Messy gardens have been blamed for a huge rise in pest control callouts in Great Yarmouth.
Data released by a top insurance firm revealed that pest control callouts by Great Yarmouth Borough Council rose by 50pc last year.
A council spokesman suggested the Covid-19 lockdowns may have lowered the number of callouts.
The spokesperson added: "There is a real mix based on the season, so we tend to get rat and mice issues during the winter months, with wasps becoming the primary pest type during the summer months."
The council relied upon the services of the now-defunct GYBS before switching to GYS. If a larger scale treatment was needed, the council relies on commercial companies on a best-quote basis.
Ace Mole Catching and Pest Control owner Iain Nelson said rats are an "all-year-round problem", with "callouts for rats being a lot higher in Yarmouth".
Mr Nelson said the primary cause of the increase in rats in the town could be down to gardens not being looked after.
"Some of the callouts we get are from people with gardens that are nice and well-kept, but the garden next door might be a little bit overgrown," he said.
"That and people generally feeding birds. If people do feed birds, they need to make sure they take away any uneaten food afterwards.
"Rats need food, water and a place to stay. And people should control the habitat to keep them away."
Data by Direct Line showed that the council received 209 pest control callouts in 2020, 268 callouts in 2021 and 320 pest control callouts in 2022.
Between 2020 and 2022, the number of callouts had risen by 53.11pc.
Mr Nelson said his company avoids using secondary poisons when dealing with rats as much as possible, and will always try to remove habitats to encourage rats to disperse.
There has been "a slight" increase in the number of moles in people's gardens, Mr Nelson said.
What you can do to keep pests away
The council has encouraged people to do the following to help prevent pest issues in their homes and businesses:
Ensure waste is stored securely and disposed of properly (using wheeled bins where you have them)
Do not feed livestock or birds with large amounts of excess food.
Keep gardens tidy and not overgrown.
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