How to tell if you have rats in the loft?
Do you have strange noises in the loft at night? It could be rats. At this time of year they’re looking for somewhere and safe to spend the winter, so are you living with rodents – what are the signs to look out for?
At Pest ID, before it becomes a major infestation, we think you should know what should you be looking out for if rats are in your home.
The idea that your home could be infested with rodents, particularly rats is most people’s worse nightmare and the last thing you want is to come face to face with one of the little critters! But quickly identifying the signs that could indicate that you have rats, mice or squirrels is really important to avoid health risks or expensive damage done by gnawing.
Rats and mice are generally nocturnal, so they are most active between dawn and dusk. Their over-cautious nature means you will rarely see them during daylight hours, but if you do it usually means there is a very large infestation and with such a high rat population, food supplies become low, they have to forage for food day and night. Below are some of the tell-tale signs that you may need help from a professional pest controller (we are BCPA registered).
Scratching, scampering, and rustling sound in the loft at night
Being such excellent climbers, rats can easily get into loft spaces through gaps designed to give airflow in attics. They can easily climb up the drainpipes, either in the pipe itself or between the wall and the pipe, travel along cables, access from nearby trees, or in some cases directly climb the walls.
Once in, they want to know it’s safe, then start to explore looking for nesting materials and food. Loft insulation makes excellent nesting material and there’s plenty of it in most people’s lofts along with lots of other ‘junk’ to nest in.
Loft spaces also provide lots of materials for rats to gnaw on. Rat’s incisors never stop growing, so they have to continually gnaw to wear their front teeth down. In particular, they love to chew wooden joists, bricks, toys, and as a major fire risk, electrical cables. I’ve had clients tell me that the continual gnawing and grinding noises in the dead of night makes them feel like they’re going to go insane!
Getting a professional pest controller will help identify what you’re sharing your home with, the extent of the infestation, and the levels of damage that may have been done.
Smear marks
Grease and dirt from the rat’s fur will rub off in areas that they frequently brush against objects or surfaces. Loop smear marks from rat’s tails under exposed ceiling joists are also a giveaway.
Of all the rat’s senses, eyesight is their poorest, and being nocturnal this could potentially be a problem, yet they have the ability to use kinesthesis, which means their muscles can memorise their runs and routes in pitch blackness. These routes, normally around the edges of buildings will be used so frequently the smears become very noticeable.
Footprints
Footprints and tail swipes in dusty areas of garages, lofts, and under kitchen units can be a giveaway that you have rats. Professional pest controllers often use fluorescent tracking dust, but you can use talcum powder to check if there is new activity.
Rats droppings
As rats explore further into the house, rats droppings are often left scattered across any areas they have been foraging. You may even notice a hint of their urine if they have been there a while.
They will leave approximately 40-50 droppings a night that dependant on the size of the rat are spindle-shaped at around ½ inch (12mm) long.
If you spot any rat droppings, do not touch them with your bare hands, and use lots of anti-bacterial spray on all surfaces nearby as their urine is likely to be present too. Rat’s urine contains all sorts of nasty bacteria and potentially fatal diseases such as Leptospirosis aka Weil’s disease.
If you experience any of the signs above and have strange noises in the loft at night, it is always better to call in a pest expert to deal with the problem quickly, efficiently, and safely. Call Pest ID on 0800 955 0003 for a chat.
