Glasgow has been branded one of the UK’s worst cities for rodent infestations. A Freedom of Information request has shown that rodent reports in Glasgow have increased by 31% in the past year.
Glasgow had the fifth highest call out rate for rodents in the UK according to information obtained by an insurance company – only Swansea, Southwark, Birmingham and Liverpool had higher numbers than Glasgow.
A recent survey carried out by Direct Line showed that rodent infestations throughout the UK are on the increase. Direct Line contacted all councils in the UK and found there had been 225,430 rodent infestations reported in 2022, equivalent to 618 per day.
Glasgow City Council had 10,323 reports of rodents from residents in 2022 compared with 7,894 in 2021.
Dan Simson, head of Direct Line Home Insurance, said: “Mice and rats pose a real risk to the home and people’s health. They take advantage of issues like broken pipes, slipped roof tiles or holes in skirting to gain access to a property, often causing serious damage to the structural integrity of a building or belongings.
“We recommend that anyone with an infestation contact either their local authority or an extermination service to have it taken care of professionally.”
Glasgow-based Pest Solutions had Chanel 5 News and STV News join graduate service technicians, Gemma Sutherland and Chloe Smith on the streets of Glasgow.
This gave a valuable in insight into the challenges that they face every day as they take on the rise in rodent Infestations that Glasgow is experiencing.