Pest control call outs increase in Chiltern

WASP infestations nearly trebled in the Chiltern district last year, with the area's pest control teams among the busiest in the country.

New figures from the British Pest Control Association released this week showed Chiltern teams were called out 1,797 times in 2012 - an increase from 983 the previous year.

It means Chiltern had 19.4 call outs per 1,000 residents compared to 10.6 in 2011, placing the authority area 34th out of 406 councils nationally.

Chiltern had the highest proportion of requests to deal with mammals, with the 142 call outs the highest per head of population of any local authority in Britain.

But it was wasps that caused the most problems for residents, with pest control experts in Chiltern being sent to tackle 1,077 nests.

In 2011 the figure was 371, meaning the proportion per 1,000 people shot up from four to 11.63 - the fourth highest in the country.

Pest control also handled 166 mouse problems, 371 call outs dealt with rats, one was for ants and there were eight apiece for bedbugs and cockroaches.

No figures were available from Wycombe or South Bucks District Councils.

Courtesy of the Bucks FreePress