Overview

• Pest controllers say 19–22 inch rats are now routinely caught, with a 22-inch specimen recorded this month in Normanby, Redcar and Cleveland.
• Field operators report rising household callouts, with one veteran describing an increase from a few a month to eight to ten a week.
• Experts cite this summer’s heat, abundant takeaway waste and communal bin areas as key conditions accelerating breeding and infestations.
• Redcar and Cleveland has formed a cross-party pest-control taskforce and says it is working with Beyond Housing and Northumbrian Water on drainage-related issues.
• Households are urged to block entry points — BPCA guidance notes rats can squeeze through gaps as thin as two fingers — and to manage food waste to reduce disease risks.