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Rats

An overview

Why Rats Are a Real Challenge

We don't mean to trigger you but rats are highly intelligent, adaptable pests — they quickly learn to avoid traps and baits, and they exploit even the smallest building defects to gain entry. They can burrow deep into subsoil under floors and gardens, build hidden runs beneath outbuildings, and navigate through interconnected drain systems to pop up far from their nest. In densely packed areas, such as terraced houses and older properties, rats often travel unnoticed through shared loft spaces, cavity walls, and defective drainage. It means DIY treatment alone is nearly impossible to succeed long term.

How Veltox Solves It

At Veltox, we don’t rely on guesswork. We trace the source. Here’s how our rat control service tackles these complexities:

1. Specialist Site Survey
We inspect attics, wall cavities, floor voids, outbuildings and gardens — looking for signs like gnaw marks, smear marks, burrows and droppings. No crack or crevice is ignored.

 2. Drainage & Subsoil Investigation
Where signs point to underground activity, we use CCTV drain surveys to check for pipe defects, burrows into the subsoil, or hidden drain crossovers, all common rat highways.

3. Intelligent Treatment Strategy (Veltox TSI)
Rats can become bait shy, that’s why we use a mix of professional rodenticides, trapping techniques and environmental controls, adjusted over time as the infestation responds.

 4. Proofing & Long-Term Control
Once we understand how rats enter, we recommend robust proofing, drain repairs or root blocking solutions. This prevents reinfestation - protecting your property for good.

Why This Matters

Rats pose serious health and structural risks: from contaminating food stores to gnawing electrical wiring and causing costly leaks through hidden pipe damage. In terraced houses and older neighbourhoods, solving a rat problem often requires working with your neighbours or local council to tackle shared drainage or wall access. That’s why Veltox takes an investigative, neighbourhood-aware approach, aligned with BPCA guidelines.

Common Rat Signs

  • Scratching noises in lofts or walls, especially at night

  • Small dark droppings near food storage or under sinks

  • Burrows in the garden or under sheds

  • Grease marks and rub trails along skirting boards

  • Unpleasant ammonia-like smell in hidden spaces


Our Rodent Site Survey is the first step to finding and closing their routes for good.

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