Plague of the Bin Pests

If you live in the city, they say you are never more than a few feet from a rat. Now it seems mice, grey squirrels and foxes are creeping a little too close for comfort as well. In fact the number of pests plaguing homeowners has gone up by more than a fifth in a mere three years, a survey has found. And if you smell a rat, that's hardly surprising. The rise in unwanted visitors coincides rather neatly with the introduction of fortnightly rubbish collections in half the country. According to the survey, household reports of wasps have risen by 39 per cent, squirrels by 23 per cent, mice by 17 per cent and rats by 12 per cent. More than one in five householders who has had to resort to piling rubbish next to their overflowing wheelie bins said foxes had then rifled through it. RATS TO TREBLE: Britain could become overrun with rats because so many town halls have introduced charges for treating vermin. Although rats are a major public health problem some councils are now demanding up to £80 to tackle infestations in homes. These charges are deterring families from reporting rat infestations, and numbers could be rising as a result. The mild winter, a fashion for compost heaps and the growing mountain of fast-food litter is contributing to the crisis. Water companies are also failing to tackle infestations by routinely baiting sewers and drains.