CHARGING for pest control has led to a 50 per cent fall in call-outs and an increase in rats in parts of North Yorkshire.

Councillors in Hambleton are considering scrapping the charges amid fears that infestations are going unreported and poor baiting is making the problem worse.

A £25 fee was introduced by Hambleton District Council in April, making it one of only three local authorities in North Yorkshire to charge for rat treatments.

Since then, requests for treatments have plummeted, with only 63 call-outs for rats in the first three months, compared with 128 in the same period last year. Environmental services director Steve Quartermain said people were avoiding the service and trying to deal with the problem themselves.

He said: "While this is laudable, there is a lack of knowledge of proper baiting techniques and this leads to problems treating rodents."

Mr Quartermain said rats, which breed so fast that a pair can produce a colony of 2,000 within a year, do not necessarily die from poison and can develop bait shyness.

"It could be that there is a public resistance to the new charge and once they realise their treatments aren't working they will agree to pay for the service," he said. "However, the evidence to date is that this is not happening and there are increasing reports from town and parish councils of sightings of rats."

Christine Selden, of the British Pest Control Association, said it was imperative that rats were treated to prevent disease and infestations spiralling out of control.

The issue will be discussed by a committee next week and views will be forwarded to the cabinet.