How to Deter Rats
Rats are agile creatures, capable of squeezing through spaces they appear too big for and gnawing at gaps to expand them. They will seize any opportunity to enter your home, so it is important to deter rats at the earliest opportunity.
Black rats are excellent climbers and easily inhabit lofts, while brown rats prefer to burrow. Withholding access to food, water and shelter are the most effective ways to deter rats. If you already think you have a problem, professional treatment is the fastest way to deal with it.
Rat Prevention - Food and Waste
- Store food in metal or glass containers with tight-fitting lids, above ground level
- Clear food waste from sinks and counters - crumbs and pet food attract rats
- Use outside bins with securely fitted lids, preferably metal
- Avoid hoarding cardboard boxes - rodents chew them up to build nests
Proofing Your Home
- Seal holes around utility cables and pipework with steel wool and concrete
- Fit strips under doors and check up to 4 feet high - rats can jump and squeeze through tiny gaps
- Cover drains with tight metal grates and keep toilet lids shut
- Check roof tiles and eaves - rats climb electrical cables and branches to reach lofts
When Prevention is Not Enough
If you suspect you already have rats in or around your property, do not delay. Rats breed rapidly - a single pair can produce hundreds of offspring in a year. Professional treatment is the only reliable way to eradicate an active infestation.
Call JG Pest Control for a same-day survey. Our RSPH (BPCA) Level 2 certified and trainee techs use traps, professional baits, and proofing techniques that DIY products cannot match.
Find Out More
Roy Couch is the Technician Manager at JG Pest Control, leading the technician team across the UK. He holds the BPCA Diploma and the RSPH Level 2 Award in the Safe Use of Aluminium Phosphide, and is qualified in the Safe Use of Rodenticides.
Peter Bowers-Davis is a board volunteer at the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), the UK trade body for professional pest management. He works across the Tyro UK group of companies, including JG, setting technical standards, treatment protocols and training programmes.