Pest control expert reveals he has had a 50 per cent increase in rat related calls this summer

Bring in the Pied Piper! Sydney in grip of rat infestation… and experts say it’s only going to get WORSE

  • A hot summer in Australia has extended the breeding time for rats 
  • Experts say rats will continue to thrive as we head into autumn 
  • Left unchecked, a pair of rats can produce 482,508,800 pups in only three years 
  • Construction and high temperatures has forced swarms of rats out of hiding
  • The alarming rate comes as experts warn the infestation is going to get worse

Construction, high temperatures and a booming population are bringing one billion starving rats out of hiding and into Sydney’s cafes and restaurants.

And with winter just around the corner, experts say the situation is only set to get worse.

Tommy Docos, owner of Reliance Pest Management, said that Sydney’s rat population has had the perfect opportunity to breed due to the weather.

‘The weather conditions of late – heavy rain and humidity – have provided perfect breeding conditions for rodents and insects in general,’ he told Daily Mail Australia. 

Tommy Docos from Reliance Pest Management said that Sydney’s rat population has had the perfect opportunity to breed due to the weather 

‘Personally, my company has seen an increase of at least 50 per cent in rodent callouts for this time of year – summer/autumn – which is quite unusual.’

Usually he’d expect to see more rats in winter, but wet weather in recent weeks has flushed the rats out of Sydney’s sewers.  

Giant rats are being spotted among restaurants in Sydney’s high-density areas and with an estimated 200 rats for each resident, there’s expected to be more sightings. 

Owner of Budget Pest Control Anthony Bond told Daily Mail Australia that rat infestations were becoming more prevalent during summer.

He said: ‘I was always taught they were a winter pest and as it got cooler they take shelter in your house.

‘However that is not so true anymore with it being evenly split between winter and summer.’  

Four rats were spotted in a popular Oporto store in Sydney's Broadway on January 22, forcing it to close

Four rats were spotted in a popular Oporto store in Sydney’s Broadway on January 22, forcing it to close 

Four rats were spotted in a popular Oporto store in Sydney’s Broadway on January 22, forcing it to close.

One of the rodents was even filmed scurrying into the kitchen before disappearing off camera.

In a recent incident, a giant rat was captured on video casually walking along a kitchen benchtop at Din Tai Fung, a dumpling restaurant located at Westfield in Pitt St, one of the city’s busiest shopping centres.

In a recent incident, a giant rat was captured on video casually walking along a kitchen benchtop at Din Tai Fung, a dumpling restaurant located at Westfield in Pitt St, one of the city's busiest shopping centres

In a recent incident, a giant rat was captured on video casually walking along a kitchen benchtop at Din Tai Fung, a dumpling restaurant located at Westfield in Pitt St, one of the city’s busiest shopping centres

Clearly visible from the seating area of the store, the rat can be seen walking along the benchtop where food was being prepared just hours before.  

Experts believe vibrations from continuous construction across the city, combined with food scraps left by workers and the heat has increased rodent activity. 

The City Of Sydney is now urging homeowners to get rid of overgrown vegetation and rubbish, in a bid to help control the booming rat population.  

The council has also placed more than 430 bait stations in public areas across the city, using more than 50 kgs of bait per week, in a bid to eradicate the rats. 

City Of Sydney Council told Daily Mail Australia there are 135 staff and contractors who monitor rats as part of their duties either in public places like parks and streets, or food premises

City Of Sydney Council told Daily Mail Australia there are 135 staff and contractors who monitor rats as part of their duties either in public places like parks and streets, or food premises

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk