According to a 2019-2020 survey on rodenticide resistance, 74% of rats analysed carried a resistance gene and of the total studied, one-in-five had two different resistance genes in widespread locations including County Durham, Yorkshire, Manchester and Merseyside.
Although no rats in Wales were found to have double resistance genes, previous studies have found single resistance in parts of Wales.
This is the first time in the UK that ‘hybrid resistance’ has been found on a significant scale due to the interbreeding of rats carrying two different types of resistance genes.
The FUW is urging all pest controllers, farmers and gamekeepers to maximise their knowledge and to make responsible fact-based decisions on pest control measures in line with the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) Code of best practice: https://www.thinkwildlife.org/code-of-best-practice/