A Newport pest control expert who deals with rodent, bed bugs, cockroaches and squirrel infestations, claims that the call outs they have per week have tripled in the city.
Alex Powell, of City Pest Control located on Enterprise Way in Newport, claims the company has seen a weekly increase in domestic and commercial call outs in all areas of Gwent. He also adds that the issue is particularly bad in Newport.
Mr Powell, 49, has been in the pest control industry for 22 years and the family-run business has been based in Pill for this time. He said: "The industry has totally changed from years ago."
"Out of Cardiff and Newport, I would say we receive more call outs in Newport, though we're busy everywhere and constantly on the M4."
Mr Powell claims that the rate of call outs in Newport has tripled, with each call out (either to get quotes or to handle the pests themselves), the company takes approximately 80 domestic and commercial call outs in Newport in a single week. He said they were previously taking between 20 to 25 call outs from Newport.
When asked about the rest of Gwent (Monmouthshire, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen), Mr Powell claims the rate of domestic and commercial call outs that City Pest Control takes has doubled. The company has gone from accepting 30 call outs a week in the rest of Gwent, to approximately 60 in these areas.
Newport
When asked why Newport has such a high rate of pest control call outs, Mr Powell said it is down to a number of factors.
Mr Powell, said: "It's the bin collections. They've gone to three-weekly collections.
"There's also more rubbish, and fly-tipping.
"There's more food about for pests.
"They're in gardens, they're just everywhere."
Mr Powell and his son, James, have said they are seeing an increase in rodents such as rats and mice as well as cockroaches.
Seagulls are increasingly becoming a problem, says Mr Powell, who has had to go into a school and put up kites to deter them.
Newport City Council was approached for a comment on whether three-weekly bin collections could be causing an increase in pests in Newport.
The council has guidance on their website for properties with an infestation: https://www.newport.gov.uk/en/Planning-Housing/Housing/Public-Health
Those who are currently battling with pests can also contact the Pest Control company in Newport via their website: https://www.pestcontrolcardiff.net/
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