Clean-up call as pest complaints rocket
Complaints about pest infestations in Lincoln have rocketed in the space of a year – leading to calls for a clamp down on litter.
Phone calls to City Hall about mice shot up by 22 per cent and the number of reported rat problems rose by eight per cent from 2007 to 2008, according to new figures.
-
The biggest pest problem in Lincoln is rats
In total, 711 calls were made about rats – the highest number since the first wheelie bins were introduced in 2004 – and there are fears that infestations are spiralling out of control.
Rats thrive on scraps of food and festering rubbish.
Hayley Coope, manager of Lincoln Rat Rescue, said litterers making a mess of the city were to blame.
"People are being lazy with their litter," she said.
"Food waste is also a huge problem within the city.
"You don't have to go far to see discarded wrappers."
Now City of Lincoln Council is urging people to stop feeding birds and to take more care when disposing of their rubbish.
The aim is to cut the amount of food available to vermin.
Simon Colburn, environmental protection manager for the City of Lincoln Council, said: "Rats and mice are natural scavengers and by far the main thing that attracts them is when people put food on the floor to encourage birds into their gardens."
For more on rats, see Monday's Echo.
19 Comments
View all
by Missouri Marten, Lincoln
Tuesday, June 16 2009, 9:04AM
“Martin, how ironic that in the process of criticising Ian for misspelling "definitely", you have misspelled (or misspelt if you prefer) misspelt!!”
by Ian Bower, Lincoln
Monday, June 15 2009, 2:51PM
“Martin
Please stay on topic.
Oh and my apologies for my spelling.”
by lynn, lincoln
Monday, June 15 2009, 2:43PM
“Martin - What about accommodation? Most Posters on here always get it wrong.”
by Martin, Lincoln
Monday, June 15 2009, 2:25PM
“Gala, not necessarily so. And if there is, then it's usually overfull already.
Ian, the most commonly mispelt word in the English Langage is 'definitely' with most people spelling it 'definately' according to studies done by onepoll.com
Well done for not beating the average!”
by Ian Bower, Lincoln
Monday, June 15 2009, 1:41PM
“In many countries, if you were caught by a Police Office dropping litter you would definately be fined.
The UK has become a very dirty nation.
Apparently there is about two to three times more litter dropped now than there was ten years ago (source - programme on Radio 4).”
by Gala, behind the curtains
Monday, June 15 2009, 1:36PM
“Martin - still no excuse: if there's no bin at the station, there will be one on the train......”
by Jon, Lincoln
Monday, June 15 2009, 12:32PM
“There is a particular problem in Lincoln with student houses where the occupants, in spite of their supposedly superior intellect, can't seem to get their heads around putting their bins out on the correct day, or recycling properly. The result is overflowing wheelie bins and rubbish all over their "gardens".”
by Martin, Lincoln
Monday, June 15 2009, 12:24PM
“Emma, I'll think you'll find it's the only excuse for dropping litter. Steve, the same goes to you. If I am waiting for a train on the other side of the country, I am not going to take rubbish all the way with me.”
by Emma, Lincoln
Monday, June 15 2009, 12:05PM
“Martin couldn't you just keep hold of the rubbish until you did find a bin? Lame excuse for litter dropping there not being a bin in the direct vicinity don't you think?”
by Ian Bower, Lincoln
Monday, June 15 2009, 11:49AM
“Steve
I couldn't agree more.
That's what I do.”