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 →We carry out rat control in Plymouth for householders, landlords and businesses. Each job starts with a proper look at the property so that treatment is aimed at the actual problem.
Dense streets, a working waterfront and plenty of cover
Plymouth is a Devon city on the coast with a working waterfront, dense terraces and large estates. That mix gives rats a lot to work with: shared walls, back lanes, old drainage, bins left out and food premises close to residential streets. A rat can travel a long way along drains and gardens between properties.
Because so many homes are rented, we also see rats left behind after tenants move out, or building up while rubbish is left in yards. We treat the home in front of us, but we will also tell you plainly if the cause looks like it sits next door or in a shared area.
Signs worth checking before you call
Look for droppings along walls and behind appliances, gnawed food packaging, chewed cables or pipes, and smears where rats run along the same route. Outside, check for burrows by fences, sheds and decking, and for compost or pet food left open.
Noises at night in the loft or under the floor are often the first clue. If you can describe where and when you hear them, that helps us a great deal. We will still carry out a full inspection, because rats are rarely only where you first notice them. Anywhere in Plymouth, the approach is the same: look properly, then act.
Treatment and prevention in Plymouth
Our work covers baiting and trapping in a safe, controlled way, then proofing the gaps we find so rats cannot simply walk back in. We cover the PL1 to PL9 postcodes in Plymouth, and also Ivybridge, Salcombe and Dartmouth. We finish by talking you through simple changes, such as covered bins and tidier outside areas, that make the property less appealing.
Frequently asked questions
Do rats come up through drains in Plymouth homes?
Sometimes. Rats can use damaged or poorly sealed drains to reach a property, and this is more likely in older terraced areas. We can check for signs and advise whether a drain survey is worth arranging alongside the treatment.
Is rat treatment safe with a dog or cat in the house?
Yes, when it is done properly. We place baits and traps in protected locations and talk you through what to keep an eye on. Let us know about your pets before the visit so we can plan around them.
Can you help a restaurant or takeaway in Plymouth?
Yes. We work with food businesses, and rats near bins, yards and storage areas are a common reason for a call. We inspect, treat, proof entry points and advise on waste handling to reduce the chance of a repeat.