Revealed: Sheffield's most pest-infested streets, including one with nearly 70 call outs for rats and mice this year

There have been nearly 3,500 call-outs across the city since the beginning of April over pests ranging from rats to bed bugs, a Freedom of Information request disclosed.

Blackwell Place, in Park Hill, tops the list for rat and mouse infestations, with 34 call-outs for the former and 33 for the latter, figures from Sheffield Council show.

Brunswick Road, in Burngreave, and Greenland Road, in Greenland, were the only other streets to generate more than 10 reports of either rats and mice.

Herries Road, in Shirecliffe, accounted for 46 call-outs over garden ants and 18 over wasps. No other road had more than eight for either bug.

The number of call-outs over in Sheffield peaked at 6,255 in the financial year 2014/15, when residents and businesses paid the council £397,000 to eliminate pests.

That figure dropped sharply to 5,313 in 2015/16 and is on course to fall slightly this financial year based on the current rate, to around 5,290.

The Star has obtained the list of streets which generated the most call-outs over each different type of pest, which are listed below.

The council pointed out that a high figure for one road could indicate that Sheffield Council Housing had asked for a block treatment to be carried out.

Councillor Bryan Lodge, Sheffield Council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "As in every major city, pests such as rats and mice are undoubtedly an issue in Sheffield, but we deal with the problem quickly and efficiently whenever we receive a report...

"However, prevention is better than cure. There is a lot than people can do to tackle potential pest control problems in their neighbourhoods; such as using specialist bird feeders that aren't accessible to vermin, cleaning up after pets, disposing of waste as soon as possible and placing compost bins are placed on solid surfaces, to stop rats burrowing underneath to find food."

Members of the public can report pest control issues to Sheffield Council online or by phone, between 8am and 6pm, on 0114 2037 410 or 0114 2037 411.

Requests for pest control services by street (April 1 - November 28, 2016)

RATS

S2 Blackwell Place 34

S3 Brunswick Road 17

S9 Greenland Way 12

S5 Wordsworth Avenue 9

S5 Firth Park Road 9

S4 Firshill Crescent 9

S2 Manor Oaks Road 8

S5 Herries Road 8

S3 Summer Street 7

S8 Lowedges Crescent 7

S8 Gervase Drive 7

S8 Ellesmere Road 7

S5 Bellhouse Road 7

MICE

S2 Blackwell Place 33

S3 Brunswick Road 16

S9 Greenland Way 12

S4 Firshill Crescent 8

S4 Ellesmere Road 7

S4 Firshill Close 6

S4 Popple Street 5

S2 Blackwell Court 4

S4 Catherine Road 3

S5 Herries Road 3

WASPS

S5 Herries Road 18

S8 Lightwood Lane 6

S8 Abbey Lane 5

S17 Dore Road 5

S11 Osborne Road 4

S10 Lydgate Lane 4

S10 Fulwood Road 4

S8 Gresley Road 4

* 11 streets with three requests

GARDEN ANTS

S5 Herries Road 46

S13 Station Road 8

S20 Blackberry Flats 6

S10 Glossop Road 6

S5 Norwood Grange Drive 3

* 15 streets with two requests

BED BUGS

S13 Chapel Street 5

S5 Bolsover Road 4

S4 Owler Lane 3

S14 Callow Mount 2

S10 Northfield Road 2

S11 Junction Road 2

S5 Vickers Road 2

S9 Industry Road 2

* no other street had more than one visit

BEES

S5 Herries Road 9

S13 Pickard Drive 4

S5 Wordsworth Avenue 4

S4 Wensley Street 3

S5 Herries Drive 3

S6 Industry Street 3

* 32 streets with two requests

COCKROACHES

S3 Verdon Street 5

S4 Owler Lane 4

S4 Grimesthorpe Road South 3

S4 Popple Street 2

S6 Martin Street 2

* no other street had more than one request

FLEAS

S4 Spital Hill 5

S5 Herries Road 4

S4 Atlas Way 2

S4 Skelwith Road 2

S12 Hollinsend Road 2

S13 Ballifield Crescent 2

S7 Abbeydale Road 2

S20 Clayton Hollow 2

S7 South View Crescent 2

S6 Dykes Hall Road 2

S8 Gervase Avenue 2

S11 Whiteley Wood Road 2

Pest call-outs in Sheffield by year (total paid for council pest control services in brackets)

2013/14: 5,443 (£312,261)

2014/15: 6,255 (£396,727)

2015/16: 5,313 (£320,504)

2016/17 to November 28: 3,498 (£247,188)

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