Residents are being warned that open trash is helping Bermuda?s thriving rat population.

Rodent Control foreman Ross Furbert said three students were doing the rounds educating householders on the issues with the idea of promoting the use of metal bins to ward off vermin.

?The bottom line is people are not putting trash in adequate containers.?

He said galvanised steel containers were best as rubber containers could be gnawed through by rats. ?Even when they have a galvanised steel container they might have one or two bags standing behind it ? that?s not helping any,? he said.

Bermuda?s rat population was in its thousands, said Mr. Furbert, whose department has been using a new poison to control numbers.

Not only were rats a threat to food, they did a lot of structural damage to cabling by gnawing through cabling to keep the length of their teeth under control said Mr. Furbert.

He said it was residents? responsibility to control rats by sensible trash storage and they could be fined for not doing so.

Mosquito Control foreman Albert Thomas said trash dumping was a growing problem making the Island vulnerable to fatal disease. He said Dengue fever and the West Nile Virus was sweeping across the world and could have a devastating impact if it hit Bermuda.

The Dengue and West Nile Virus mosquito has been found in Bermuda but Mr. Thomas said Bermudians would not pay attention until there was fatality.

Mosquitoes breed in standing water and discarded food containers were a big problem said Mr. Thomas.

He said: ?Trash dumping has definitely got worse but the problem with standing water in people?s yards has got better.?

He said Government was collaborating with Keep Bermuda Beautiful in getting trash dumping sites cleared quickly.

Valley Road and Heron Bay were particular problems but dumping is Island-wide, said Mr. Thomas.