Fresh rat invasion in Nairn sparks concerns among Queenspark residents
WORRIED Nairn residents have raised the alarm after the return of a pest invasion in their back gardens – and homes.
More than 12 households in Queenspark have reported encounters with rats in the area, with one resident having caught a total of 15 in a short period of time.
With Stewart Street seemingly being the most affected, the issue has raised questions over how thorough Highland Council had been in dealing with a previous rat infestation in neighbouring Michael Street and Peter Street – which was reported in June 2021 and then ‘cleared’ in summer 2022.
Alan Greer, (54) of Stewart Street, told of his nightmare over Christmas and New Year as his house was affected.
He told the Courier that he first heard about the rats last summer when his daughter, who had just moved into the house with her young children, told him she saw some in the garden.
He continued: “We alerted the council and they put traps in and got rid of a few.
“We didn’t see them for a couple of months but then we started seeing them again.”
He said that as he was building an extension to the house and during works, he stored things that he usually kept in the kitchen in the garage, such as his own equipment and dog food.
“It was all sealed in plastic containers, but when we came back into the garage after a while, there were holes chewed through every single container. Looking around I found a small hole at the bottom of the garage and more parts and barriers as well as cables that had been chewed off.
“It was November when we started hearing scratching inside the house.”
We would be sleeping and hear something scratching around the bedroom. At first we thought we had mice in the loft - so we didn’t pay too much attention about it.
“It got worse and one night we heard something skating all over the floor in the bedroom (either on the floor or underneath). We started checking around and we found stuff under the bed that had been chewed. At that point we decided to put some rat poison under the bed. After a few days of continuing, the scratching stopped.
“However, a few days before Christmas, we noticed a weird smell around the house and in the kitchen.
“When we had visitors we covered the smell with things such as candles but after Christmas had passed we decided to look for the cause of it.
After tearing apart floorboards and walls, Mr Greer found a dead rat behind one of the walls in the kitchen, with extensive damage due to the rat’s chewing.
Mr Greer, who has two young grandchildren and a dog, said: “This is really worrying because they could spread diseases so easily.
“One thing that concerns me is that if one rat went inside the house and chew any electric cables, they could easily cause a fire.”
He said he hopes the council will consider resolving the issues in the area despite the fact that some council houses – such as his – have been bought and are no longer under Council’s ownershop.
The issue was reported to the Queenspark Residents Association, which discussed the issue last Monday at a meeting.
Cllr Barbara Jarvie attended the event. She said: “I have had my own problems with rats in the past so I feel a lot of sympathy for the residents.
“Something really needs to be done soon, this is a high-priority problem.
“I would hope the council will consider resolving the issue on the estate rather than dealing with individual cases, given that not all the residents are council tenants but some are now home owners.
“It is key to let people know that it’s vital not to keep any food in the garden or outer sheds. Where there is food, they will come, and the only way to control their spread is to starve them off.”
Morag Anderson, chair of the Queenspark Residents Association, said: “We are really concerned that the first measures taken to remove the first infestation have only moved to neighbouring homes.
“After we first addressed Highland Council to solve the problem, for a long time nothing got done because the housing officer was on sick leave, so for a long time nothing happened and because there is so much green and areas where they can burrow, I can see how even after we thought the problem had been solved, the rats had actually managed to hide and move elsewhere.”
Ms Anderson and the residents association are now sharing and collecting forms from residents to get a better understanding of how widespread the issue is in order to bring this up at council level.
A Highland Council Spokesperson said: “We provide a free pest control service for council tenants and council premises, and can deal with most types of pests such as rats, mice, ants, wasps or fleas. To book a pest control visit, please call the Service Centre or visit your local Service Point.
“This service is only available to council tenants. All other householders or businesses should contact a private pest control company - a list of which can be found in the Yellow Pages or online.
“We provide a free pest control service for council tenants and council premises. The Council is not responsible for pest control on private property.”
