Massive swarm of 120MILLION rats could invade UK homes this winter as they flee harsh winter conditions
BRITAIN's population of 120million rats are on the move - and heading straight for your homes, pest controllers warn.
The rodents are on the hunt for somewhere warm to nest for winter and will try to invade houses this month as a Siberian blast dubbed the Beast from the East brings an icy -10C blast to the UK.
Rats are responsible for millions of pounds worth of damage to homes across Britain by causing fires from gnawing through electrical cables as well as causing structural damage to properties by eating away at beams.
And now is the time time to prepare for the "invasion" as rats - which can have up 72 babies a year - take up residence in cosy lofts, attics and stair cupboards to escape the chillier weather.
Pest control firms normally see a 30-40 per cent rise in call-outs for rodent infestations at this time of year.
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And with some forecasters predicting the coldest winter for years, Brits are being warned to "act now".
The Met Office warned "a plunge of Arctic air" may arrive this week, while Altlantic storms could bring freezing gales and flooding this autumn.
Some forecasters say 2016 could be one of the coldest winters on record with icy blasts beginning from next month as freezing air sweeps in from the Polar regions.
Piers Corbyn, forecaster for WeatherAction, said: “It is safe to say at this stage December is going to be a very exciting month - if you like the cold.”
Architectural assistant David Prentice, 36, said he had to move home after a rats invaded his rented flat last winter in Hastings, East Sussex.
He said: "I was living in a two-bed rented flat and the noise from the rats last winter was dreadful.
"I couldn't get a wink of sleep some nights and ended up staying at a friend's house over the weekend just to get some proper sleep - I even booked a hotel for two nights just to get away from the noise.
"In the end I moved house as the landlord was doing nothing about the rats."
Mum-of-two Jackie Benson, 41, of Pinner, north west London, said her home was invaded by rats two years ago.
She said: "I first heard some scuttling around at nighttime and just put it down to a few mice, but then I heard gnawing and much louder noises.
"They must have been breeding in my house and I was terrified of stepping on one every time I went to the bathroom at night."
She added: "It got so bad I couldn't sleep and last year I got someone in to get rid of them and I've not heard a peep since."
Paul Bates, boss of Cleankill Environmental Services, said there were several steps to take to try and stop the rodents sneaking into your home.
He advises blocking up any gaps in the brickwork, clearing out stair cupboards and not leaving food where rats can get it.
He said: "It’s so much better to take preventive action now.
"It's amazing how often we find external doors that simply don’t fit properly.
"A rat can get through tiny gaps - and mice can get though a gap as wide as a pencil - so if there is a gap, make sure you fit a bristle-strip draft excluder to the base.”
He then listed a string of rodent-proofing ideas, but warned "no house is completely rodent proof".
STEP 1 - Check brickwork to ensure air bricks - which allow ventilation - are intact as larger Victorian ones have gaps large enough for rodents to sneak through
STEP 2 - Remove kick plates from the bottom of kitchen units and clear out any food debris and check for rat droppings
STEP 3 - Clear out stair cupboards and check pipework for holes where rodents can sneak in and make a winter nest
STEP 4 - Check your loft or attic for signs of 'invasion'
STEP 5 - Remove garden rubbish and debris which attracts rats and keep a tidy garden
STEP 6 - Don't feed birds by scattering food in your garden as this attracts rats, use specialist bird feeders
STEP 7 - Put brush strips on your doors to stop rats getting in
Mr Bates added: "If all practical proofing measures have been carried out - and no building whether new or old can be made totally rodent proof - and you still get mice, rats or squirrels entering, then it is time to contact a professional pest control company.
"Make sure that you get an agreed price for a course of treatments."
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