Birmingham is the rat capital of the UK and the London Borough of Southwark has the most mice , cockroaches and bed bugs , according to new research . The Midlands city topped the league table for the highest number of rat exterminations with almost 15,000 between 2013 and 2014 . Newcastle is officially the most pest-infested place in the country with 5 per cent of those living on Tyneside reporting problems with rats , cockroaches , wasps and other creepy crawlies . The North East city was followed by the City of London where 4.9 per cent of people reported problems , and in Knowsley , Merseyside , 3.4 per cent of residents were forced to call in exterminators . Scroll down for video . A survey revealed Birmingham to be the rat capital of the UK while the London Borough of Southwark has the most mice , cockroaches and bed bugs . Five per cent of residents in Newcastle , more than 6,000 people , called in pest inspectors last year - making Tyneside residents the most likely to report a problem ( file image ) The figures , released by the British Pest Control Association , also revealed that the most pest-free place was Southend , in Essex , where 0.03 per cent of homeowners had a problem . Officials at the BPCA warned that pests numbers are at their highest levels for several years after councils cut free pest-buster services . They said that , while there were usual local reasons for particular pests being common , the overall trend across the UK was an increase in numbers . For example , while rats and cockroaches are particularly common in large cities such as London , areas such as Fife , in Scotland , are much more prone to ants . Scotland as a whole has seen an explosion in the ant population in the last four years , will call-outs to treat the problem increasing three-fold . A graph compiled by the British Pest Control Association shows Wales is the most rat-infested country in the UK ( left ) and another shows the prevalence of mice by country ( right_ . While inner-city areas such as Birmingham and London were plagued by rats and cockroaches , more rural areas such as North Lanarkshire were overrun by wasps ( pictured ) Meanwhile , residents of North Lanarkshire in Scotland were the most likely to report problems with wasps . After an especially wet summer in 2012-13 which killed off a lot of the UK 's wasps , 2013-14 saw a boom in the number of the pests , especially in Scotland . The survey also revealed that the number of local authorities who provide a free pest control service has declined by 26 per cent over the past four years . And the BCPA is warning that this the potential to prompt a significant increase in pests , including rats and bedbugs . Simon Forrester , chief executive of the BCPA , said : 'Our study provides a comprehensive and graphic indication of the demand placed on local authorities for pest control . 'There are many localised reasons why a particular area could have a high prevalence of a certain pest , but there 's certainly a recurring theme . 'If an infestation of any pest is n't dealt with quickly and professionally , it 's likely to spread . 'The problem then becomes much more expensive and carries a greater risk to public health . ' Wasp numbers saw a steady decline and then a sharp rise in the past few years ( left ) but there has been a clear rise in the number of bed bugs across the country ( right ) The number of ant infestations reported has shot up three-fold in Scotland in the last five years , data showed , with those in Fife most likely to report a problem .
Birmingham had almost 15,000 call outs for rats , more than any other city . Newcastle residents were most likely to report pest problem last year . The most pest-free place was Southend , in Essex , according to survey . Comment: