Cork had second-highest level of pest control callouts last year 

Cork had the second-highest number of pest control callouts in the country last year, with the majority of calls about rodents, followed by flies and moths.

Pest control provider Rentokil has reported that 17% of its callouts in 2022 were in Cork, second only to Dublin, which accounted for 22% of pest callouts.

Rodents represented 58% of all pest callouts for Rentokil across the full calendar year, followed by flies (15%) and moths (5%).

Rentokil is an international provider of pest control and hygiene services, protecting both homes and businesses from pests such as flies, insects, rodents and woodworm.

Given that rodents were the most common pest the company was called on to deal with in 2022, Rentokil has warned home and business owners to be vigilant for the presence of rodents and the conditions that encourage them.

Rats and mice typically move indoors during the winter period, in search of shelter, warmth, and food. They can cause damage to premises and stored goods, as well as damage to a business’s reputation, and they can also spread diseases such as Hantavirus and Salmonellosis.

To combat the presence of rodents, Rentokil is advising businesses to explore unmanned, non-toxic, pest control technologies that proactively deliver maximum protection against pests, such as PestConnect, an ‘always on’ digital solution that provides 24/7 protection from rodents.

The company has seen an increase in the use of unmanned, technologically enabled pest control solutions in 2022, and expects this trend to continue over the coming year.

One in five callouts for Rentokil last year related either to flies or moths. The company says flies pose a threat of spreading bacteria such as E-coli and campylobacter when they land on our food, and moths also pose a risk of damage to textiles and fabrics stored in our homes.

Dr Colm Moore, Area Technical Manager for Rentokil said that 2022 saw “significant callouts” for pest control services from Rentokil across the country, with rodents accounting for the majority of callouts.

“This may have been impacted by the number of offices reopening during the year as public health measures were eased. Empty offices served as the perfect shelter for many pest species during lockdown, and their reopening will have led to more interactions between humans and pests,” he said.

“Another trend that we saw in the pest control industry was an increased rise in the use of technologically enabled pest control solutions, like PestConnect, as a sign that the industry is continuing to evolve and adapt to customer needs,” he added.