Pest Control
Not sure what you are dealing with? Start here. An inspection tells you what it is before anything is treated.
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Rat control in London
Rats do not arrive at random. There is a way in and a reason to stay, and dealing with only the rats leaves both of those in place.
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The problem
What you are dealing with
The brown rat is the species behind almost all rat work in London. It is a capable climber and swimmer, it gnaws persistently, and it can pass through a gap not much wider than its skull. It lives well alongside people because we reliably provide the two things it needs — food and shelter.
In terraced and Victorian housing, the most common route indoors is a defective drain. A cracked or disused underground pipe gives rats a sheltered, undisturbed run directly beneath the building, and from there they surface into voids, under floors and into cavity walls. Other frequent routes are gaps under decking and sheds, open airbricks, holes around incoming services, and unsealed gaps where an extension meets the original building.
Beyond the nuisance, rats gnaw. Damage to cables, pipework and insulation is common and occasionally serious, and their droppings and urine contaminate anything stored where they travel.
Signs to look for
Signs of rats in a property
Rats are heard and traced more often than they are seen. Typical evidence:
- Droppings around 15–20mm long, tapered at the ends, usually grouped along a regular route
- Scratching, scurrying or gnawing overhead at night — loft, ceiling void or under floorboards
- Gnaw marks on timber, plastic pipework, cable sheathing or food packaging
- Dark greasy smear marks where they run repeatedly against a wall, beam or pipe
- Well-worn runs through long grass, or burrow holes at a wall base, under decking or beside a drain cover
- An unexplained musty, ammonia-like smell in a loft, cellar or cupboard
Why it needs doing properly
Why professional treatment may be needed
Rat work has two halves, and the treatment is the easier one. Unless the route in is found and closed, a treated property simply gets re-occupied by the next rats using the same route, and the cycle repeats every few months.
Rodenticides also carry real risks around children, pets and wildlife, and are subject to legal restrictions on how and where they may be used. Bait left in the open or in the wrong location is a hazard rather than a solution.
There is also the question of what a burrow or a run is telling you. Activity concentrated near a drain run or an inspection chamber often points to a defect that needs a drainage contractor rather than more bait — and knowing that early saves considerable time and money.
What the inspection involves
- We survey the outside of the building at ground level: airbricks, service entries, gaps under decking, sheds, outbuildings, boundary walls and any burrow holes.
- We check drainage covers and inspection chambers for signs of rats using the system, and note where the evidence points to a defect.
- Indoors we look at lofts, under-floor voids, cellars, cupboards, service risers and any area where droppings, smears or gnawing have been reported.
- We map the routes rather than just the sightings, because the route is what tells us where treatment and proofing should go.
How the treatment works
- Treatment is placed along established routes and in sheltered locations where rats actually travel, not where they happened to be seen.
- Where rodenticide is appropriate, it is used in tamper-resistant stations positioned away from children, pets and non-target wildlife, and recorded so it can be checked and removed at the end.
- We return to monitor and adjust rather than leaving bait in place indefinitely.
- We tell you clearly what has been placed and where before we leave, and we remove it when the work is finished.
Open 24 hours
Dealing with rats? Talk it through with us.
Call and describe what you have found. We will tell you what it is likely to be, what the inspection would involve and what happens next. The line is open 24 hours.
Open 24 hours · London and nearby areas
Preventing it happening again
Treatment deals with what is there now. These are the things that reduce the chance of it coming back.
- Seal gaps around incoming pipes and cables, and fit covers to airbricks that are damaged or open.
- Have drains inspected if activity keeps recurring in the same place — a defective underground pipe is one of the most common persistent causes.
- Keep bin lids closed, clear fallen food from around bin stores, and avoid leaving bags out overnight.
- Cut back dense ground cover against the building and keep the area under decking and sheds accessible rather than sealed and forgotten.
- Move bird feeding away from the building, or pause it while there is activity — spilled seed is a reliable food source.
Rats in London properties
London's terraced streets and Victorian drainage make rat work particularly about the route in. Shared party walls, continuous under-floor voids and ageing underground pipework mean a defect at one address can produce activity two doors down, and a property that has been treated repeatedly without a drainage check is often a property with a broken pipe under it. Where the evidence points that way, we will tell you, rather than keep treating a symptom.
- Rats in Hammersmith
- Rats in Fulham
- Rats in Chiswick
- Rats in Kensington
- Rats in Chelsea
- Rats in Earls Court
- Rats in Notting Hill
- Rats in Bayswater
- Rats in Mayfair
- Rats in Central London
- Rats in Wandsworth
- Rats in Mitcham
- Rats in Gerrards Cross
EVO Pest Control works across London and nearby areas, in homes and in commercial premises, from 1 Fulham Palace Rd, London W6 8AB.
Areas we coverQuestions
Rats — common questions
If your question is not here, call and ask. It is a quick conversation and it usually saves a visit either way.
07886 109682The most common routes are a defective underground drain, an open or broken airbrick, gaps around incoming pipes and cables, and spaces under decking or at the junction of an extension. Rats can pass through a surprisingly small gap, so it is rarely an obvious hole.
Where rodenticide is used it goes into tamper-resistant stations, placed away from children, pets and wildlife, and recorded so it can be checked and removed. Tell us about pets and children when you call so placement is planned around them from the start.
Almost always because the route in is still open. Treatment removes the rats that are there; it does not stop the next ones using the same way in. If a property has been treated repeatedly, the missing piece is usually proofing or a drainage defect.
The timing is a useful clue. Rats are most active after dark, while squirrels are busiest in daylight, especially early morning. Droppings and gnaw patterns differ too, which is one of the things the inspection settles.
Yes — external burrows are part of the treatment and of the proofing advice, since a garden population is usually where indoor activity is coming from.
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