Rat control in Eindhoven: recognising the signs
Rats are wary and mostly show themselves at dusk and during the night. Often you notice the traces first:
- droppings clearly larger than a mouse's, often in small groups
- tunnels and burrows in the ground along walls, under paving or beneath the shed
- dark grease smears along walls and pipes where they run
- gnaw marks on wood, plastic drainpipes or wheelie bins
- bird food or chicken feed that disappears overnight
If you only find small droppings and hear light pattering, a mouse is more likely. You can read how we handle those under mouse control.
Where do rats come from?
In the Netherlands it is nearly always the brown rat. It lives in sewers, along water and in gardens with enough to eat. It usually gets indoors through a broken or loose sewer pipe under the floor, a drain that was not properly capped after a renovation, or an opening into the crawl space. Outside, food and shelter draw it in: a compost heap with kitchen scraps, chicken feed, birdseed on the ground and clutter behind the shed.
Seeing rats in a park, on the street or around communal bins in public space? Report it to the gemeente Eindhoven. On your own property and in your home, we can help.
Why it pays not to wait
A rat in the crawl space or cavity wall is more than an irritating noise. Rats gnaw on pipes, cables and insulation, which can cause damage and occasionally a short circuit. They can spread diseases such as Weil's disease through their urine and droppings. And where one rat finds a good spot, others soon follow.
The sooner the route is known, the smaller the job usually stays. So do not wait until the tunnels in the garden spread or the gnawing returns every night. Dealing with rats is easiest while the first traces are still fresh.
Our rat control: source, proofing and targeted treatment
We start with detective work. Where do the tracks lead, where are the burrows, and is there a link with the sewer? To find out, we check the crawl space, drain covers and the base of the walls. If the rat comes from the sewer, we advise a non-return rat valve (rattenklep) and, if a pipe looks damaged, a camera survey by a drainage specialist.
Openings in the walls and crawl space are closed with gnaw-proof material. Then follows targeted treatment with traps or locked bait stations along the run. Professional rodenticides may only be used by certified pest controllers. It is how all our pest control in Eindhoven works: cause first, products second.
Keeping rats away from your house and garden
A garden without food or hiding places holds little interest for a rat. Use a closed compost bin rather than an open heap, and keep meat, bread and cooked food off it. Feed birds from a hanging feeder and sweep up spilt seed. Lock chicken feed away for the night.
Keep the space under decking and behind the shed tidy, and check that drain covers and vent grilles are intact. Never touch droppings or a dead rat with bare hands, and do not throw poison into the burrows: it puts pets, hedgehogs and birds at risk.
