Health experts in the UK are warning homeowners to take measures to
stop "huge numbers" of rats flushed out by floods from re-establishing
themselves.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) said people clearing up after the heavy rain should block up holes and clear up waste food.
Rats washed out of sewers are infesting homes amid more daytime sightings.
The pest-control industry estimates the number of call-outs to rat-catchers in flood-hit areas is up by a quarter.
Rats are intelligent, adaptable creatures able to replenish their numbers very quickly, and on the lookout to exploit new opportunities.
The National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) said rat sightings have risen as the washed-out, nocturnal rodents emerge in the daytime, but that does not mean total numbers have increased.
NPTA vice-chairman Adam Hawley told the BBC: "We're having an incredible summer of rain, and the sewers and drains are not coping with the amount of flood water that inevitably flushes the rats to higher ground.
He said the heavy rain has led to more daytime sightings, but despite the public's perception, that does not mean the population has increased.
Mr Hawley said he expected the number of call-outs dealing with rats in flood-hit regions such as Devon to have risen by around 25%.
Brown rats are one of the planet's most serious mammalian pests, ruining crops and harbouring disease.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) said people clearing up after the heavy rain should block up holes and clear up waste food.
Rats washed out of sewers are infesting homes amid more daytime sightings.
The pest-control industry estimates the number of call-outs to rat-catchers in flood-hit areas is up by a quarter.
Rats are intelligent, adaptable creatures able to replenish their numbers very quickly, and on the lookout to exploit new opportunities.
The National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) said rat sightings have risen as the washed-out, nocturnal rodents emerge in the daytime, but that does not mean total numbers have increased.
NPTA vice-chairman Adam Hawley told the BBC: "We're having an incredible summer of rain, and the sewers and drains are not coping with the amount of flood water that inevitably flushes the rats to higher ground.
He said the heavy rain has led to more daytime sightings, but despite the public's perception, that does not mean the population has increased.
Mr Hawley said he expected the number of call-outs dealing with rats in flood-hit regions such as Devon to have risen by around 25%.
Brown rats are one of the planet's most serious mammalian pests, ruining crops and harbouring disease.
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