Before you contact a specialist contractor to investigate your rat problem there are a few things you can do yourself to find the source of the rat ingress, walk around the property and look for any points where the rats may be able to enter, below are a few common problems you may be able to spot yourself.

• Check for open or broken air bricks, these give the rats direct access into sub-floors and wall cavities

• Rats like covered areas such as decking and shrubberies adjacent to properties where they can nest safely

• Check there are no gaps where waste pipes or vents pass through walls

• Rats can climb brickwork, shrubs and bushes so check above head height

• Look for signs of digging and tunneling adjacent to surface level drains

• Look under door and window sills as these are areas where builders often forget so seal with sand and cement

• Try to keep bins, coal bunkers, log stacks and sheds away from the property as these encourage nesting

• Check for signs of settlement or subsidence to hard standings around ground level drainage, often a sign of broken and leaking drains