Is there a “rat season”?
Rats breed and feed all year, but they are most noticeable in autumn and winter. As nights get colder and outdoor food runs out after harvest and hedgerow fruiting, rats look for warmth, shelter and reliable food, and sheds, garages, lofts and wall cavities become attractive. Newark-on-Trent, with its riverside properties, allotments and surrounding farmland, has plenty of rats nearby to do exactly that.
What attracts rats to a home or garden
- Food: bird seed, open compost with cooked food, pet food, chicken feed, fallen fruit and household waste.
- Water: ponds, leaking pipes, pet bowls and drains.
- Shelter: thick ivy, log piles, stored materials, decking and sheds with gaps beneath.
- Access: gaps around pipes, airbricks with damaged mesh, damaged eaves and old service holes.
The autumn prevention checklist
Outside
- Use a bird feeder with a seed tray, or a raised table, and sweep up spilt seed daily.
- Keep cooked food, bread and meat out of compost, and use a lidded, rat-resistant bin.
- Pick up windfalls and fallen fruit.
- Keep bins closed, and clean up around them.
- Clear clutter, log piles and stored materials from against walls and fences.
- Cut back dense ground cover close to buildings.
- Store pet food, chicken feed and seed in sealed metal or thick plastic bins.
Chickens
- Feed in the morning and remove leftovers before dusk.
- Store feed in sealed metal bins, and collect eggs daily.
- Use small-gauge welded mesh on runs and coops, and dig it into the ground.
Inside
- Check airbricks for intact mesh, and cover gaps around pipes with wire-cored filler or mesh.
- Look at roof edges, soffits and fascias for gaps.
- Fit brush strips or kick plates to garage and shed doors.
- Store food in sealed containers, and clear pet food away overnight.
- Check the loft in October for droppings, gnawing and noises.
Sealing works best after rats have been dealt with; blocking holes with rats inside can trap them. See our rat proofing page.
What if it’s already happened?
If you already hear or see signs, don’t wait. Read about rat noises, check the loft safely, and get professional help. See loft rat removal and garden rat control. If the problem seems to come from a neighbour, see rats coming from next door.
Autumn rat questions
What time of year do you see rats?
All year, but sightings and noises tend to increase in autumn and winter as rats look for warmth and food.
Do rats come into houses in winter?
Yes. Cold weather pushes rats towards warm, sheltered spaces such as lofts, wall cavities and under floors.
What smell keeps rats away?
No smell reliably keeps rats away. Removing food and shelter, and sealing entry points, is far more effective than deterrents.
This site connects households and businesses in the Newark-on-Trent area with an independent local rat-control technician. We are not the servicing contractor and do not carry out treatment ourselves. See our terms & disclosure.