January 4th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

Nobody wants any kind of pest infestation, but rats seem to elicit a very primordial response so it’s definitely worth doing what you can to keep them away and know how to get rid of the problem effectively. Winter brings with it enough problems, and the last thing you need to add on top of that is a rat infestation. Here’s how you can spot a rat problem and nip it in the bud.

Why might they be more of an issue in winter?

Rats are outdoor creatures that are happy to live in burrows for most of the year, but as the weather turns cooler, they tend to seek out more warmth and shelter. This often leads them to find human habitation, and while they’re usually (but not always) too wary to break into our homes, they will happily shelter in outbuildings like sheds and garages – especially if it’s not used much. This usually means wintertime, when the weather is at its coldest, is when you’re more likely to run into a rat.

How to detect a rat infestation

There are a few signs that you need to be vigilant for that would indicate a rat problem. These include actually seeing them of course, but as rats are such cautious creatures you’re more likely to see the mess they leave behind.

The most likely sign you’ll see is their droppings. Rat droppings are sausage-shaped and about 1-2cm in length. Even if there are only a few of them, you’ll likely find quite a lot of these droppings. The droppings combine with the rat’s urine to create a distinctive, pungent odour. If you’ve ever kept rabbits or small rodents, the smell will be familiar to you, albeit more intense.

Other visible signs include black, greasy smears around walls (the result of the rats rubbing against the wall as they run around) and gnaw marks, particularly around any wood or cardboard things. A more troubling sign is if you can hear scratching and pattering in your walls or ceilings. These sounds could indicate the rodents are moving around inside wall cavities. Any of these could alert you to their presence.

How to deter rats

There are a few things you can do that would deter rats from coming into the house or outbuildings. These include sealing up holes inside and outside the home, removing potential nesting sites from around the property such as leaf piles or mulch, and clearing up food and water sources such as keeping tight lids on bins, only putting bird food out where it cannot be reached (be vigilant about clearing up any that gets dropped by birds onto the ground), and fixing dropping or leaking pipes.

While all of these measures will help, they can’t guarantee that you won’t get an issue.

Getting rid of rats

If you are concerned that you have a rat issue, there are a few ways you can deal with them:

Humane solutions

If you don’t want to live with them but can’t bear the thought of killing them, then a humane trap may be the best option. A bait station loaded with tempting food can allow you to catch and secure them and then release them away from the property, such as in a rural area. 

Lethal solutions

If just just want to eradicate the problem very permanently there are a couple of options for destroying them:

Traps

Rat traps are one of the most traditional methods of killing rats. Bait them with food and the trap will spring when the rat takes the bait, breaking its back and killing it quickly without prolonged suffering. They also have the advantage of not needing poison (though they can be combined) so there’s no risk to children and pets.

Bait stations and poison

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Just as bait stations can be loaded with tempting food, they can also be loaded with poison. Rats are tempted in and eat the poison – many rat poisions are made with an enticing scent to lure them in. The poison does not hurt the rat or make them ill until they’ve ingested a lethal dose, so it can take a few days to take effect. This is by design – rats have no vomiting reflex and very sensitive stomachs, so if a poison makes them feel ill, the rats will realise and avoid the bait before ingesting a lethal dose.