Rat control

Within the UK, rats are likely to be target no.1; they are a well-established pest found throughout the country. Rats are well-documented to carry a wide range of viruses and diseases and any infestation should be controlled, mainly if they are found within buildings; luckily we have several devices both to prevent infestations and when necessary their control.

The best approach for rats is to prevent them from accessing the building in the first place, whilst in hindsight, this isn’t always possible proofing will heavily reduce the cost of treatment and often stress when dealing with rat infestations. Fitting vent guards to air bricks and other holes should be an essential first step. Installing drain guards is also an underlooked but significant step in prevention, especially as many rats access buildings through the drainage systems.

When control is required the options are usually down to using snap traps or rodenticide. Snap traps are an excellent and proven method of rat control, they can quickly control an emerging infestation however it’s not always a quick treatment solution as traps will often get rejected and after success the removal of bodies from traps can be stressful.

Rodenticide (commonly known as rat poison) is also a proven method of control but should only be used when other treatments have failed, using rodenticide can quickly control large populations of established rats but body retrieval can often be difficult, especially within buildings. It’s also essential to understand the risks involved with rodenticide and the legal requirements including the use of tamper-resistant bait stations. We have detailed information on rodenticide here.

Please find below our most common and popular products associated with rat control: