'It's the perfect storm': Leeds rat catcher warns of rise in rodent infestations after summer heatwaves
‘We’ve had no assistance from the weather to help us with them’
A rat catcher in Leeds has warned of rising rodent infestations across the city after the summer heatwaves.
Warren Peaker, owner of Leeds pest control company Warren and Sons, warned that the dry conditions and exceptional warmth this summer has created “the perfect storm” for rat infestations as the winter approaches.
July 2026 was the driest for England and Wales since records began 190 years ago, according to the Met Office.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Warren explained that this has allowed rats to breed without interruption.
“This is the perfect storm for rats, this is the year for them,” Warren said. “They have a high mortality rate when they are young but it’s been so dry and warm they haven’t been losing their young so just a cannonball effect.
“Rats are born pink with no fur so their young are susceptible to the different temperatures, flooding and rain. But that hasn’t happened this year, at all, so we’ve had no assistance from the weather to help us with them.”
Warren’s warning comes as data, obtained by the YEP through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, revealed that Leeds City Council’s total expenditure on pest control services has increased substantially over the past two years.
Between April 1 2024 and March 31 2025, council spent £464,268.37 on pest control services, including both in-house provision and external/contracted services. This rose to £509,421.21 during the same time period in 2025 to 2026.
The overall number of rat-related callouts, between April and June, also jumped - with 571 recorded callouts in 2025 to 649 during the same period in 2026.
However, Warren has warned that those numbers will likely only touch the sides and that after a unusually quiet start to 2026, he and his son Tyler, with their trusty dog Mouse in tow, are now busier than ever.
“The council will be going off their own reports so I’d say it’s 20x worse than what they’re saying,” Warren said. “Usually we’re doing rats from January to the end of April, but this year we didn’t get any calls.
“Then when we got to end of May, they started coming, and coming, and it’s just not stopping. Their infestations, their colonies - we’re getting rid of maybe 150 of them and then within three or four weeks their are new rats moving into the burrows.”
Earlier this year, pest control experts Rentokil recorded a 10% year-on-year increase in confirmed rodent activity, with northern England amongst the worst affected areas.
Rats can typically have six litters of between six and 12 pups each year, and the milder weather can increase the rat population by extending their breeding season.
But as the weather turns steadily cooler and wetter, rats and mice are more likely to seek refuge in homes to survive.
Warren has advised residents to be extra vigilante as the weather changes, and to listen out for scratching in the loft and cement over any cracks or holes surrounding pipes.
“Every year when it’s coming up to September, I always say it’s that time again to check there are no access points as this is the time when they want to get into your house as they just want somewhere warm to live,” he said.
“They aren’t stupid rats, and usually when you get two or three dead in a trap the rest won’t come near it, but there are that many of them at the moment and they are competing for food that much that they are just jumping on them.”
Warren named Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre as one of the worst areas for rats, due its old style drains, while he said Harehills, Beeston and Armley were also particularly bad for callouts at the moment.
The recent increase has led to him ordering a fresh supply of rat poison, although he warned that some rats can become resistant to standard types.
He also advised trying to avoid getting your scent on any traps as rats can smell it and it will drive them away, rather than entice them in. To do this he buries the traps in soil for three days and only handles them wearing gloves.
How to prevent a rat infestation, according to Pest.co.uk:
- Block up holes – Fill any gaps in brickwork, shed doors and any holes on external walls of your home including cellars and attics.
- Clear cupboards – Empty unused cupboards of bags, clothes, rags and keep them clean.
- Secure all food sources – Make sure food is not left out, tidy away any open food sources and keep worktops and floors clean of crumbs.
- Prepare traps – by leaving out rat traps you can pre-empt any future infestation, however it is better to bait with official rat poison than leaving food scraps out.