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Rats in walls. What does rats in walls sound like and how to get rid of them

Rats In Walls. What does rats in walls sound like and how to get rid of them

If you live in London, chances are you have come across a rat or two in your day-to-day life. But what if you find rats in your home? This can be a sign that you have a bigger problem on your hands – rats in the wall. In fact, Rats in walls are a problem for many London homeowners.
These pests can cause damage to your home and be a nuisance. Rats can also contaminate food and spread disease, so it is important to get rid of them as soon as possible.If you're like most people, rats in walls is not something you want to deal with
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What does rats in walls sound like?


You might be able to hear scratching or gnawing sounds as rats crawl around or chew on your walls and wires. You can also hear a scurrying noise while rats are moving quickly across the attic. Chirps and squeaks are also common sounds made by mice, but rats usually communicate with each other at a pitch that humans are not able to hear. Rats can make different combinations of squeaking, hissing, and chattering noises. As a matter of fact, rats can express different emotions depending on the frequency of the noise. Often, hissing sounds coming from rats signify that a rat is in pain or they are afraid of something.

When you are hearing the noises?
Rats are mostly nocturnal. That means rats are most probably going to be sleeping during the daytime. If you're hearing noises in the middle of the day, it might be another pest hiding behind your walls. It is more likely to be a squirrel. Having a squirrel is similar, but there are specific differences between rats being in your wall and a squirrel.  In fact, squirrels are more likely to use your home for habitation and find their food outside.

Where are you hearing the noises?
If noises are coming from a low point inside a wall, this might mean that this is a sign of a mouse or rat infestation. Sometimes it can be really hard to tell the difference between rats and mice when they are in a wall. Rats can be surprisingly quiet and mice can be much louder than you would think.
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How do you know if rats are in your walls?

 
What Are Signs of Rats in the Walls?
  1. Squeaking or scurrying sounds in the walls.
  2. Running or soft footsteps sound mainly during the night.
  3. Droppings in an area behind a stove, in the basement or attic, or on the ground.
  4. Food packages, containers or wooden spoons that have been gnawed on.

What Kind of Damage Can Rats Cause to Homes?
In addition to carrying pathogens that can transmit diseases to humans, rats can potentially cause damage to your London home’s structure and fixtures. Rats have been known to nest in and destroy insulation, and they can chew through electrical wires, which can lead to house fires.
 
What else can a rat chew through?
Well, it’s actually a better question to ask what these rodents won’t gnaw on, as they have been known to damage metal and plastic pipes, wooden beams and joists and even soft concrete. The destruction these creatures can leave in their wake could really hit you hard financially.

How Rats Get Inside Our Homes?
Rats often can enter our properties via the drainage system, as we mentioned earlier they are able to squeeze through tight spaces. Not only are rats mini contortionists, but they are good climbers, so scaling your plumbing is a piece of cake for these pesky pests.

In fact, drains provide the perfect environment for rats, as they are able to find plenty of food and water from the waste that we flush away every day. If you want to prevent rodents from making their way into your building, then it's time to investigate.
The most important step when ridding rats from your drains is to understand how and where these intruders are coming from. This can be as simple as looking for misshapen, cracked, twisted, or bent pipes; gaps in your brickwork near gutters and drains; or listening out for scrapping and scuttling within sewers and walls.
However, If you are struggling to find an access point, we would recommend calling a pest control company such as Archers Pest Control to do the investigation for you. Here at Archers Pest Control, we can carry out a full CCTV survey of your drains that will allow you to understand everything that is going on underneath your home.

How to Help Get Rid of Rats

Rats can breed rapidly, so infestations can be a pain to control. You can try to save yourself a lot of this headache by undertaking preventative measures, which will include:

  • Installing thick weather stripping on the bottoms of doors or making sure doors seal completely
  • Inspecting the perimeter of your London home and sealing  or blocking any holes and cracks that are larger than one-fourth of an inch
  • Storing food in airtight containers
  • Make sure indoor and outdoor trash cans are sealed and the lids are closed all the time


If you do think you have a rat infestation,  we advise you not to try to deal with this problem by yourself. A trained Archers Pest Control technician knows the most effective ways for removing rats from your London home. And if you want to help prevent them from getting into your home in the first place, Archer's specialists can conduct a free inspection of your home to determine where rats are getting in and which kind you are dealing with.
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