Not Everything Goes Down the Drain: Are Rats Turning Your Pipes Into Highways?
You’re probably here because you’re looking for information about rat pest control. But do you know how those rats are getting into your property?
The truth is that around 80% of the rat infestations we’re called out to are linked to drains. Read on to discover the connection between rats and drains, the risks of drain-related rat infestations, and how professional rat pest control services can resolve the problem.
Understanding the Connection Between Rats and Drains
Rats are crafty creatures, and there are plenty of ways they can access your property. Cracks in the walls and doors or windows that are left open can offer the ideal opportunity for them to get in – but as we’ve said, surface entry only accounts for around 20% of rat infestations.
The rest come up through the drains.
Think about how much food and water is washed down the drain via kitchen sinks: it’s a great source of nourishment for sewer-dwelling rats. Drainage systems are generally a few degrees warmer than the external temperature, too, keeping them toasty in colder weather.
Some of our area’s drainage systems date back to the Victorian times: the Brighton sewer system was completed in 1874, and you can even book onto a sewer tour if you’re interested! While fascinating, older sewers understandably develop a number of defects over time, and these defects – as well as open manhole and drains – can provide handy access points for rats.
These drainage systems and the main sewers are all interconnected: a vast network for rats to explore, and to find ways into residential and commercial properties to build their homes.
Risks of Drain-Related Rat Infestations
The need for professional rodent pest control services becomes clear when you understand the extent of the risks associated with drain-related rat infestations.
The first is the risk to health. Rats carry all sorts of diseases and bacteria, which can be transmitted through bites and scratches, inhalation, ingesting contaminated food and drink, and direct contact with rat faeces, urine, saliva or blood – or dead rats themselves. These diseases include salmonellosis, leptospirosis, Weil’s Disease and more – and they can also transport fleas, ticks and mites on their fur which bring their own health risks.
The second is the risk of property damage. Rats can gnaw through wooden structures in your property, reducing stability. They can chew through electrical cables and insulation, causing electrical malfunctions, appliance damage, and potentially even fire. They can chew through your insulation materials, causing damage and reducing energy efficiency, and they can eat their way through plastic and PVC pipes and fittings, resulting in damage to your plumbing system.
The presence of one or two rats can also lead to widespread infestations. If your property provides them with the warmth, nesting supplies, safety and food and water sources they need, they’ll happily nest within your property. The most common rat breed in the UK – the brown rat – can breed all year round and have up to five litters of around eight babies each year so your problem can quickly multiply.
Dealing with all this on your own can be challenging – requiring the type of specialised approaches that professional rat control services provide.
How to Identify a Drain-Related Rat Infestation
Your drains may be hard to access, but there are still telltale signs that you may need to call for rat pest control. Check for gnaw marks around pipes – both inside and outside the building – as well as for unusual sounds near drainage systems.
If you spot these signs – and maybe other signs of rat presence, like the damage we’ve mentioned above, it may be time to call in professional rat control services.
Effective Rat Pest Control for Drain-Related Infestations
Here at Pest Stop Boys, we’re experts at drainage and pest control. If you suspect rats in drains on your property, we’ll first carry out a full inspection to understand the scale of the problem, any damage, and the size of the infestation. Once we know what we’re dealing with, it’s time for us to seal any entry and exit points, and trap and exterminate the rats themselves.
What’s more, we’ll also provide you with tips to prevent future infestations – and even install preventative measures if required. We’ll always recommend that you undertake regular drain maintenance and checks to reduce the appeal of your property – and installing rat guards can also help to prevent them from making their way inside.
Benefits of Professional Rat Pest Control
There are some pest control situations that you can easily tackle on your own. When it comes to drainage and pest control, though, it’s not that easy. The lack of accessibility makes it tricky to understand the exact location of the entry points, the amount of damage the rodents have caused, and the size of the infestation.
With years of experience and the tools and techniques needed to remove rats, block entry points and prevent them from coming back, we’re here to help. We’ll hunt down and block both indoor and outdoor entry points, and with any rat pest control solutions, we’ll always take children, pets and wildlife into account.
Effective rat pest control will get to the root cause of your infestation – not just eliminating existing pests, but preventing future infestations too – protecting both your property and your health.
How to Get Started with Rat Pest Control
Worried you’ve got rats in your drains? Use our contact page to drop us a line, letting us know everything you know about the problem. We’ll ask you a few questions to start to understand the issue before we come out – in an unbranded van for a discreet service.
Once we’ve inspected your property we’ll let you know what we’re dealing with, and advise on how we’ll approach the situation. We’ll tackle the problem quickly and efficiently, and we’ll help you to prevent them returning, too.
Experiencing a rat problem? Contact Pest Stop Boys today for expert rat pest control services, especially for drain-related infestations.
