Rat control in Groningen: recognising the signs
Rats are shy and mostly active at night, so seeing one in daylight often means there are more. Usually it is the traces you notice first:
- droppings one to two centimetres long, often in clusters along a regular route;
- burrows in the garden, under a shed or beside the patio slabs;
- gnaw damage to wooden doors, cables or pipe insulation;
- dark, greasy smear marks along walls and beams;
- scratching under the floor or in the cavity wall, especially at night.
Where rats come from
Brown rats like to live near water and in the sewers. A sunken or loose sewer pipe, an open rodding point or a damaged drain is an open door to your crawl space or kitchen. Outside, rats are drawn by food: bread for the ducks, chicken feed, windfall apples, an open compost heap or bin bags left next to the container.
Rats also need cover. A wooden shed with space underneath, a log pile or an overgrown corner of the garden is ideal. As long as there is food and shelter nearby, new rats will keep arriving, even after you have caught a few.
How our rat control works
We begin with a thorough inspection indoors and out, following the runs, checking drains, the crawl space and sewer connections, and working out whether the rats come from outside or from the sewer. If the sewer looks like the source, we advise on a rat valve (rattenklep) and, if needed, a camera survey by a drainage specialist.
Openings are closed with mesh or metal. Where control is needed, we use traps or bait in locked, fixed stations; professional products may only be used by certified pest controllers. A follow-up visit checks for remaining activity. It is all part of our wider pest control service across Groningen.
Why rats should not be left alone
Rats gnaw constantly to keep their teeth short. Electric cables, water pipes and insulation all suffer, which can lead to short circuits or leaks. Rats can also carry diseases such as Weil's disease, which spreads through their urine. Any food a rat has touched is best thrown away.
The longer you wait, the bigger the group and the harder the job. Not sure whether it is rats or mice? Mouse droppings are much smaller and mice do not dig burrows in the garden. In that case, have a look at our page on mouse control.
DIY: remove food, leave poison to us
The most important step is one you can take yourself: remove the food. Stop feeding birds or ducks while rats are around, store chicken feed in a metal bin, close the compost heap and keep bin bags in a lidded container.
We advise against putting down poison yourself. A poisoned rat can wander for days and may be eaten by a cat or bird of prey. Do not block up burrows straight away either: fresh tracks show us where the rats are running. If you see rats in a park, on the street or along the waterside, report it to the gemeente Groningen.
