Rats under decking

[bitzermaloney]

The house we've just bought has a large decking area out back, and I'm told by the neighbour that he's pretty sure there are rats under there. Having googled 'rats and decking' it seems highly likely as it's a well known problem with decking.

We are going to be having a lot of building work done before we move in, part of which will involve ripping up one section of decking to make way for an extension. My question is, while we have easy access to underneath, is there anything we can do to get rid of the rats and keep them away? I've read that poison is not especially effective and also not a great idea with kids/pets around, and that traps are generally ineffective. And presumably they would come back anyway.

Is the only real option going to be to get rid of the decking? I'd rather not unless I have to.

Loads of people have decking but no rats! But a friend of mine had a total infestation - they got into her house and everything. She called in the council who lay baited traps. The rats go inside a little plastic 'house' with a hole too small for pets/children so it wasn't a problem.

Deal with it early!

You could try tracking powder. You would need a long piece of drain pipe, an old spoon tied on to the end of some bamboo and tracking powder

Put a spoonful of tracking powder as near the middle of the pipe and shove the pipe under the decking. Tracking powder sticks to the rats fur and feet and the poison works when they groom themselves.

The pipe is too narrow for cats etc and nothing would be within reach of your children.

Thanks for the replies. If you poison them don't they just come back though? (New rats, obviously, not previously poisoned zombie rats ). I wondered if there was some way of making the underneath of the decking much less attractive for them.

Virtually all councils offer rat killing services free of charge - speak to them. I don't know how you will get rid of them but, hopefully, having the area disturbed by major building work would get rid of any scent that attracted a new colony.

I feel for you .