Rat control in Doncaster

Signs you've got rats

• Dark, spindle-shaped droppings about 1 to 2cm long, often in groups along walls, in lofts or behind appliances
• Scratching or scurrying in the loft, walls or under the floor, mostly at night
• Gnaw marks on wood, plastic, pipes, cables or food packaging
• Greasy dark smear marks along skirting boards and around holes
• Burrows about the width of a fist under sheds, decking, compost bins and hedges
• A strong, stale smell in enclosed spaces like lofts and under-stairs cupboards

Where they're getting in

Rats need very little room. A gap of about 15mm, roughly the width of your thumb, is enough. The usual routes are damaged drains and loose inspection chamber covers, gaps around pipes where they enter the house, broken air bricks, gaps under doors and garage doors, and climbing plants that reach the roof line.

A lot of rat problems inside homes start in the drains. If the signs keep turning up in the kitchen or bathroom and there's no obvious way in from outside, a drain survey is often the next step.

How we deal with them

We start by working out where the rats are living, how they're getting in and what's drawing them, such as bird food, compost or bins. Then we treat with bait in locked, tamper-resistant boxes or with traps, placed where children and pets can't reach them. Follow-up visits check that activity has stopped and remove anything left over.

Poison on its own doesn't stop the next rats arriving. So we also show you, or block, the ways in: mesh over air bricks, bristle strips on doors, filling gaps around pipes, and non-return valves (rat blockers) on drains where the drains are the problem.

What it costs

Rat treatment in the UK typically costs £150 to £300 for a course of treatment in 2026, outside London (Fantastic Services). Proofing is priced separately once we've seen what's needed. You get a fixed price before we start.

What you can do now

• Take bird feeders in and stop adding food scraps to the compost for now.
• Keep bin lids shut and food in sealed containers.
• Don't block holes before they're treated. A trapped rat will gnaw its way out somewhere else, often indoors.
• Keep children and pets away from any shop-bought poison, and tell us what you've already used.