Warwick District Council has cancelled its wasp extermination service with immediate effect.

It says they do not carry disease or cause damage to property and can easily be dealt with by a large number of commercial exterminators, leaving council staff free to tackle a spike in rodent populations.

Coun Michael Kinson (Con, Warwick West), the district councillor in charge of environmental matters, said: "We regret having to withdraw this service - but there is really no alternative.

"With demand for extermination of disease-carrying pests at an all time high we have had to make some changes."

The council's head of environmental health, Richard Hall, explained that callouts for rats and mice in the area had increased by 33 per cent - from 933 on March 31 2007 to 1,280 at the same time this year.

Mr Hall said: "The reasons are not entirely clear. We get fluctuations in the number of pests over the years.

"That is often to do with warmer winters or warm periods where pests would normally die. It doesn't get cold enough in time to reduce breeding cycles and numbers then increase."

He added that the increase, which began in December, was nationwide - and not connected to fewer food waste collections in the district under the council's new recycling scheme.

He said: "It's going back several months so it is not connected to the new waste service. With the new plastic bins there should be better control."

His department currently tackles a wide variety of beasties, including fleas and bedbugs, and its callout numbers have increased from 1,700 to 2,800 during the past 12 months.

Councils are not legally required to provide the service, but do so where there is a significant public health risk.

There is a £52 charge for treatments, but that falls to half price for pensioners and is free to those on certain income benefits.

Residents are advised that they can treat wasps using suitable products from garden centres or DIY stores or use private pest control companies.

Householders are encouraged to check these companies' prices before agreeing to a visit and only use pesticides when really necessary.

Call 456737 or visit: www.warwickdc.gov.uk/environment