- Size
- Body 20–25 cm, thick tail slightly shorter
- Droppings
- 10–20 mm, capsule shaped
- Active
- Mostly at night
- Peak season
- Autumn and winter
Indoors, rats often arrive through the drains: a cracked pipe, an unused connection under the floor, or the soil stack. Finding and fixing that route is what actually ends the problem.
Signs of rats
- Droppings 10–20 mm long with blunt ends, usually in groups along a route
- Heavier scurrying, gnawing or dragging sounds at night
- Burrows 6–9 cm wide in the garden, under decking, sheds or compost bins
- Worn runs along fences and walls, sometimes with flattened grass
- Gnaw marks on wood, plastic pipes, cables or bin lids
- Dark greasy smears at holes and along regular routes
- A strong ammonia smell in enclosed spaces
How to be sure
Rats are heavy, with small ears, a blunt snout and a thick, scaly tail. A young rat can look like a large mouse, but its head and feet look too big for its body.
In lofts, also consider grey squirrels, which are active in the day rather than at night.
What you can do yourself
- Remove what's feeding them: bird feeders (especially spilled seed), food waste in open compost, pet food left outside and bins without tight lids.
- Clear clutter and dense vegetation close to the house, which gives rats cover.
- Lift drain covers and inspection chambers and check they're intact and sealed.
- Large snap traps inside covered boxes, along runs, can work. Leave them unset for a few days so rats get used to them first.
- Don't put shop-bought poison in lofts, under floors or inside the house. Rats that die in voids are hard to find and smell for weeks.
- Note where activity is concentrated. It helps a professional find the entry route faster.
Call a professional if
- You have rats inside the house, in the loft or under the floor
- There are burrows close to the house or under decking
- You can't find how they're getting in
- Activity continues after a week or two of removing food sources
- You suspect a damaged drain. A good pest controller will check drains or bring in a drainage specialist
The law: Professional-strength rodenticides are restricted to trained, certified users. Glue traps are banned in Wales and Scotland. In England, using one on rodents without a Natural England licence is an offence, even though they are still sold. We never recommend them.
Safety: Rats can carry leptospirosis (Weil's disease) and salmonella. Wear gloves, avoid touching droppings or urine, and wash hands thoroughly. If you develop flu-like symptoms after contact, tell your GP.
Keeping them out
- Feed birds from a tray or feeder with a catcher, and bring it in if rats appear
- Use a closed compost bin on a slab or mesh base, and keep cooked food out of it
- Keep bin lids shut and bin areas clear
- Repair damaged air bricks, drain covers and gaps around pipes
- Ask a drainage specialist about a rat blocker if rats keep returning from the sewer
Kit that helps
- Large snap traps
- Covered trap boxes
- Rat-proof compost bin base
- Bird feeder seed catcher
- Disposable gloves and disinfectant
Product types only. We'll only ever point you to things we'd use ourselves.
Questions people ask
Why isn't the rat poison working?
Rats avoid new things, so they may ignore bait for days. Some populations are also resistant to the active ingredients in shop products. That's one reason professional treatment with a survey of entry points works better.
Can rats come up through the toilet?
It's rare, but rats do travel through sewers and can get into homes through damaged or redundant drain pipes. If you suspect this, a drainage survey is worth it.
Does the council deal with rats?
It depends where you live. Some councils treat rats, often for a fee, and some offer a free service for people on certain benefits. Many now offer no service at all and refer you to private firms.
Are rats in the garden a problem if they stay outside?
Usually yes. Garden rats nearby often find a way into sheds, under decking and eventually into the house, and they breed quickly. Removing food and cover early stops that.
How much damage can rats do?
They gnaw constantly, including electrical cables, plastic pipes, insulation and wood. Chewed cables are a fire risk.