Rats just not good enough

Here’s an unlikely tail. Cork has the second biggest rodent problem in Ireland, with Dublin predictably at the top of the pile.

According to Rentokil, Ireland’s leading pest control provider, Cork accounted for 14 per cent of all rodent callouts between March and June this year.

Dublin was worst with 25 per cent, with Galway, Tipperary and Meath all in the top five. The company believes the closure of restaurants and resulting decreased levels of food waste in urban areas has likely contributed to high callout levels, with rodents venturing further afield in search of food sources.

Overall, Rentokil recorded a 35 per cent increase in rodent callouts between March and June 2021, when compared to the same period last year.

As restrictions are lifted and businesses begin to reopen, Rentokil is urging business owners to be on the lookout for signs of rodent infestations on their premises.

The company believes rodents are the top pests that businesses need to be aware of when returning to work. Rodents can cause significant damage to properties and assets as they spend time every day grinding down their teeth on surrounding objects.

As a result, they can chew through utility lines, electrical wires, support beams and other key infrastructure. The presence of rodents in a business also poses a serious health risk due to the spread of diseases through their bodily fluids and excrement.

Richard Faulkner, Advanced Technical Field Consultant for Rentokil said rodents are likely to have made homes in some of the buildings that lay vacant over the past few months: “We expect callout numbers to remain at a high level. Signs to watch out for include rodent droppings, scratching noises, and footprints.”