A detailed analysis of rat and other vermin sightings in North Lanarkshire was presented to a recent council meeting.
There have been a number of widely reported issues with rats in the council area in recent years, with many blaming reductions in bin uplifts. From 2016 to 2019 the number of reports almost doubled from 762 to 1500.
At a full council in August, elected members agreed to have council officers provide regular updates on vermin sightings and pest control activity to the Environment and Transportation Committee and the first such report was presented on Wednesday, February 10.
The report shows that over the past year there were 1448 sightings reported, slightly less than in 2019. In 97 per cent of cases, pest control action was taken within two working days.
Analysis shows that the vast majority of issues are linked to improper storage of waste, refuse being deposited in gardens and the excessive feeding of birds. These problems tend to escalate when residents refuse to pay for pest control services.
Prior to November the council had employed a single pest control officer but a second has now been hired to increase service capacity and mitigate further problems, including proactively baiting affected areas.
Updates on this information will be presented to future sessions of this committee.
