‘Pest anxiety’ reported as Brits fear infestations at home

Ahead of tomorrow’s World Pest Day, new research from Rentokil Pest Control revealed that Brits have “pest anxiety”, with nine in 10 (90%) admitting they fear encountering insects, rodents and other unwanted visitors in their home.

Rentokil’s research found that rats are by far the pests Brits fear the most. Nearly half (43%) of respondents admitted to being scared of encountering this historically villainised pest in their home, significantly more than other rodents like mice (28%).

A third of people worried about interactions with ‘classic’ fear-inducing creepy crawlies like spiders (30%) and bed bugs (30%), while a fifth (22%) fear cockroaches.

This comes as an analysis of data recorded by the company finds confirmed rodent activity is increasing year-on-year, with a 10% increase between March 2025 and 2026. With the fear factor currently ‘high’, Rentokil Pest Control is encouraging Brits to face their fears and manage pests effectively, with exclusion being the key step.

Paul Blackhurst, head of Technical Academy at Rentokil Pest Control, said: “An infestation can mean anything from tiny insects to small mammals, but whatever it is, it can have a huge impact on your daily life and your home. However, with some simple prevention techniques, there’s absolutely no reason Brits should be living in fear of these common pests.

“By taking proactive steps to understand the risks presented by various pests and ensuring your house is as ‘pest-proofed’ as possible, you can rest assured that you’re in control. And if you’re still worried, our research found only one in 10 of those surveyed had ever actually seen a rat on their property, so the fear of them is definitely out of sync with reality.”

The Rentokil research also highlights a tendency for people to worry about the ‘wrong’ pests. Despite looking scary, pests like spiders actually have a very minor impact on people’s daily lives, with spiders even being known as ‘nature’s pest controller’ because of their ability to catch and consume other insects, helping to naturally reduce the number of flies in homes.

On the other hand, while only 8% of people fear seeing a bed bug, their ability to cause itchy bites, skin rashes and allergic symptoms could potentially have a real impact on people and should be taken seriously.

One reason for this misunderstanding could be scaremongering and misinformation on social media. The research also found that nearly half (46%) of Brits turn to social media for advice on pest issues. TikTok provided the biggest source of information on pests for both Gen Z (49%) and millennials (30%).

Mr Blackhurst added: “Pest infestations might make great social media content, but over-dramatised content will almost certainly fuel ‘pest anxiety’ and help perpetuate common myths.

“A third of people we spoke to think leaving conkers on windowsills deters spiders (29%), and that cheese is the best bait for mouse traps (35%). This sort of advice gets in the way of proper, reliable pest control people can trust.”