Advice
Signs of Rats in Your Home or Garden and What to Do
Rats are secretive and mostly active at night, so the signs they leave behind are often the first and clearest way to know they are there.
Read the guide →Every site is different, so we do not apply one fixed routine. We look at what is attracting the rats, where they are living and how they are moving about, then choose a sensible plan and explain it before we begin.
Farm buildings, sheds and stored feed
Rural properties in Longcombe often have a mix of buildings, and each one offers rats something. Feed stores and grain give them food, straw and old timber give them cover, and gaps under doors and along eaves give them easy access. Rats move between these spots by regular routes, which we can often spot as worn paths, grease marks and droppings along walls and hedge bottoms.
Because there is usually more than one building, we walk the whole site rather than only the room you called about. Treating a single shed while the barn next to it stays untouched rarely solves much. We map where the activity is heaviest and put our effort there first.
Burrows in gardens and field edges
In the open, rats dig. Look for holes about the width of a fist beside walls, under paving, around compost heaps and along the base of hedges. Fresh soil, smooth edges and trodden runs between holes suggest they are in use. Poultry feed and spilled seed from feeders are common draws, and so are fallen fruit and open compost.
We deal with burrows by baiting and trapping in a controlled way, keeping bait away from pets, livestock and wildlife. We also talk through the practical changes that help in Longcombe: feed in lidded metal bins, collecting spillages each evening, and keeping compost in closed containers rather than loose heaps.
Keeping rats from the house itself
Once rats have settled around the outbuildings in Longcombe, the house is often next. They follow pipes, cables and wall cavities and may end up in the loft or under floors. In a TQ9 home that is a good moment to act quickly. We inspect the roofline, airbricks and service entries, and we fill what we can. We also cover Totnes and Dartmouth if you have another property nearby.
Frequently asked questions
Do you treat rats in barns and farm outbuildings near Longcombe?
Yes. We regularly deal with rats in barns, stables, sheds and feed stores. We survey the whole site, place bait and traps carefully away from animals, and advise on storage and waste so the buildings are less attractive afterwards.
What are the signs of a rat burrow in my garden?
Look for holes roughly the width of a fist, often beside walls, sheds, compost or hedges, with smooth edges, loose soil and trodden runs between them. Droppings and gnawed food containers nearby are further clues that rats are active.
Why do rats keep coming back to my outbuildings?
Usually because food, shelter or both remain available. Spilled feed, open bins, clutter and gaps in doors or walls all invite them. Treatment removes the rats present, while tidying and proofing reduce the chance of new ones moving in.