Many pubs, restaurants and hotels suspended pest control contracts when they were forced to lockdown. This could be a an opportunity for many pests to thrive. here we discuss how one breeding pair of rodents can become an infestation in no time at all.

Firstly, what about rats?

One breeding pair of rats usually have around eight kittens in a litter on average. Often they will have two litters in eight weeks. That would be sixteen kittens if environmental conditions are favourable.

They take up to twelve weeks to reach sexual maturity, so once those young are sexually mature, the population will grow rapidly.

In a year your looking at 1,250 rats. During a three month lockdown that's roughly 400 rats runnign around your business, ruining stock, contaminating food and putting your staff and clients at risk.

Let's not forget mice. One breeding pair of mice could have two litters in two months.

On average, there are usually six pups in the litter, so 12 young in two months with the original breeding pair.

Those first six young will take a while to become sexually mature, maybe six weeks. They could all then have a litter themselves, then the numbers really start racking up!

One female can have five to ten litters per year.

By the end of a year, you can easily end up with 2,000 mice, all scurrying around carrying dirt and bacteria with them, transferring it to your counter tops, cabinets, pantry and anywhere else they travel.