Birmingham is the UK hotspot for rats, with the B postcode area recording 315 attended rat call-outs in the 12 months to August 2026 – more than any other postcode area in the country. The city also stands out for mice, with 212 mouse call-outs, making it the second worst area outside London, according to data from JG Pest Control.
Postcode-by-postcode breakdown
The data is based on genuine pest-control jobs attended by the company's engineers, not surveys or estimates. An interactive map allows residents to drill down from county level to individual postcode districts, comparing completed visits over the latest six-month period (7 February 2026 – 7 August 2026) with the same period a year earlier (7 February 2025 – 7 August 2026).
The B15 postcode area, covering Edgbaston and Westside including parts of Broad Street and the inner city west/south-west of the city centre, saw a 950% rise with 21 call-outs. B28, which covers Hall Green in south-east Birmingham, west of Solihull, including Yardley Wood and parts of Stratford Road, saw a 227% increase with 16 call-outs. B21, covering Handsworth and Handsworth Wood in north-west Birmingham, saw a 143% rise with 20 call-outs.
Other affected areas
B14, covering Kings Heath, Yardley Wood, Druids Heath, Highter's Heath, Warstock, and Maypole, and B26, covering Sheldon, Yardley, and parts of Gilbertstone and Lyndon, both saw a 100% rise with 12 visits each. The interactive map is available for residents to check their own postcode.
James Gale, Managing Director of JG Pest Control, said: “Birmingham really stands out in our data. Recording more rat call-outs than any other postcode area in the UK demonstrates the level of rodent pressure being experienced across the city. What is particularly noticeable is that rodents are no longer behaving like a purely autumn and winter problem. We are continuing to attend significant numbers of rat and mouse jobs throughout the warmer months. Dense urban environments provide rodents with plenty of opportunities for food, harbourage and movement between properties. For residents and businesses, identifying how rodents are accessing a property and dealing with the underlying cause is just as important as treating the immediate activity.”
National trends
Nationally, comparing 1 June–5 August 2026 with the same period in 2025, JG Pest Control recorded rats up 38% (1,353 vs 984), mice up 48% (743 vs 501), and rodents combined up 41% (2,096 vs 1,485). Wasps and hornets were down 30% (3,282 vs 4,679). The figures highlight a broader increase in rodent activity across the UK, with Birmingham leading the way.
