Why have I got rats?

It's a question often asked by domestic customers; "Why have we got rats?".

Well, there are a number of reasons why peoples homes and gardens suffer from rat infestation. Finding the reason why is one of the most important things that a pest controller can do, and is often a good way to tell a true professional from the 'get in, get the money and run' merchants.

I'll list the most common reasons for rat infestations that I've found in over twenty years in the game.

The first, and most common reason these days is bird feeding. I don't know why it is that people feel the need to feed the amount of food they do; I've seen gardens literally covered in bird seed, and while I understand the pleasure that people get from seeing songbirds in their gardens, I'm often amazed at the lack of common sense used.

If you want to feed the birds that's fine, but stick to bird food (I've seen loaves of bread, old pies and even SPAM fed to garden birds), and use a good feeder or two. If you can see lots of food spilled on the floor it should indicate that you are feeding too much. It sounds simple, but it's very easy to overfeed. If you can see food on the ground, stop feeding for a few days and let the birds clear up the mess. They won't starve in the meantime, and you will save a few quid not wasting food.

If you see rats feeding then it's an obvious indication of a problem. Leave them and there is a good chance the problem will get much worse, and potentially spread into your home. To add to that, they will also be eating chicks and eggs. There is also the disease problem associated with rats - everywhere they go they will be spreading bacteria which is potentially life threatening to you, your family and your pets.

The second most common reason for rat infestations in gardens is livestock.

Keeping poultry is a very popular hobby these days, and backyard poultry provide food and much pleasure to their owners.

Rats like poultry. Hens and Ducks provide everything that rats require for a happy life; food, water and harbourage ('harbourage' is the technical term for somewhere to live and/or hide).

If you keep poultry, it's almost certain that at some point you will have rats. Don't let that put you off keeping poultry; there are a few simple things that you can do that will help prevent problems, and if the worst does happen, and you get rats, there is always a local pest controller to help deal with the problem.

Firstly, think about where you are going to keep your poultry. Rats need cover; they've been predated and persecuted throughout their evolution, and have an inbuilt paranoia which means that they don't like open spaces. If you have a pen, leave a 2 metre strip around the outside of it, and keep it bare. Most people keep their hens in some sort of building at night; usually a shed-like construction. Raise it off the ground by a couple of feet; it'll make it less attractive for rats and give your hens somewhere dry to scratch around if it's raining.

Next, we need to think about food.

Just like garden birds, people do tend to overfeed poultry. As time goes on you learn how much food your chickens need, if you overfeed them they will not perform well for you and you will end up feeding rats. Hoppers are a common way to feed poultry, and are also a common way to feed rats. If you hopper feed, then move the hopper each day; rats like things that stay the same, in fact, they are 'neophobic' (they have a fear of new objects), and don't like constantly changing environments. It's a good idea to remove the feeder at night; poultry don't feed in the dark but rats do!

If you feed on the ground (which isn't a great idea with compounded food) make sure you don't overdo it. Too much and the poultry will leave it for the rats and you'll end up wasting your money.

Lastly, consider water. People don't realise that rats need quite a bit of water each day, and it all has to come from somewhere. Pick up your drinker at night, and move it around the area so that the rats don't get used to it being in the same place.

Also think about rainwater. If you have pools of water on the ground from the roof of your chicken shed it will provide an easy source for any passing rat.

The key thing is to make your garden as unattractive to rats as possible. You could also consider placing some traps down around your pen to catch any passing vermin before they have a chance to get settled in. I always recommend the spring traps made by A A Fenn & Co in England. The law requires these traps are set within a tunnel, wood being the best material to use. A tunnel makes the trap work properly, and also protects non-targets from getting caught. Fourteenacre Ltd, based in the midlands (link at end of article) supply traps and plans for wooden tunnels.


OK, third most common reason for rat infestations; drains.....

Prior to privatisation, water authorities routinely baited sewers. Some privatised companies still do, but with ever increasing pressures on costs, it's one of those things that seems to be pretty low on their priority list these days.

Added to that; builders know that drains are not seen by potential buyers; out of sight is out of mind.

Rats have lived in sewers since they were invented, and will continue to do so for as long as they exist. Sewers provide the three essential things that rats need; food, water and harbourage.

I've seen some shocking infestations over the years which are the direct result of drainage faults. A broken pipe, a bodged joint, a collapse in the system or even a broken man-hole (sorry, in these 'enlightened' times that should be 'inspection chamber cover').

Often, these problems don't show themselves in the drains themselves, people report scratching noises in the loft, and only after investigation is it found that rats have got access into the wall cavity from the drains and then into the loft.

The easy way to find out for certain is to have a CCTV survey of the system. That's a job for an expert, and few pest controllers have the required equipment.

There are systems out there that stop rats from running through soil pipes, or even kill them in the drains; but obviously they cost.

There are other reasons for rat infestations, but these three are the most common I find.

"What about fortnightly rubbish collections" I hear you ask?

Well, my personal opinion is that it makes no difference. In fact, most areas that have fortnightly rubbish collections also issue wheelie bins, which are great. The problem isn't rubbish collection, or bins; the problem is that people don't always use their heads. They let rubbish build up and overflow, and the result is rubbish (potential food and harbourage) on the floor. Recycle as much as possible, and don't allow rubbish to overflow and it should be fine.

"What about composting", you may ask?

Well, like everything else, composting is fine, providing it's combined with some common sense. Use a plastic compost bin (often subsidised by your local authority), as they contain the compost and help to build up heat which rots down the contents quickly. Place the bin on slabs (or on wire mesh) and keep the area around it tidy. Most of all, if you spot rats, do something about it straight away rather than putting it off until they become established.


As a professional pest controller, I would always advise spending the money on getting someone in if you have a problem, but I appreciate that some people like to sort these things out for themselves. In a future article, I'll give some tips on how to deal with a rat infestation for yourself.

Some links:

For Fenn Traps, trap and tunnel plans and other useful information, visit Fourteenacre:

Fourteenacre

For advise and information about Poultry Keeping and other countryside matters, visit Over the Gate:

Over the Gate

For pest control in the south and southwest of England, visit Westcountry Environmental Services:

Westcountry Environmental Services