Pest control experts warned of a ‘plague’ of super rats immune from poison invading homes – and a distraught mum says attempts to kill the rodents have been fruitless.
Edinburgh is said to be the worst place in Scotland for rodents, with the blame being placed on ‘lazy’ neighbors who do not dispose of waste properly in shared areas.
Pest control firm Wee Critters Pest Control estimated that there was a 20 percent increase in call-outs year on year, while owner Sylvia Hill said ‘amateur’ poisons bought by concerned residents would barely make a difference to the problem.
Mum-of-three Laura McQueenie, 27, has said problems with rats at the council flat in Niddrie, Edinburgh, where she lives with her sons and young niece, have been persistent.
She said the living conditions were “disgraceful” and “horrific”, and blamed bins, describing them as a health hazard.
After the birth of her youngest son, seven months ago, the social work student began to realize the scale of the problem.
Laura said: “Two rats have died in my kitchen sink and there are many more we have seen.
“Every evening I hoover and sanitize all surfaces before bed.”
The young mum lives with her eight-year-old son, a two-year-old boy, and seven-month-old baby, as well as her 15-month old niece.
Laura said problems with rats were affecting the health of her youngest child – and said poison poured into the rodents’ holes did nothing to solve the problem.
She added: “It is not an environment to be bringing up children and we shouldn’t have to live like this.”