Preferred foods are cereal products, although rats are omnivorous they will eat almost anything that humans eat. Most damage caused by rats is through gnawing and ripping open packets of food. They also spoil and contaminate food with urine, droppings and hairs. Up to 5% of food produced worldwide is lost as a result of rodent activity. Unlike mice, rats require water every day.

Rats are mainly active at night, but may be seen during the day searching for food, water or shelter.

Rats can transmit many diseases to humans, including Salmonellosis (food poisoning) and Weils disease, usually from the urine of infected rats.

Rats may also cause considerable damage to buildings, foundations and other structures due to gnawing and burrowing.

The common rat (or Brown Rat) typically has brownish fur on its back and is grey underneath, but colour can vary from white through to black. The adult body length is 200-270mm, plus a tail length of 150-200mm. Rats have an excellent sense of smell and taste. They have an acute sense of hearing, frequently using ultrasound to communicate, and are particularly sensitive to any sudden noise.

Common rats live in any situation that provides food, water and shelter. In homes, they will live in roof spaces, wall cavities or under floorboards. In

gardens, they will burrow into compost heaps and grassy banks or under sheds.

Rats are adaptable, highly mobile and breed rapidly to produce large rat infestations. This combination can make rat control a difficult task for the untrained individual.

Approx 90% of rats found in roof spaces and under the floorboards have come from

the sewer system. A fault in the pipe work will lead to under the house which then leads to the cavity walls and then up to the attic where they have a nice dry environment to nest and will then chew their way out from wherever they can from the cavity (eg: airvents in the brickwork to end up outside or behind the kickboard to end up in the kitchen) to wherever there is a food source and water. Drain surveys and remedial works will be necessary to stop this happening. Temporary control is possible with rodenticide and trapping but eventually more rats will follow unless the root cause is attended to.