Rat droppings found in a Wirral loft. The pestcontrol.me.uk control team was called out recently after a customer had found rat droppings in his loft.

Our technician carried out a full site inspection and confirmed that it was rat infestation. Subsequently, the site survey indicated that the rats had gained access through a defect in an outlet pipe at the side of the kitchen. Then, once in the cavity, the rats had moved into the loft.

Rat droppings in a loft? Yes, rats are well adapted to climb. Norway rats can climb up rough surfaces. In addition, they can use the gap between a drainpipe and the wall to climb to the top of a house. Rats can also climb through and up a 100m diameter drainpipe.

Norway Rats

Rat droppings in a loft. How to identify rat droppings:

• On average 12mm in length and spindle shaped.The droppings are tapered to a point at one or both ends.
• Rats produce about 40 droppings each day.
• When droppings are fresh they appear soft and shiny. However, the faeces can quickly become dry and dull depending on temperature. As a result, an expert can determine whether the infestation is active by inspecting the condition of the droppings.

Ship Rats

How to identify droppings:

• Compared with other rodent droppings rat faeces are thinner and slightly curved with rounded ends
• Rat droppings are on average around 9mm in length.

Evidence of rat activity in a loft space

• Rats are  nocturnal which means you will mainly hear them in your loft at night and activity during daytime hours is unusual.
• Gnawing of beams and cables in a loft is due to their incisor teeth that can grow throughout their lifetime.

So, if you find rat droppings in a loft space, or anywhere else in your property, call pestcontrol.me.uk.