It's been a bumper year for acorns, fruit and nuts.
While this may sound like something out of an autumnal fairytale, experts have warned it could trigger a surge in pests.
Specialists say the bumper season could lead to a spike in rat activity as the rodents take advantage of the extra food supplies.
And it comes as hunters already report catching rodents more than 20 inches long amid a 'horrendous infestation'.
A warm, dry spring followed by an early autumn means 2025 is shaping up to be a 'mast year', environmental consultants revealed.
These happen every five to 10 years and occur when certain trees and shrubs produce a synchronised bumper crop of seeds, fruits and nuts.
An abundance of nuts and berries – especially on woodland walks – is a telltale sign.
However, it can also lead to increased activity from the likes of rats, mice, acorn weevils and moths.
'The reason you might have noticed more acorns and conkers than usual on your autumn walks is because we're experiencing what's known as a mast year – a natural event that's causing a bumper crop across the UK,' Dean Meadows, Principal Arboriculturalist at Arbtech said.
'Mast years are an important part of the natural cycle, helping to maintain the long–term health and resilience of forests and green spaces.
'While these periods can lead to a short–term rise in pests, they're ultimately a positive for our ecosystems.
'Acorn production supports a wide range of wildlife and marks the beginning of new oak trees, which provide vital habitats for countless species.'
This food boost ahead of winter means populations of rats are likely to grow.
It follows warnings from Kieran Sampler, founder of the Yorkshire Rat Pack, who said a hot summer combined with fast food waste has created optimal conditions for the vermin to thrive.
He said his group was now catching huge rats, 'like a chihuahua', and he expects them to continue to grow in the coming years.
In August this year a rodent measuring 22 inches from its nose to its tail was caught at a property in the Normanby area of Redcar and Cleveland in North–East England – thought to be the biggest rat ever caught in Britain.
Palaeontologist Jan Zalasiewicz, Emeritus Professor at the University of Leicester, said: 'Rats generally do very well around humans because we create environments where they thrive.'
He said there is a theory that rats may even be evolving to be better able to digest junk food, with evidence that the shape of their teeth are changing to make them better able to eat the kind of food they can get from humans.
Despite the mast year warnings, experts added that larger wildlife and predators such as foxes and owls could also benefit as the increase in smaller mammal populations also provides them with more food.
The seeds and nuts that are left uneaten by wildlife create 'ideal conditions' for new trees to grow, they explained.
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