How to Get Rid of Rats – A Quick Guide to Rat Control
Rats are clever and endlessly adaptable. After many years of professional pest control experience, I can confidently say this: rats still surprise me. They can exploit the smallest weaknesses in a building, learn quickly, and rarely do what you expect.
That’s why, as a rule, we always recommend contacting a professional pest controller if you suspect rats. Simply putting shop bought poison down will not solve a rat problem long-term. There is often much more to it.
We regularly see members of the public using rodenticides and traps incorrectly — risking harm to pets, wildlife, and even themselves, while failing to address the root cause of the infestation.
That said, if you’re determined to understand how rat control should be approached, here’s a practical, no-nonsense guide to keep things safe, legal, and effective.
First Things First: Are You Sure It’s Rats?
Accurate identification is critical. Signs from rats are commonly confused with: Mice, Grey Squirrels and Birds.
Each leaves different signs, requires different control methods, and in some cases is protected by law.
Getting this wrong can have serious consequences. For example, there is only one product authorised for use to poison field mice and none for grey squirrels. Misidentification can lead to unlawful pesticide use.
A professional pest controller can quickly confirm:
Which species you’re dealing with
The extent of the infestation
The most effective and legal control strategy
There is no guessing when it comes to poison. I often spot articles where animals have been poisoned, Some assume its malicious and deliberate, but it can just as easily be misidentifcation.
Not only that, time spent trying to control the wrong pest species can give chance of the problem to develop.
Common Signs of a Rat Infestation
Look out for:
Droppings (larger than mouse droppings, blunt-ended)
Gnaw marks on wood, cables, or plastic
- Clear runs worn into loft insulation. Rats are a creature of habit and will run back and forth over the same route.
Greasy smear marks along walls and pipes
Burrows near foundations, sheds, or drains
Scratching noises, especially at night
The challenge is that the signs above could also be caused by other pest species. Squirrel and rat droppings for example, are sometimes hard to tell apart to the untrained eye.
Safety First: Handling Traps and Rodenticides
If you handle traps or rodenticides at any stage:
Always wear gloves
Avoid skin contact and contamination
Wash hands thoroughly after handling
This protects you from disease and prevents human scent from deterring rodents. It’s basic hygiene — but often ignored.
Entry Points: Find Them, But Don’t Block Them (Yet)
One of the biggest mistakes people make is blocking entry holes too early.
Rats must be removed first. Blocking access while rats are still inside can either;
- Move the rats to a different part of the building, making control much more difficult
- Panic the rats when they cant find an escape route. Rats that otherwise were hiding in the walls suddenly end up running around the living room.
A professional pest controller will identify entry points and time proofing work correctly. But as a rule, avoid trapping rats in if you can avoid it.
Using Traps and Rodenticide Safely
If you handle traps or rodenticides at any stage, Always wear gloves, Avoid skin contact and contamination and wash hands thoroughly after handling. This protects you from disease, and prevents human scent from deterring rodents.
Improper placement is one of the biggest risks in DIY rat control.
Key rules:
Keep all control measures away from pets, children, and non-target wildlife
If measures are placed where it might be accessed by something other then a rat, always use tamper-resistant bait stations
Never leave loose poison exposed. Secure bait such as pasta or blocks on a wire or rod.
Tamper-resistant bait stations are designed to restrict access to rodents only. This protect pets, people and and wildlife from pesticide exposure.
Remember that rat traps are often powerful, and will kill and injury none target animals if used incorrectly. Hedgehogs, birds, cats, foxes are all species that could be seriously killed or injured by rat traps.
The Label Is the Law – Read it!
Rodenticide labels are not “guidelines” — they are legal instructions.
These includes:
Where bait can be placed
How much can be used in a given area
How often it must be checked and replaced
Disposal requirements
Failure to follow the label is a breach of pesticide law. Professional pest controllers are trained to use products legally and responsibly.
Choosing the Right Rodenticide (It’s Not One-Size-Fits-All)
There is a huge range of rodenticides available, including different formulations, Grains, Pasts, Blocks, Liquids. Add to this the different active ingredients, Difenacoum, Bromadiolone, Brodifacoum to name just a few.
Each has different uses and risk profiles. Advantages often come with trade offs.
As an example, Brodifacoum is very effective at clearing rats, given it has no known resistance in rats and requires very little consumption to provide a lethal dose. Its higher lethality carries a greater risk to none target animals, particular being higher risk to dogs. Conversely, Difenacoum based products a rat has to eat ~4x more to achieve a lethal, but they are also much less lethal for other species, being 40x less toxic for dogs.
Some baits work better in different environments. As a few examples, pasta baits are readily eaten by rats but are unsuitable for damp environments. Wax blocks rats don’t tend to like as much, but they wont mould and spoil as quick in a damp area.
A major advantage of using a professional pest controller is choice. We carry multiple bait types and actives, allowing us to match the product to the exact job — not the other way around. Even when the bait choice is perfect, just swapping a different brand can sometimes be enough to get a reluctant rat feeding.
If you’re unsure at any point, the correct decision is simple: hire a pest controller. You can also consider training courses, such as the BPCA Using Rodenticide Safely, which would cover some of the basic principles.
Dead Rats: Disposal and Secondary Poisoning Risks
Any dead rats found should be double-bagged, placed in domestic waste and disposed of in line with local authority guidance
It’s also essential to actively search for poisoned rodents. Leaving carcasses accessible allows wildlife to feed on them, which can lead to secondary poisoning — a serious and avoidable risk.
Ultrasonic Repeller’s: Let’s Be Clear
In my view, no. They just don’t work. Any sound will disturb an animals, but they quickly learn its not a threat and return to their old behaviour.
Consider the fact that large food manufacturers spend millions every year protecting food preparation areas from pests, designing building in a way that keep rodents, insects and birds out. If there was any reliable evidence that they worked, they would be fitted on every food production building in the country. But the fact is they are not, and I have yet to see one fitted.
If ultrasonic repellents solved rat problems, pest controllers would be out of business. Rats adapt quickly, and these devices have no proven long-term effectiveness. Save your money.
Steps you can take – Remove Food, Water, and Harbourage
Rats need access to food, water and shelter. By removing any of these 3 you are making your property less attractive:
Store food securely in kitchens and commercial premises
Remove or reduce bird feeders
Empty standing water sources in gardens
Fix leaking pipes, these are a source of drinking water
Clear rubbish, debris, and clutter
Cut back weeds and overgrown areas
If rats don’t feel safe, they’re less likely to stay.
Drain Faults: The Hidden Entry Route
In a large percentage of rat infestations, the route cause isn’t visible above ground. Rats commonly access properties through damaged, broken, or displaced drains, travelling unseen beneath buildings and emerging inside wall cavities, floors, or kitchens.
If the rat problem is continued and repeated, with no clear entry points over ground, consider the drains.
Because these faults are underground, they’re often missed. A CCTV drain survey is frequently essential as part of effective rat control. Without identifying and repairing drain defects, the rats can quickly come back.
Professional pest controllers should either offer drain surveys, or work closely with drainage specialists to look for these entry points, allowing the infestation to be resolved permanently.
Final Thoughts: Rat Control Is More Complex Than It Looks
Rat control is rarely straightforward. What often starts as a few droppings or scratching noises can quickly escalate into a much larger problem. Effective control can requires knowledge, experience, and the right tools for the job.
From correctly identifying the species involved and understanding pesticide legislation, to selecting the appropriate bait, placing it safely, and carrying out proper proofing, there are lots of moving parts.
Professional pest controllers take a structured, end-to-end approach. They don’t just remove rats; they investigate how and why they’re present, address entry points, and put measures in place to reduce the risk of reinfestation. Crucially, all of this is done safely, legally, and with consideration for people, pets, and wildlife.
Professional Rat Control You Can Rely On
Contact a professional pest controller near you. We provide expert rat control services for homes and businesses across:
North Yorkshire – York, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Wetherby, Easingwold, Thirsk
East Yorkshire – Kingston upon Hull, Bridlington, Beverley , Goole, Hessle
West Yorkshire – Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Halifax
Teesside – Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Guisborough, Yarm, Redcar & Cleveland
Cambridgeshire – Cambridge, Peterborough, Huntingdon, St Neots, Ely
Essex – Southend on Sea, Cochester, Chelmsford, Basildon, Harlow
If you’re searching for a rat pest controller near you, our experienced team is ready to help — safely, discreetly, and effectively.
