanted Halloween visitor to linger considerably longer than October 31, potentially turning a seasonal decoration into a pest problem lasting into Christmas.