Water, water everywhere……but at least the UK’s flood victims haven’t been invaded by voles or rats.
Global warming could contribute to a rat population explosion with potentially disastrous human health consequences, an expert warned today.
Milder winters and hotter springs were already increasing the rat population significantly, he said.
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“Actually one of the major problems as well as the weather is the fact there are more food sources now – there is much more junk food in circulation, particularly in towns and cities.“In addition to that, some rats are now becoming immune to some of the rodenticides on the market at the moment – so it looks as though we’re going to have more rats and less products to control them.
“And even people trying to be greener doesn’t always help – things like building up compost heaps with food in can be a perfect environment for rats to survive in.
“But also we are not as good at sewer-bating any more – at actually killing off the rats in the habitats they survive in best.”
Storms, floods, rats… what’s next?
