Vale Pest Control

Local Pest Control and Wildlife Management

  • Pest Control Cardiff
    • Pest Control Cardiff
    • Pest Identification
    • Accreditations & Memberships
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Environmental Policy
    • Contact
    • Areas Covered
    • Cardiff Pest Control – articles in the making
    • Job Opportunities
  • Common Pests
  • Rodent Control
    • Rodent Control
      • Signs of a Rodent Infestation
      • Rodent Infestation Prevention
    • Mouse Control
      • House Mouse Control
      • Mouse infestation
      • Mouse control methods
    • Rat Control
      • Brown rat control
      • Black rat control
      • Rat Control Methods
    • Rodent diseases
    • CRRU : Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use
  • Wasp & Bees
    • Bee Swarms
    • Bee Removal
    • Wasps
    • Wasp Control
    • Wasp Nest
    • Wasp Nest Treatment
    • Wasp Nest Removal
    • Hornets
    • Wasp and Bee Stings
    • Honey Bees and Bumble Bees
  • Insect Control
    • Clothes Moth
    • Stored Product Moths
    • Stored Product Infestations
      • Biscuit Beatle
      • Carpet Beetles
      • Flour Beetle
      • Grain Beetles
      • Grain Weevils
      • Larder Beetle
      • Lesser Grain Borer
      • Spider Beetle
      • Woodworm
    • Ant Control
      • Black Ant Control
      • Pharoah Ant Control
    • Bed Bug Control
    • Booklice
    • Cockroaches
      • Oriental Cockroach
    • Fleas
    • Fly Control
      • Bluebottle Blowfly
      • Cluster Fly
      • Fruit Flies
      • Common Housefly
      • Lesser House Fly
      • Mosquito Control
    • Silverfish
    • Wasps
    • Wasp Control
  • Bird Control
    • Seagull control
      • Gull cage for chimney
      • Herring Gull
    • Pigeon Control
      • Proofing solar panels from pigeons
      • Solar Panel Pigeon Spikes
      • Feral pigeon
    • Bird Proofing
      • Bird Netting
      • Bird Brush
      • Fire Gel – Optical Bird Gel
      • Bird Spikes
      • Bird Wire
    • Guano Cleaning
    • Bird Scarer’s & Falconry
  • Wildlife Management
    • Squirrel Control
    • Mole Control
      • Residential Mole Hill Removal
      • Landowners and Farmers
    • Fox Control
    • Rabbit Control
      • Rabbit Fencing Details
    • Mink Control
    • Wildlife Management
    • CRRU : Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use
  • Services & Pricing
    • Our prices
      • Cardiff Pest & Bird Control
      • Vale of Glamorgan Pest Control
      • Bridgend Pest & Bird Control
      • Caerphilly Pest & Bird Control
      • Pricing for RCT
    • Contracts
    • Domestic Service
    • Hygiene Services
    • Commercial Service
    • Responsibility for infestations in privately rented property

Rat Control Methods

Rat Control

 

No matter where we are the first thing we need to do is to confirm that the target species is a rat or if it’s something else. This is very important as it dictates which products and methods we can use to control a problem.
The most common species of rat found in towns, cities and the countryside is the Brown Rat (Norwegian RAT), Rattus norvegicus, less common is the Black Rat (Ship Rat), Rattus rattus, only found around ports in this country. Here at Vale Pest Control despite regularly working around Cardiff, Barry, Newport and Swansea Docks and on occasion around Bristol and Gloucester Dock (not really a dock) we have never come across a Black Rat, but wait in great anticipation for the exciting and interesting day that we do.

Having established there is a rat problem the next most important thing is to establish what type of property we are working on and what its used for. We need to understand its construction, the materials its made from and how its been put together. We need to get an understanding of the sites history, whether there have been many changes on site, whether there are newer builds on old builds, whether parts have been extended, whether parts have had changes of use. We need to understand how its used and what effect on that use our various methods of rat control will have.

How we carry out rat control is most dependant upon the type of property that we are called into, what its main use is, whether its used as a workplace or home for people, a well ventilated transit warehouse or a document storage facility. Whether its used to prepare food for consumption or stock animal feed.
This defines whether or not we would recommend using rodenticide (rat poison) and if so in what formulation and format that poison should be presented to the rats, and where they should be able to access the rodenticide bait.

As a general rule if a property is lived in or used by people then we tend not to use rodenticide unless fully agreed to by the property owner. This is because generally speaking the smell of a dead rat can cause more disruption to home life or a business than a rat having access to areas that are not accessed by people. Instead we try to identify how the rats are getting into a property and carry out something we call “Exclusion”.

Whereas if working in a feed store area on a farm we would not hesitate to use rat poison, but we are restricted on how it can be used and in what quantities and how regularly spaced the bait points are. We need to take into account the impact that the poison will be likely to have either as a non target food source or as a secondary source where a bird of prey scavenges a dead rodent for a meal.

We use rodenticides (rat poison), breakback traps and various other forms of trapping where necessary for resolving infestations of rats. We also have some good ratting terriers that we use on farms to help knock back numbers quickly along with a couple of pneumatic 10 shot air rifles. So for rat control call Vale Pest Control.

For FAST, Friendly Service, Call  02920 552243

speak to a local professional pest controller NOT a National call centre

Because rats are neophobic it can be difficult to say how long it will take to control a rat infestation especially if one is only using traps.

Generally if we are not working on an annual contract we charge based on a 3 visit rat control cycle.
For a typical call-out where we are using rodenticide as part of the treatment plan we will during the first visit  lay traps and poison.
On the second visit (generally 3 to 7 days later) we check the poison uptake and add more rodenticide if needed, we will also inspect the area for dead bodies and pick-up any dead rodents that we find.
On the third visit (approximately a week after the second visit) we will pick up the remaining poison and traps, and check for dead bodies in the area.
If there are indications that the infestation is still there then we will carry out a further 3 visit cycle at an additional cost.

If this is the case it is likely that if we have not identified their point of harbourage and that additional investigation is required to identify where the rats are coming from, ie a broken drain run beneath the floor, hidden soil and vent pipe exit point.
Investigation of this nature would be based on an hourly charge.

For FAST, Friendly Service, Call  02920 552243

speak to a local professional pest controller NOT a National call centre

Preventative Control Measures and Proofing

A rat that enters a building and establishes a ‘run’ will become wary of freshly laid rodent baits, ignoring them for a few days, and continuing to cause damage to stock. A rat gaining entry to a premises that has preventative pest control measures will consider the existing control stations as being ‘normal’ and will be quickly eradicated during its investigations of the control station.

drain valve to prevent rat infestation - Barry, Cardiff, Penarth, Cowbridge

 

As well as establishing rat control stations we will also advise on  any proofing required and should you require it carry out any proofing work.

 

For information on the Brown rat Rattus norvegicus

For information on the Black rat Rattus rattus

For information on pest control pricing

 

Payment Cards Accepted

VISA & Mastercard payments supported by WorldPayWorldPay Payments Processing

MESSAGE US ▼

    This form collects your name, phone number, email, address and other relevant details pertaining to a problem that you are looking for advice and assistance with. We need this basic info to help you. Before providing us this information please read our Privacy Policy to see how we protect and manage your submitted data.
    Simply the info you provide is to help us all.
    We most definitely don't sell it on.

    Copyright © 2025 Vale Pest Control @ www.valepestcontrol.co.uk