Rat infestations skyrocket across Dublin as experts gives Christmas warning to homes

Dublin has seen a massive surge in rodent infestations as experts have issued a warning to homes and businesses.

A total of 15% of all callouts for rodents in November happened in Dublin, followed by Galway (14%), Meath (9%) Cork (7%) and Kerry (5%).

Vacant buildings offer rodents a warm, sheltered environment during the winter where they will be undisturbed by human activity and predators.

In addition to rodents, a number of pest insects will also begin to move indoors at wintertime.

Richard Faulkner, Advanced Technical Field Consultant with Rentokil said “As the temperature continues to drop during the winter period, many rodents will move indoors in search of food and shelter.

"We would advise home and business owners to practice some simple steps which will help to protect their premises from rodent activity such as carefully storing food, keeping your property tidy and sealing any cracks in premises.”

Here are some top tips on how you can avoid rat infestations in your home or business:

• Open boxes of decorations outside and inspect them for any signs of insects or rodents. When finished with them, wrap them in plastic for next year.

• Inspect your tree: Both real and artificial Christmas trees can be nesting grounds for spiders, ants, fleas and a host of other pest insects. Ensure to shake your tree vigorously outdoors so that any insects or their eggs are shaken loose.

• Avoid using edible treats such as gingerbread men, chocolate coins, and candy canes as Christmas tree decorations.

• Ensure sweets, chocolate and other edibles used to fill Christmas stockings are sealed or wrapped in plastic or metal.

• Clean up all Christmas dinner leftovers, food debris, and spillages to prevent a potential food source for rodents and insects.

• Keep foodstuffs in metal or glass containers with tight-fitting lids and put outdoor rubbish bags in metal bins with securely fitted lids to stop pest insects or rodents from feeding on the contents.

• Dispose of any clutter in the form of Christmas gift wrapping and packaging, to limit potential hiding places for pests.

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