How to Proactively Prevent and Deter Rats

The discovery of a rat problem is naturally stressful, making proactive deterrence and prevention the best course of action. Preventing rats is essential, as they pose significant threats, including structural damage, fire hazards, and serious health risks. Rats are nimble, resourceful, and constantly seek opportunities to enter a premises.

While Black rats (Rattus rattus) are skilled climbers and may inhabit lofts, the more commonly found Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) prefer to burrow near solid structures (like sheds, garages, and walls). Brown rats are also highly adept at swimming through sewer and drain systems, exploiting any weakness or damage in pipework.

Deterring rats is fundamentally achieved by denying them their core survival requirements: food, water, and shelter.

Food Requirements

Brown rats require up to 30g of food daily and are omnivorous. They prefer a varied diet, making them highly opportunistic.

• Expert Prevention Advice: Store all food, including pet and bird feed, in sealed, heavy-duty, rodent-proof containers (metal or hard plastic).

Water Requirements

Brown rats need daily, consistent access to water, requiring between 15ml and 60ml daily.

• Expert Prevention Advice: Remove standing water sources, immediately repair all leaks, and confirm your drainage system is securely sealed to eliminate accessible water.

Shelter and Entry Points

Rats seek cover, warmth, and protection from predators and the elements.

• Expert Prevention Advice: Seal all potential entry points in the building fabric and remove external clutter that provides hiding places (harbourage).

A full-blown rat infestation is complex, stressful, and costly to resolve. A proactive approach, focusing on professional deterrence and proofing, protects your property from the outset. It is significantly easier to deter rats initially than to eliminate them once they are established. Protecting your premises by sealing all potential access points and making the environment unattractive offers true peace of mind.

Restriction focuses on making your property unappealing to rats by eliminating their essential resources.

• Secure All Food: All food, including dried pet food and dry goods, must be stored in airtight, hard-plastic or metal containers. Rats can easily chew through soft materials like cardboard and plastic bags.
• Manage Waste: Ensure all indoor and outdoor bins have secure, tight-fitting lids. Never leave rubbish bags outside of a sealed bin, and clean bins regularly to eliminate food residues.
• Cleanliness is Key: Clean up food and drink spills immediately. Regularly clean hard-to-reach areas, such as behind and under appliances like fridges and cookers.
• Garden & Business Waste: Use a secure, rodent-proof compost bin. Commercial businesses must ensure waste skips are locked and emptied frequently.

• Clear Clutter: Rats require places to hide. Remove piles of old boxes, unused items, and debris from both inside and outside your property.
• Maintain Your Garden: Keep grass short and cut back dense, overgrown vegetation, particularly climbing plants or dense shrubbery against walls. Overgrowth can hide potential entry points that need sealing.
• Store Materials Properly: Stack firewood and building materials neatly, keeping them raised off the ground and positioned away from the building's walls.

While Restriction makes your property less appealing, Exclusion (or proofing) physically makes your premise inaccessible. A professional proofing survey is vital to correctly identify all entry points. A thorough survey should assess the property from top to bottom, including below ground (drainage).

• Seal Gaps and Cracks: Check foundations, walls, and eaves for any holes, cracks, or gaps. Seal these using rodent-proof materials such as cement mortar, sturdy galvanised wire mesh, or metal plates. Never use soft materials like expanding foam, soft wood, or silicone products, as rats can easily gnaw through them.
• Protect Vents and Drains: Cover all air bricks, vents, and utility openings with sturdy, galvanised wire mesh with a gap size of 5mm or less (this also helps prevent mice entry).
• Secure Utility Lines: Pay close attention to the points where pipes and cables enter your building. Seal any gaps around them securely. Caution is needed when proofing around electrical cables; seek professional advice, as metal products may not be suitable.
• Check the Roof: Given rats are excellent climbers, repair any damaged roof tiles or open gaps under the eaves that could provide access to the loft.

In residential properties, approximately 9 out of 10 rat infestations can be linked back to the sewer system.

• Signs of Drain Activity: Look for evidence of drain-related rat activity, such as droppings, smearing (grease marks), or gaps within the manhole or inspection chamber. Droppings found in lofts can also be linked to the soil stack.
• Structural Damage: Concerns such as tree roots, debris, or frequent blockages in your drains can indicate structural damage that rats can exploit.
• Professional Inspection: If you suspect drainage issues, a survey may be required to assess the integrity of the pipes.
• Install One-Way Valves: Installing a one-way valve (or non-return valve) can prevent rodents from entering your premises via the drain. As rats can gnaw through plastic, it is highly recommended that a metal valve is installed for long-term effectiveness.

At Rentokil, our guiding strategy is based on the principles of exclusion, restriction, destruction, and monitoring. Exclusion and restriction are prioritised because they address the root cause of risk and help prevent serious health and structural issues.

We possess the expert skills and experience to execute proofing to the highest standard, often offering solutions that are unavailable through DIY methods. Our unique and innovative Flexi Armour range is specifically tailored and designed to robustly exclude rodents from your premises. We combine this expertise with the ability to offer rat-tailored drain surveys to prevent rats from entering through your drainage system, offering a complete, lasting solution.

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  What keeps rats away?

  The most effective, long-term strategy for preventing rats is a dual approach combining exclusion (blocking physical access) and the rigorous removal of attractants (food, water, and shelter).

  • Exclusion: You must physically deny rats entry by sealing all entry points. This requires proofing gaps, cracks, and holes using durable, chew-proof materials like cement mortar, strong mesh, or metal plates.
  • Remove Attractants: Make your property undesirable by securing all resources. Store food, including dry goods and pet feed, in airtight, rodent-proof containers. Clean up spills immediately. Secure rubbish and compost bins with tight-fitting, secure lids. Crucially, declutter storage areas, attics, basements, and gardens to eliminate nesting materials and vital hiding spots (harbourage).

  Prevention and physical exclusion are the definitive keys to long-term rat control.

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  Will rats leave if there's no food?

  It is highly unlikely that rats will abandon a premises simply because one primary food source has been removed, as they are exceptionally adaptable survivors.

  • Adaptability: Rats can survive for several days (and up to two weeks with access to water) without solid food. They will aggressively scavenge for the slightest residue, including tiny crumbs, pet food residue, insects, and even non-food items like certain soaps.
  • Shelter and Water Incentive: As long as your property provides a warm, secure place to hide and breed, along with a reliable water source (e.g., leaky pipes, condensation, or accessible pet bowls), they have a strong incentive to remain established.
  • Local Relocation: If their current location becomes completely food-deprived, rats are more likely to relocate to a different, less accessible part of the structure (such as wall voids, lofts, basements, or floor cavities). They may also increase their travel range to feed at a neighbouring property rather than abandoning the area entirely.

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  What smells do rats hate to keep them away?

  Rats possess an extremely sensitive sense of smell and genuinely dislike several strong, pungent, or highly irritating odours, as these can disrupt their navigation and sense of security.

  • While scents such as peppermint, strong essential oils, or ammonia might act as a temporary deterrent, they are generally not a reliable long-term solution for an established infestation.
  • Limitation: Scents rapidly dissipate and are easily ignored by rats if a strong, accessible food source is present nearby.
  • The Reliable Method: For lasting rat control, the scientifically proven methods of physical exclusion (sealing entry points) and removing access to food and water remain the most dependable and effective strategy.

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  Do rats climb on walls?

  Yes, rats are excellent climbers and can effortlessly scale vertical surfaces, particularly those with a rough or textured finish.

  Why rats are capable climbers:

  • Sharp Claws: Their needle-sharp claws function as effective grappling hooks, enabling them to grip tiny imperfections in almost any surface.
  • Textured Pads: The pads on their feet create friction, significantly enhancing their grip on vertical surfaces.
  • Balance: Their long, muscular tails serve as a critical balancing tool, especially when navigating narrow or unstable horizontal features like cables and pipes.

  Surfaces Rats Can Scale:

  • Rough Exterior Walls: Brickwork, textured concrete, stucco, and wood cladding all provide abundant grip points.
  • Pipes and Wires: They can easily shimmy up drainpipes, utility cables, and vertical ventilation shafts.
  • Vegetation: Trees, vines (such as ivy), and thick shrubs that are in contact with the building act as ready-made ladders straight to the roofline.

  However, rats are generally unable to climb smooth, slick surfaces like high-gloss tiles, glass, or polished metal, as their claws cannot gain the necessary purchase.