Throughout all of London, our team always receive calls for the same rodent.

Any guesses?

Rats.

They say you’re never more than 6 feet away from a rat, which couldn’t be more accurate in London. But, unfortunately, the population has soared in recent months, and the issues that circulate with rats continues to grow.

Due to the large population, our call outs for rat pest control services in London have increased dramatically, and we’ve not even reached winter, the months when rat infestations reach their peak.

Which rat do we see the most in London?

By far and away, the most common rat we see when carrying out our services is the brown rat. We have found that is because the brown rat is a highly adaptable and creative mammal, they are born survivors. 

Extremely common around London and its surrounding boroughs, brown rats have a fantastic sense of smell which allows them to pick up even the smallest crumbs in your home or garden. Furthermore, they have excellent hearing and can survive in roof spaces, walls, under floors and are often found in sewer systems and drains.

Why are rats so common in London?

London’s population is now estimated to be over 9 million.

Yes, 9,425,622 people are all crammed into one city. 

Due to this large population and London’s tight living quarters, rats have an abundance of food to choose from. Think about when you’re walking around in London; rubbish left out on the street, food shops, a bin storage that is not secure. The ease of access to food makes it easy for rats to survive, and paired with their breeding habits; there is no wonder the population of rats in London is so high.

It’s even estimated that there are two rats for every human in London.

That would bring the population of rats living in London to 18,851,244.

Our experience at Integrum tells us that this figure is only going to increase. Rats can breed exponentially; they live for approximately one to three years, and females reach sexual maturity at around five weeks. Rats average about five litters per year with up to 12 offspring from each littler. With the rate that rats breed, you can expect roughly 60 offspring from just one female in a year.

Now multiple that by every breeding female rat in London and you can expect a significant increase in rats year or year.

It’s even estimated that there was a 25% increase from 2019 to 2020 alone.

Which makes it scary to think about what the population is today, tomorrow and in five years time.

rats breeding in London

Where are the most rats in London?

Data taken from a council report details the boroughs in London and the number of complaints that have been made against rodents (rats, mice and squirrels) over a period of five years. The list identified the top worst boroughs for rats in London as:

  1. Tower Hamlets – 30,000
  2. Brent – 19,978
  3. Camden – 13,558
  4. Lambeth – 13,558
  5. Ealing – 12,240
  6. Redbridge – 9,859
  7. Newham – 9,331
  8. Hackney – 8,896
  9. Islington – 8,741
  10. Wandsworth – 7,898

Although the data is taken from 2012 for five years until 2017, it gives an informative glimpse of London’s issues with rats in 2021 and years onwards.

Rats can cause significant damage to homes and often cause fires due to the electrical cables they chew through. With the rate that they breed, a small rat problem in your London home could turn into a very serious one in no time at all.

Although this article focuses on the rat population causing problems in London, the damage they cause is an issue for homeowners across the UK.

Structural damage isn’t the only problem that rats cause. The pests are also a massive health risk, especially in the home, as they are carriers of bacteria. Diseases from rats can be fatal if left untreated so it’s important to know the symptoms and signs to catch them early.

How much does it cost to get rid of rats in London?

In London, the cost to remove a rat infestation changes based on a range of different factors. For example, does the home need proofing to stop rats from entering? Are the rats gaining access through the sewer system? How many bedrooms does the home have?

All of these factors can contribute to the overall cost of getting rid of rats in your home. 

Furthermore, an essential factor to think about is how many visits your home needs. No pest control company can guarantee to remove a rat in just one stop alone; if they do, you should be very sceptical.

All the rat control jobs we perform in London start from £240, including a three visit treatment. We’re extremely thorough with our service, and our high-quality methodical approach has led us to find that three visits are optimal to stop the infestation dead in its tracks. 

If you’d like to learn more about how we can remove rats from your London home, please call us on 0204 566 5522, email at [email protected] or open our live chat.