Rat Infestation Control

 Please call one of the numbers above to talk with one of our technical Surveyors who can usually advisefixed costs over the phone and talk through what our service entails. (Happy to call you back if you'd prefer).

If a site visit is required for a more involved or delicate situation, this is no problem and can be arranged with your Surveyor.

Why Have Rat Pest Control in the Workplace?

Rats in warehouses, factories, out-buildings, especially older buildings is a fairly common occurence as is their presence in disused or vacated ones.

In office environments,service yards, refuse areas, plant rooms, basements and generally areas of less activity is where they can be found - Riser cupboards, suspended ceilings, floors and wall cavities allow them easy access throughout the building to forage.

Brown Rats will forage up to about a mile from their burrows with this extent and their physical size meaning that they more often than not live outdoors, burrowing below bushes, on waste ground, overgrown gardens and various other quiet, out of the way places.

It is well know that rats live in our sewer system and broken drains caused perhaps by tree roots, collapsed paving etc will allow them access to the outside world - dry, disused toilets  and uncovered drains are frequent highways from sewers to buildings.

Unlike mice, rats choose and utilise specific toilet areas regularly. It is fairly often that their presence is noted on site once these toilet areas are found - or smelled!

Rat incisors, like all rodents, never stop growing and theirs are strong enough to gnaw through thin mild steel - wooden sirting boards, door frames, plaster etc are no problem to get through!

Aside from potential gnawing damage and health risk their presence can cause, so many people simply have a fear of rats that is often enough to disrupt working life.

Taking action to get rid of rats on site is not something that should be postponed as they will only increase in numbers once established.

Rat Treatment in The Workplace

EBS will always want to survey commercial sites suffering from or suspecting rat activity to identify the full extent of the problem and present the optimum solution, whether it be a one-off programme of visits over a few weeks or regular, planned visits throughout the year to obtain and maintain control.

Survey's are free of charge and always possible at short notice. There is no obligation to buy anything after them.

When treating for rats outdoors, baiting direct into burrows and backfilling them is optimum if they can be found and reached otherwise tamperproof or secure steel bait stations will be used to ensure rodenticides are kept safe from pets, wildlife and children.

Wherever possible, they are placed in discrete or hidden locations, however they do need to be around where the rodents are active.

The initial visit will include more wide-spread baiting with follow-up visits homing in on hot-spots for a more focussed treatment.

Other typical locations we would inspect for rats would include outbuildings, sub-floor, attics, rubbish heaps, bin areas, decking, hedgerows, uncovered drains , rise cupboards, plant rooms, basements etc. also below and behind fixed units (e.g. kitchen units)

Your pest control technician will also advise on proofing and hygiene issues for you to address to help prevent future rat infestation. These could include overflowing bins, gaps below doors, broken pipes etc. A written report will be left each time confirming our actions and recommendations.

All pesticides we use are approved by CoSHH which means they are safe for use in your property.

 All our technicians are BPCA qualified and CRB checked for your peace of mind.

Brown Rats - Outline Biology and Habits

The Brown rat, (Rattus norvegicus) is the main pest rat species in the U.K. The black rat, (Rattus rattus) is rare and found only in a few dockside locations. The information below focuses on the Brown rat.

The droppings are 5-10mm long and circular in cross section, tapering at the ends. They are usually a shiny black, but may vary according to the diet.

Rats will leave a hind foot track of about 3/4-1cm where a mouse’s track measure’s under 1/2cm.

Gnawing holes from rats are about 50mm or more in diameter with rough edges. Rats prefer to gnaw on wood, but also cause damage to electrical wiring, plastics, rubber etc, with their jaws strong enough to gnaw through thin mild steel. If threatened and cornered they will hiss and may jump-attack.

Rat burrows can be found along foundations, or beneath rubbish and shubbery. If the burrow is active it is usually clear of vegetation. Rat runways are smooth and well packed. Indoors, these runways are free of dust and dirt.

They prefer foods with a high protein or carbohydrate content, but will eat almost any type of food and unlike mice, they need to drink water to survive,. They will eat around 30g of food daily and drink up to 60ml of water.

The young rats reach sexual maturity in 10-12 weeks, females having 3-6 litters a year, with 7-8 young per litter and a gestation period of about three weeks. Adults live about a year in colonies. There is a high mortality rate with infant rats.

 Needing a water source, they can obtain water from toilets, sinks, rain puddles, or condensation from utility pipes. Their nesting burrows on the outside can be found along wall foundations, below rockeries and outbuildings.

Undisturbed piles of earth or flowerbeds and shrubberies are also popular. Indoors basements, wall cavities, attic spaces and similar undisturbed areas are all possible nesting sites.

They are well known to be active in sewers and it is quite often broken sewer pipes (perhaps by tree roots or building work) that allows a rat easy access back and forth. Their nests are built from soft material like paper or grass chewed into small pieces. Rats will climb if necessary to enter a building. The brown Rat is an excellent swimmer.

Unlike mice which are incontinent, the Brown Rat has a specific toilet area which it will use again and again. They are also suspicious of changes in the environment or new foods. (Neophobia).  For this reason it may take them several days to enter traps or or bait stations. 

Rats are nocturnal, with their peak activity at dusk or before dawn. When the population is large or they are disturbed or hungry, you can see activity during the day.