Where Do Rats Nest in Your House?

There are several main elements that rats will consider when building their nests. It must be warmth, secure, well-hidden and close to source of foods and water.

Rat nests can be found in many places inside our home, such as lofts, attics, under/behind home appliances and even in cavity walls.

They will shred available materials that usually constructed of man made debris such as loft insulation, cardboard and/or using shredded material such as newspaper and fabrics to make nests.

Rat's nesting characteristics

Below are the characteristics of rats in choosing where to nest in your house, these includes:

1. Warm, secure and hidden spot
2. Close to source of foods and water
3. Nesting materials

Warm, secure and hidden spot

Rats are shy pests and don't like being disturbed. Rats like a dry, warm and safe place to build their nests and a sheltered secure location to raise their babies.

Close to source of foods and water

Rats will build a nest in any hidden area near to source of food and water as well as in a handy area for them to store food. On average rats will eat approximately 5 grams per day and require up to 60 ml of water every single day.

Rats are wary and afraid of new things (or known as ‘neophobic’), they will keep quite a tight area (from their nest) in which to search for food to avoid anything new in their territory until they have had time to get used to it.

Nesting materials

Rats will harvesting any materials that are plentiful and readily available to create soft, warm, dry nests to rest in and rear their babies. Nesting material such as shredded newspaper or fabric, loft insulation and cardboard are become their favourite things to pilled to enrich their nest cozziness.

Where to spots rats nest in the house

Looking at the characteristics of rats in choosing a place to build their nest above, thus there are several places that are often found to be a rat's nest at the house:

1. Lofts & attics
2. Behind or under home appliances
3. Rats in walls

1. Lofts & attics

Rats could be living in your lofts and attic undetected. These places are considered as the potential spot for rats building their nest inside your home. Place like these are secure and dark, as well as very easy for them to find available nesting materials such as loft insulation and cardboard boxes.

2. Behind or under home appliances

Rats take an advantage of the warmth found near home appliances like refrigerators and stoves at home.  In some cases, rats can also nesting inside the stoves in the part where we place the gas cylinder!

Besides finding warmth that can be found from home appliances, this spot is also often rarely touched by human and also very close to the source of food and water: the thing that human also eat!

3. Rats in walls

Wall cavities give rats freedom to bustle at ease around the structure of a property from top to bottom for foraging. Once they inside, rats will chew to expand gaps around pipes and cabling to access other areas quickly. There is also the potential for them to chew on wires and cables feeding through the cavity walls, which can cause electrical fires after being damaged by gnawing.

Rats in house. What to do?

If you think you have a possible rat infestation, it is important to act quickly to control the problem and reduce the health risks posed by this rodent.

Rentokil have the expertise to offer specialised rat control solutions for your home, which can guarantee fast removal through the use of safe and targeted treatments.