Rat Infestation Control | How to Get Rid of Rat Problems

 

Vermin Control in your Home

To exterminate rats in domestic houses, we will provide fixed costs for service which will usually entail three pre-arranged visits from our technician over a three-four week period. 

Please see below for more detail on what we will do at your property.

For costs, please call us on 0845 094 0845 to talk with one of our technical Surveyors who can usually advise fixed costs over the phone.

If a site visit is required for a more involved or delicate situation, this is no problem and can be arranged with your Surveyor.

 

Rat Control in the Workplace

For commercial sites with a light problem with these vermin, service will be along the same lines as above but obviously geared to your particular property.

We will always carry out a initial site survey for commercial sites to identify the extent of infestation and optimum treatment. There is good reason for this which is covered more in our pest control service page.

Surveys are always free (including to households if one is needed) and we still aim for same or next day response. Our Surveyors usually carry some materials with them so they can often do something for you there and then if you want us to.

All our technicians are BPCA qualified and CRB checked for your peace of mind.

 

Rat Treatment Programme

Externally, baiting direct into burrows and backfilling them is optimum if they can be found and reached. Otherwise, tamperproof bait stations will be used to ensure rodenticides are kept safe from pets, wildlife and children.

Wherever possible, they are placed in discrete or hidden locations, however they do need to be around where the rodents are active.

The initial visit will include more wide-spread baiting with follow-up visits homing in on hot-spots for a more focussed treatment.

Other typical locations we would inspect for rats would include outbuildings, sub-floor, attics, rubbish heaps, bin areas, decking, hedgerows, uncovered drains etc, and also below and behind fixed units (e.g. kitchen units)

Your pest control technician will also advise on proofing and hygiene issues for you to address to help prevent future infestation. These could include overflowing bins, gaps below doors, broken pipes etc. A written report will be left each time confirming our actions and recommendations.

All pesticides we use are approved by CoSHH which means they are safe for use in your home or property.

1. Call us on 0845 094 0845 or email info@envbs.co.uk for costs and to book treatments.

Brown Rats - Outline Biology and Habits

The Brown rat, (Rattus norvegicus) is the main pest rat species in the U.K. The black rat, (Rattus rattus) is rare and found only in a few dockside locations. The information below focuses on the Brown rat.

The droppings are 5-10mm long and circular in cross section, tapering at the ends. They are usually a shiny black, but may vary according to their diets.

Rats will leave a hind foot track of about 3/4-1cm where a mouse’s track measure’s under 1/2cm.

Gnawing holes from rats are about 50mm or more in diameter with rough edges. Rats prefer to gnaw on wood, but also cause damage to electrical wiring, plastics, rubber etc. with their jaws strong enough to gnaw through thin mild steel. If threatened and cornered they will hiss and may jump-attack.

Rat burrows can be found along foundations, or beneath rubbish and shubbery. If the burrow is active it is usually clear of vegetation. Rat runways are smooth and well packed. Indoors, these runways are free of dust and dirt.

They prefer foods with a high protein or carbohydrate content, but will eat almost any type of food and unlike mice, they need to drink water to survive,. They will eat around 30g of food daily and drink up to 60ml of water.

The young rats reach sexual maturity in 10-12 weeks, females having 3-6 litters a year, with 7-8 young per litter and a gestation period of about three weeks. Adults live about a year in colonies. There is a high mortality rate with infant mice.

The Brown Rat generally prefers to live in underground tunnels. On farms, they will be near a food source: barns, granaries, livestock buildings, and silos. In the cities, they usually live outside, but have been known to live entirely inside buildings if there is space.

 Needing a water source, they can obtain water from toilets, sinks, rain puddles, or condensation from utility pipes. Their nesting burrows on the outside can be found along wall foundations, below rockery’s and outbuildings. Undisturbed piles of earth or flowerbeds and shrubberies are also popular. Indoors basements, wall cavities, attic spaces and similar undisturbed areas are all possible nesting sites.

They are well known to be active in sewers and it is quite often broken sewer pipes (perhaps by tree roots or building work) that allow rat’s easy access back and forth. Their nests are built from soft material like paper or grass chewed into small pieces. Rats will climb if necessary to enter a building. The brown Rat is an excellent swimmer.

Unlike mice which are incontinent, the Brown Rat has a specific toilet area which it will use again and again. They are also suspicious of changes in the environment or new foods. (Neophobia).  For this reason it may take them several days to enter traps or or bait stations. 

Rats are nocturnal, with their peak activity at dusk or before dawn. When the population is large or they are disturbed or hungry, you can see activity during the day.