The brown rat population has surged by 39 per cent in 2005 according to the National Pest Technicians Association. It said that fortnightly collections and the widespread use of composting bins was exacerbating the problem. The problem would get worse as more councils switched to compulsory recycling, the association said.
The rise will force a revision of how far every person is from a rat. Last year Londoners were estimated never to be more than 18 metres (20 yards) from a rat; the new figures suggest that the distance is now closer to 14 metres.
The 2006 National Rodent Survey highlighted compost bins, discarded fast-food containers, bird feeders, litter and poor maintenance of sewage pipes as some of the main causes of the rat boom. Other prime factors cited by the report are the rise in councils demanding payment for pest control and water companies failing to take sufficient action against the rodents infesting their sewers. More homes are also being infested by house mice, Mus domesticus, the survey found, with a 14 per cent increase identified.
