Rat Treatment
Barnard Pest Control are experts in all types of Rat Pest Control in
Maidstone and across Kent.
Contact us today for a free no obligation quote.
Pest Advice
Dealing with Rats
Why We Control Rats - The Dangers
Rats urinate constantly, wherever they are. This presents a significant public health risk. Rats carry many diseases which can spread to humans normally through their urine or body coming in to contact with food prep areas.
Diseases rats carry and spread includes:
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Leptospirosis (also known as Weil's disease)
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Salmonella
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Listeria
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Toxoplasma gondii
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Hantavirus
Damage To Property
Rats also cause significant damage to buildings, from ruining the interior to structural damage they can wreak havoc if left.
They have to constantly keep gknawing to keep their teeth in shape and they will gknaw on ANYTHING in your home or business. They like to gnaw on the plastic around electrical cable, like mice and squirrels, presenting a real fire risk as well as water pipe and gas pipes.
Rats In And Around Your Business Premises
Property owners have a legal obligation under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to keep premises rodent free, or, if rodents pose a threat to health or property, to report infestations to the local authority. If a company or organisation has a highly publicised rat infestation it will obviously significantly impact its reputation.
A rat in a food establishment could be fatal for business, as well as the reputation of the restaurant/cafe you could also face legal action. Environmental Health Officers can issue enforcement notices to business owners who dont have adequate pest management in place.
Rats Around The Home
We find many of our clients are really put on edge when they find/hear a rat in their home. Apart from serious health risks, the sound of them in your walls/loft can really have a negative impact on your wellbeing and mental health.
Types Of Rats In The UK
There are 2 species of rat in the UK, the most common Rattus Norvegicus also known as the brown or common rat. The other is Rattus Rattus, also known as the black rat or ship rat which are now a rarer site in the UK. When they come in to your home they will live mostly in roof spaces, wall cavities or under floorboards. They are on the look out for somewhere that has a good supply of food/water and shelter. If they are making a home in your garden they are most commonly found in burrows in grassy banks or under decking/sheds. Brown rats are also often found living in sewers.
How Can You Tell If You Have Rats?
1. Faeces - yep, the most common tell tale sign that you have rats in your property is their poo. They are dark pellet shaped and look like large grains of rice. They are normally in clusters together in certain areas as they often use the same place to poo and can leave up to 40 droppings in one night.
2. Gnawing marks - on electrical cables, woodwork, plastic, brick and pipes. Torn bags of food stuffs, gnaw holes in bags in the loft filled with material. Good tell tale sign the rats are about!
3. Smear marks - we often find this in kitchens on kickboards, they leave a greasy residue as their fur is rubbing against the surface they are squeezing past/through.
4. Keeping you awake? They are noisy! You may hear them scuttling, scratching, gnawing and just generally running around in the loft/wall cavity etc.
How To Prevent Rats?
1. Mind the gap - make sure any gaps 15mm or more are blocked. Rats can fit through the smallest of spaces! Search for potential entry points and seal with wire wool in quick drying cement. Check around pipes, windows, door and double check in the basement if you have one.
2. Nesting - remove any potential nesting sites. Cut back overgrown areas, move piles of wood/debris. Compost heaps are classic nesting places, protect it with wire mesh.
3. Drains - inspect drains, make sure they are in a good state of repair. Seal off any disused pipes.
4. Feed the birds - use a table or feeder basket, pick up any discarded food/seed.
5. Cover up - put bin bags in wheelie bins dont let rats get to them.
DIY Rat Control
Rats are notoriously difficult to get rid of. They are hard wired to survive, are highly adaptable, extremely mobile and breed rapidly. It can be an uphill struggle if you arent trained. We would always say to call us to help but if you do want to deal with the issue yourself, you can buy amateur poisons and traps from hardware stores or garden centres. Always read the instructions very carefully, you can cause serious harm to other animals/wildlife/children if not used correctly. Always dispose of dead rats safely.
When poison is consumed by a rat, it is likely that it will die in a cavity or roof space from which a bad smell can emit.
If you cannot locate the dead rodent, it may take several weeks for the body to decompose and the smell to dissipate.
Leaving these in the open can result in secondary poisoning of non target animals, such as pets or birds scavenging on the carcass.
Keep in mind that most rats are wary of new objects such as traps or poisons placed in their environment.
They will avoid them for a period before exploring them, so don’t expect instant success with this approach.
Call The Professionals
For any rat infestation, we would always recommend contacting a professional pest management company.
We are trained in rat control and have access to a range of professional use rodenticides and tools, which are not available to the public.
Knowing how much, where, and when to deploy products is where professionals are able to take control of situations efficiently. There’s also a growing issue with resistance, due to incorrect choice of rodenticide or widespread use by members of the public.
Professional pest controllers will take an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to tackling your infestation.
A pest professional will have access to monitoring equipment, which they will use to confirm entry points into your property, the size of the infestation and to track the rat to its harbourage (nest).
We can then recommend a proofing strategy and decide on the best course of action in terms of control; this could be traps, rodenticides or a combination of both.
You will receive a full, written report after each treatment.
Contact us today for a free no obligation quote and to book in to eradicate your rat problem.
