A city centre resident has said that her dog is catching three to four rodents a day as the vermin problem is said to be getting “out of hand” in the heart of Edinburgh.
The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, has said that their Jack Russell terrier has been catching rodents regularly for the past few months as the problem seems to be increasing.
They said that there has been a problem with mice for the last thirty years at their home but that the problem had become worse in the last three months with bins overflowing and an increase in the roads being dug up in the area attracting rats to the area.
The concerned resident said that it is in the dogs nature to catch rodents and that earlier this week the family pet was able to capture a rodent that was trying to build a nest at the back of their fridge.
On the issue, they said: “I’ve been in the city centre for 30 years and have always been bothered with mice but over the past few months it has been rats. The area is mad with it as they’re just running around.
“Terriers are great hunters; she stalks them for hours then boom. The rodents were nesting in the back of my brand new fridge freezer and managed to eat a whole bag of dog food. My wee Jack Russell was really annoyed by that but they are able to get through the smallest of spaces and surprise you with where they end up.
“I think personally that it must be due to all the roadworks and of course the rubbish bins overflowing constantly.
“It’s getting out of hand. I’ve just found another one under my bin, so my dog must’ve got it last night.
“I would say all of the city centre needs to be looked at. My housing association is pretty good at nipping things in the bud but I think it’s Edinburgh City Council's responsibility now as there are too many bins overflowing and roadworks all over the city.
“I have a family member that is scared to walk down their path in town because the place is crawling with rats.”
An Edinburgh City Council spokesperson said: “Waste collections had recently been increased from two to three times weekly in the impacted area and residents are encouraged to report overflowing bins to the council.”
