A bin collection strike in Birmingham could lead to rats thriving on a “banquet” of food waste and pose a public health danger, pest controllers have said.

About 400 council bin workers in Birmingham began an indefinite strike on Tuesday as part of a dispute over pay and conditions.

The trade union Unite has argued that Birmingham city council could end the dispute “by agreeing to pay a decent rate of pay”.

The council has said the “escalation” of industrial action will mean greater disruption to residents despite a “fair and reasonable offer” made to Unite members.

The council has rebutted the union’s claim that 150 workers could lose £8,000 a year in pay, insisting it has to restructure the service to meet its financial sustainability goal.

Grahame Turner, the technical manager at the National Pest Technicians Association, said uncollected waste was “a huge public health danger, and what we’re seeing in Birmingham is incredibly concerning”.

“Pests like rats, mice and even squirrels are on the lookout for easy meals at this time of year, and easily accessible waste is an open invitation,” he said. “Rotting food is an absolute banquet to them, and Birmingham is already extremely vulnerable due to previous strikes and infestation levels of rodents that are observed within urban areas.”

Turner suggested that once rodents had arrived to consume food from overflowing bins, they could look for warmth and shelter in the same area. He said rodents such as rats carry diseases including salmonella, which can spread via their droppings, urine and contaminated food supplies.

Rodents can also cause structural damage to homes by chewing through electrical wiring, insulation and plumbing, potentially “creating fire hazards and costly repairs”.

Turner encouraged affected residents to store uncollected rubbish in sealed containers, or to take it to their local tip. “We strongly advise people to take action to minimise the impact of missed collections, even if you believe you shouldn’t have to on principle.”

Unite has told Birmingham residents the disruption could continue into the summer after refuse workers voted to extend their strike over the council’s deployment of temporary workers to “undermine” their industrial action.

Unite said refuse workers had already voluntarily accepted cuts to pay and conditions after the council declared bankruptcy, but faced more pay cuts after the scrapping the waste collection and recycling officer role, which is responsible for safety at the back of a collection lorry.

The council said 90 out of 200 waste collection crews were still in operation and it urged residents to continue putting their bins out.

It said it was still available for negotiations with the union, and that it “would encourage Unite to come back to the table”.