Pest control experts have been seeing an uptick in the number of rats terrorising British homes, and to make matters worse they’ve noticed that the size of these crafty rodents is getting increasingly bigger.
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In Norwich, specifically, the problem has gotten so dire that Andrew Dellbridge, head of Ace Pest Control, had to hire more employees to control these alleged ‘monster rats.’
Secret entryway
It is believed that the rats have been getting access to homes through the toilets, and Dellbridge confirmed saying that more of his customers have witnessed rats in their toilet bowls. He spoke about one in particular who was in complete shock after seeing a rat taking a swim inside the bowl. He told Norwich Evening News:
She’d been using the bathroom and heard a noise. She looked down and it was in the toilet bowl. And this is happening more and more frequently.
Throwaway culture
Although it is common to see more rats inside homes during colder seasons like winter and autumn, Dellbridge also believes that our ‘throw away’ culture is attracting more rats and fattening them up to a point where they’re almost as big as cats. He said:
Because of the throwaway culture we have the rubbish is just piling up and feeding them.
The bins are overflowing and wild verges are also filling with rubbish.
In 2018, professional rat-catcher Terry Walker caught a rat that was 21 inches long—the biggest he had ever seen. As a professional, he too observed a change in the rats over the years and says it has to do with the kind of waste we are throwing out, along with the quantity. He told The Sun:
I think it's because we are creating more waste, our society is getting more obese and the type of waste we are throwing away is fattier. That's what the rats are feeding on so they are getting bigger too.
