Halloween pumpkins could lure rats into UK homes, pest control expert warns

Leaving carved pumpkins outdoors for Halloween could invite rats and mice into domestic homes, a pest control specialist has warned.

Rodents are easily attracted by sweet winter squash left near doorways, particularly as the weather turns colder, according to Kevin Lawrenson, chief executive officer of the National Pest Technicians Association.

Mr Lawrenson noted that a hot summer has created a high number of rodents searching for shelter during the colder winter months.

He said: "Halloween is such a great time for families to take their young kid out trick or treating and decorate the house, carve pumpkins, leave them out on display.

"When people carve pumpkins and leave them outside the house for periods on end, they literally are an attraction to rodents, such as rats.

"You wouldn’t go and leave your rubbish outside the front of your house to attract rats to it, would you?"

Mr Lawrenson recalled rats seen in Birmingham last year, including some which were described as “cat-sized”, after tonnes of rubbish piled up in the streets amid a strike by bin workers.

He said food and waste left outside homes contributed to the rodent issue in the city.

Mr Lawrenson said: “Please don’t do the same with pumpkins because the last thing you want on Halloween, or in the days afterwards, is to have rats running around your house.

“(Pumpkins) are quite sweet, strong-smelling items and they will rot, and they will serve to attract any rodent that’s foraging for food.”

He said as it becomes colder, the rodents will look further afield to find warm places to live.

Mr Lawrenson advised anyone with a rodent problem to contact pest control services, adding: “What you don’t want to do, I guess in reality, is something that you’ve done at this time of year leads into ruining both Halloween and also Christmas.”

Elsewhere, Aviva has warned Jewellery-related insurance claims often spike around Halloween.

Accidental loss – when items have been lost rather than stolen – is the biggest driver behind the claims, suggesting people may be carrying or wearing valuable items when they are out and about, Aviva said.

The claims also indicate there is a short-lived peak in late October and early November, with claims normalising in the weeks before and after.

Aviva analysed its claims data between 2022 and 2025 and found that the number of claims during the week of Halloween typically rises by 25% compared with the surrounding eight weeks.

Halloween-related mishaps have included a smashed pumpkin leaking onto a laminate floor and wall, a fancy dress disaster when make-up was spilled onto a sofa and a candle-lit pumpkin igniting outdoor decorations.

Doorstep-related claims have included egging and pumpkin-related damage, Aviva said.