Rat rise in Cardiff leaves resident scared to open front door | Global News Avenue

One man said he had “continuous concern” about rats entering his homeland as Cardiff’s risen invasion was reported.

David Armstrong, 62, who has lived in the city for 15 years, said the rat problem near his home was “disgusting” and “very scary.”

The Cardiff Council’s call rate to rats increased by 10% last year, and a private pest control company said the city’s rat condition was the worst they have seen in their 36-year business.

The council said the rats were “adapted, highly mobile and proliferated quickly” and added that urban residents should ensure that all waste is properly disposed of.

The British Pest Control Association said there were reports of rats added to the UK towns.

Mr Armstrong, who lives in Grangetown, said rodents have been a special issue near his home for the past two years since the public bins spilled onto the floor.

“When he cleaned up the trash and lifted the concrete slab, one of the maintenance guys called me.”

“Inside is a plastic bag with about ten baby mice inside.”

The Housing Association has since removed the garbage and is responsible for maintaining Mr. Armstrong’s property.

But Mr Armstrong showed BBC news that the area around public bins appeared to be rat caves.

“Some kids are playing here and they may pick up what the rat is in,” he said.

“I’ve seen trash cans chasing rats in the street trying to stand on them.

“If I were in the car, I had to close the (front) door behind me.

“My main fear is that they get into the house. I just don’t want it…I don’t want them to stop completely here.

“In a country like Wales, you don’t have to live at our doorstep, constantly worrying about rats entering the house.

“Once they go in, you can’t get them out, that’s a big problem.”

The city’s private pest control company has also reported more sightings.

Dalton Pest Services Ltd said the city “sees a significant increase in call volumes for rodents” and said: “The phone did not stop ringing with customers in distress.”

Gareth Davies from PEST and Property Solutions said he had never received so many calls in his 36 years of business.

“We still have a huge garbage problem, of course, in Cardiff, I can say it,” he said.

“People use hedges to discard garbage, throw things from cars, part of food.

“There is garbage to be lifted up, and the garbage cannot be reached.”

Mr Davis said seagulls and rats attacked garbage bags on the streets, creating a source of food, and said the high temperatures caused by climate change meant that rats can now “breed year-round.”

He also questioned the effectiveness of some rat poisons purchased in stores and warned online that some products were “just not strong enough”.

But for others, living with mice is the price you pay for city life.

Neil Harris has lived internationally since 2018 and says the creatures have received “bad rap”.

“They’re everywhere,” he said.

“I put them in the garden and at the end of last week, I was running down the street over there.

“I suggest that there may be rats looking at us as we speak.

“I have dead rats under my floor. I have nuisances, or at least the landlord is trying to get rid of them.

“But we don’t complain because we recognize that this is part of life in the area.

“We can solve this problem, but we won’t get rid of it, and they are not the beasts that people think of themselves.”

According to the RSPCA, there are only two types of rats in the UK – brown rats and black rats.

To date, the brown rats can grow to around 27 cm (10 inches), which is the most common.

It is difficult to know exactly how much of it is – previous estimates range from 1.5 million arrive 120 million.

Last year, the Cardiff Commission said its Pest Control Agency made 3,166 calls to the rodent report, up 10% since 2023 and 15% since 2022.

Cardiff is not unique – of the 14 councils that provide pest control services, all but Bridged and Merthyr have reported an increase in rat call volume in 2023.

Last year, the UK Council conducted the Freedom of Information Request data released by Direct Line. 271,343 rodent-invasive residential visits in 2023 – one 18% growth in 2022.

Niall Gallagher of the British Pest Control Society said the council faces “some real challenges”.

“Ultimately, we do have less waste collection, which gives us a greater risk of road risk in these areas,” Gallagher added.

He said that while professional pest control services are the best way to deal with infestations, prevention is better.

“It’s definitely a community and a public health issue,” he said.

“Cleaning, proofreading or housekeeping. These are the top three things we always recommend to everyone.”

A Cardiff Council spokesman said the rats were “adaptive, highly fluid and proliferated.”

“This combination makes eradicating rats without proper training a difficult task,” the spokesperson said.

They advise residents to make sure their characteristics are free of holes, the ventilation holes are not damaged or missing, and that the drainage system is in good condition.

They added: “Removing potential nesting sites by keeping the yard and garden clean and tidy and reducing overgrown areas.”

“Please note that by feeding wild birds or other animals – you may also be feeding mice.”

They also recommend that all food waste be placed in food waste caddy and that recyclable materials should be rinsed to help prevent them from being attacked by birds, animals or other pests.

They added: “The Cardiff Council does indeed treat sewers in areas where rodent sightings have increased, and we do have paid services, which helps eliminate rats in residents’ homes.”

A spokesman for the Welsh Local Government Association said food was collected in almost all areas of Wales.

They added: “When the bin is not used correctly, problems often occur – for example, when food waste is placed in a black bag, which can be torn apart by a rat or a seagull.”