April 7th, 2020 by Becky Calvert

Think that you might have a rat infestation but you haven’t been able to physically see one yet? This is common for a rat infestation – especially if you think they’re somewhere where you can’t properly get to or see properly (your loft, cellar or garage for example). Luckily, there are a few other things that you can look for when trying to spot rats, which can confirm the problem to you, so that you know what pest control method to take. Here’s what you need to be looking out for…

Droppings

Perhaps this was the thing that you spotted first and led to your theory that you may have rats. Rats produce a lot of droppings and they’re usually brown and long (around about the same size and shape as an olive). Make sure that you look everywhere in the space you suspect the rats – as this is definitely something you’d be likely to find straight away.

If you’ve already started to lay bait and the bait that you’ve chosen contains dye, look out for the droppings turning red or blue (depending on the bait that you’ve got) as this highlights that the rats will have already started to feed on the poison. If this is the case, these droppings will probably be easier to spot than the usual brown ones as they’ll stand out amongst the surroundings.

Gnaw Marks

Rats are famous for their gnawing skills – they’ll do it on just about everything if they can, from plastic, wood and even wiring! Start to have a close look at the belongings you keep in the suspected place – especially if it’s your loft or garage where a lot of your possessions are likely to be stored. We highly recommend that you remove any valuable items from the area too to prevent these being gnawed and damaged.

It’s important to note that rats, although small in size, can gnaw large chunks and holes. Therefore, you need to be looking for small bite marks and large holes that look like they’ve been tore through. This can also help you to determine how long you’ve had the rat problem as a large amount gnaw marks can indicate on of two things – how long they’ve been there, or how many are there.

Dirt Marks

Rats are often covered in grease and dirt due to their unhygienic lifestyle. This means that when they scurry past items, they often leave dirt marks and smears behind. Pay close attention to the walls, the side of cardboard boxes if you have any and even flooring.

Dirt marks can also be a tell-tale sign of just how many rats you’re dealing with. If your hole space looks dirty and covered in stains, it could be a sign that the infestation is a lot worse than just a couple of rats. However, every situation is different.

Footprints

Depending on the type of flooring that you have, you might be able to see their small footprints in dust, dirt or even hard flooring if they’ve managed to get dirt under their feet. This is one of the most obvious signs that you have rats, as you can often track where they’re hiding and where their favourite spot is in your home or workspace.

Footprints will also help you to decide where to lay your traps/bait. Have a look at the spaces where the rats seem to go the most and try and find a spot where the trap will lay flat and will be easily accessible to the rats.

Rat Holes

As previously mentioned, rats can chew through a lot. Similarly, they can actually dig through a lot (even concrete!) and this can lead to holes, rat holes to be more precise. Rat holes are usually just the right size for them to scurry into and therefore, they’re usually relatively small.

This can also help you identify where to place any bait or traps as the holes are usually where they’ll go a lot of the time. Setting up a trap or leaving bait near a rat hole will make sure that the chances of them finding it is a lot higher.

How Do I Remove Rats?

If you’ve managed to spot a couple of these signs or even just one, you’ll probably want to invest in some quality pest control methods… even if it’s just as a precaution. With this in mind, the best pest control methods that you can easily get your hands on and work great are either a standard and class rat trap or rat poison. You can even get both and use in conjunction with one another (we definitely recommend this if you see to have a large number of rats).

What Are the Best Rodent Pest Control Methods to Use at Home?

As previously mentioned, you can safely and easily use traps and poison at home. Here’s what you should know about both options before you buy.

Rat Traps

Rat traps have been used for years and they’re extremely effective at removing and killing rats. They work by snapping shut onto the rat when they step onto the trap (usually to get some bait or food that you’ve placed onto it) and the motion of the rat trap snapping shuts kills the rat – immediately if you invest in a good quality rat trap.

Once a rat has been trapped, you’ll need to dispose of the dead body and set the trap again for the next rat. Therefore, if you have a large number of rats, we’d recommend that you opt for several traps to ensure that you can get rid of the problem easily.

Our rat trap uses a ‘snap back’ method which instantly snaps the rat’s back (sounds gruesome but it kills the rat instantly to avoid unnecessary pain). This means that there’s no chance of the rat getting injured and not being killed, which can cause a lot of suffering and mess to clean up!

Rotech Snap-E-Trap Rat Trap

A humane way to control rat infestations with a safe spring mechanism you set from behind.

Price: £8.99

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Rat Bait and Poison

Our rat poison is designed with a sweet and appealing scent to entice the rats to eat it. Rats heavily rely on their sense of smell to find food and therefore, this method works really well. We have both grain sachets and blocks to choose from – both of which have a red dye in them and are chocolatey smelling!

The red dye does what we mentioned earlier – it dyes their droppings so that you can see how much of the poison has been ingested and if any of the rats have been able to find it yet. This will help you to keep track on whether or not the trap is in the right place for them to find it. You can also use either the grain or the blocks in combination with a trap as something to entice the rat to step onto the trap in the first place – perfect for when you need to remove the rats as quickly as possible.

Xterminate Super Strength Rat Poison Blocks 300g Sachets

Price: £8.99

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How Can I Store Rat Poison Safely?

It’s now government law that rat poison must be kept in a bait station – even when you’re using it. Bait stations are designed to keep the bait inside (you can also fit a trap in some of them), with a hole for the rat to scurry into and find the poison. Rat poison is also extremely dangerous for other animals and humans to consume and therefore, this is the safest option for those with children and pets, as it will prevent any accidents from occurring.

Bait boxes must also be used to store the bait once you’ve finished with it. This will prevent children or pets from finding it randomly. The sweet chocolate smell of many rat poisons can often tempt other animals from wanting to eat it too – so you must keep the poison in a safe and protected bait box to prevent this.

Xterminate Rat and Mouse Bait Station Box

A secure, tamper-resistant rat bait box.

Price: £13.99

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