Residents in West Lothian say they are locked in a “losing battle” against a growing infestation of rats in their local area.
Councillors in the region say they’ve seen growing problems with rodents, with their inboxes filling up with complaints from constituents.
The surge in rodent sightings mirrors a wider UK trend, with experts blaming a mix of factors including mounting domestic waste, increased littering, fly-tipping and climate change.
Kerry Macintosh, a prominent campaigner around RAAC concrete, discovered there were rats in the garden of her new home in Deans South, Livingston, after moving in last year.
She told STV News: “After the winter period, I had my bikes in the corner, I started setting up my garden to get ready for sheds and that’s when I noticed there were lots of holes – I actually thought it was moles.
“I went and looked at one of my bikes and one of the tires had been chewed and one of the covers had been chewed. So then, that made it clear there were definitely rats there.”
Despite efforts like double panelling her fence to close gaps and setting traps, Kerry often found herself watching rats emerge from holes just outside her kitchen window.
“A losing battle, that’s what it felt like, and I was in tears. I was so upset,” she added.
“West Lothian Council basically said ‘you’re a homeowner, you need to deal with it yourself.’
“There are tenants across from me who have rubbish all over the garden.
“The rats are going to need some sort of food supply, and it’s certainly coming from that area across from where I live.”
A spokesman for West Lothian Council said the local authority offers advice and support when it comes to pest issues but stresses it’s part of a broader societal challenge.
He said: “Generally speaking, demand for pest control services in the UK are increasing.
“Councils do not have a duty to provide a pest control service, but we are happy to help and provide advice.
“We also advertise our pest control services regularly and should any homeowner or tenant seek help with a pest issue, our team are happy to assist.”
The spokesperson highlighted several contributing factors, including the increase in fast food litter, building development, habitat disruption, and climate change.
They added that food litter is a significant driver of pest problems.
STV News“There is no one issue that contributes to the issues being felt across the country,” he added.
“Keep Scotland Beautiful found that the majority of litter in Scotland is a result of pedestrian activity, in other words, a personal choice not to dispose of litter by an individual appropriately.
“Their data indicates that there is no shortage of litter bins available for the public to use, and that there is a need to promote personal responsibility. In West Lothian today, there are more litter bins than there was 20 years ago.”
David Clark runs his own pest control business across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
He said that rats appear to be a growing issue “due to increased litter, increased fly-tipping, inadequate waste disposal.”
And on what residents can do to try and prevent problems, he said: “Any accessible food sources, you don’t want to have that.
“You want to be removing bird feeders etc if there’s a population of rats in the area.
“Cutting back your vegetation so there’s no cover for rats, having a nice tidy garden.”
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