Could rats have made this hole?

[chimichangaz]

In the last couple of weeks, I noticed a hole just underneath my front door. TBH I thought I just hadn't noticed it before (powers of observation not great...) not that it had just appeared.

Anyway tonight my sister came to visit and as soon as she walked up the drive she said 'what's that hole'. So I'm now thinking it's new. And I'm thinking has a rat made it

If it is a rat I could obviously seal it with some expanding foam but if there's a nest and they die, won't it smell horrific?

Fwiw there have been sightings of rats in our street. I saw one at the end of my back garden last summer but none since.

Any advice?

Can you get closer with your phone & take another pic that you can then stretch & see if the edges look gnawed? If it's rats you need to deal with it. I've been told some councils do this for free..

Yes, that definitely looks gnawed to me. So rat, possibly but very unlikely a squirrel.

Yes definitely rats sorry

Hmm yes sorry it could be a rat, they’re quite destructive

Oh god!!! It does look gnawed doesn't it?!

Will contact the council tomorrow....🤞🏻

If the council don't help some building insurance policies have £2000 cover to remove rat and mouse nests. It's cheaper for them than dealing with the material damage when they chew through a water pipe.

I agree with PPs that it's a job for the professionals really, but once they're happy there's none under there, you will want to replace that whole bit of wood, or use wire mesh to seal the hole - they will get straight through expanding foam. (Am a recent expert having discovered my own suspicious hole recently )

The council will
Probably give you a number if someone but won't actually sort it (sorry!) I didn't know insurance might pay!

Some great suggestions here. Checked the council website and they do pest removal free for domestic customers but there's a 4-5 week wait....

Will check the insurance policy.

Fecking rats 😡

If you are going to fill it, make sure you add some wire wool to the expanding foam filler or they will just chew through it again.

I'd get a cheap wildlife trail cam and put it watching the hole and see what's using it first!

Had rats at my workplace and the council put poison down and one died in the wall space and the smell was horrific for weeks, so i'd avoid poison if you can.

Had rats nesting in our garden and didn't want to use poison as we have hedgehogs, and this company helped us through a virtual consultation over email, think it cost about £30 and they advised us what to do and sure enough it did get rid of the rats, might be worth asking them! humanewildlifesolutions.co.uk/

Booked online for the council to come out and got an appointment for Thursday.

My friend suggested taping over the hole to see if anything gnaws it again in the meantime.

@Kyrae I'll have a look at that website, thanks.