Rat Blocker Fitted to a Drain in Cambridge
What a rat blocker is, how it stops sewer rats reaching a Cambridge home, when fitting one is the right answer, and when the drain needs repairing instead.
Read the guide →Rat Proofing
Rat Proofing Cambridge
Rat proofing is the physical work of sealing the ways rats get into a building. It is £180 for up to 1 hour, with any further time quoted before it is carried out, and it comes after the rats have gone, not before.
Treatment and proofing do two different jobs. Treatment removes the rats that are in the property. Proofing stops the next ones getting in. Most repeat rat problems we see come from properties where the first job was done and the second was not.
What Rat Proofing Involves
Proofing starts with finding every gap a rat is using or could use, then closing each one with a material that will hold. On a typical house, that work tends to focus on:
- Openings around gas, water, waste and cable entries where the hole is larger than the pipe
- Air bricks with broken or missing grilles
- Gaps under external doors and garage doors
- Holes at the base of walls that lead into the cavity
- Openings where an extension, porch or conservatory meets the original house
- Voids under sheds and decking where rats have been living against the house
Our post on how rats get into a home explains each route and how to spot it.
Why the Materials Matter
Rats gnaw. Anything they can chew through is not proofing, however neat it looks. Expanding foam, sealant, filler and cardboard all fail on their own. What holds is metal: wire wool packed tight and sealed over, galvanised mesh, metal plate, proper air brick covers and metal or heavy bristle door strips. Foam and sealant still have a place, but only as the finish over something a rat cannot get through.
Proofing comes last. Sealing a building with rats still active inside traps them. They will gnaw a new way out, often through something more expensive, or die inside a wall or under a floor where they cannot be reached. Treat, confirm the property is clear, then proof.
When to Book It
The right time is once treatment has finished and activity has been confirmed as stopped. At that point the gaps can be closed with nothing left inside. If you have had a treatment elsewhere, or dealt with a small problem yourself and are confident the rats have gone, proofing can be booked on its own.
It is also worth considering if you have had rats before and want to reduce the chance of them returning, or if you have just moved into an older property and want the obvious gaps closed before winter.
What It Costs
Rat and mice proofing is £180 for up to 1 hour of work, and any further time is quoted before it is carried out. There is no call-out fee, and the price is confirmed before anything is booked. The rat and mice proofing cost guide explains what an hour realistically covers.
If you still have rats, rat control comes first at £260, and the rat control cost guide explains it. Every treatment is guaranteed: if the problem comes back within 14 days of treatment, we return and re-treat free of charge.
What Proofing Does Not Cover
Some routes need a different trade, and we would rather tell you that than charge for something that will not work.
- Broken drains. A cracked pipe or open connection underground is a drainage repair. Our post on rat blockers and drains explains the options.
- Roof and scaffold work. Gaps high on a roof that need scaffolding or roofing repairs are building work.
- Structural repairs. Rebuilding a wall, replacing rotten timber or re-laying a floor is not proofing.
What You Can Do Alongside It
Proofing closes the building. Keeping the garden less attractive reduces the number of rats trying to get in at all. Clear spilled bird seed, keep cooked food out of compost, store feed in sealed containers and keep a clear strip along the base of the walls. Our post on what attracts rats has the full list. In a terrace, a word with your neighbours about gaps on their side can make a real difference.
If a rat could chew through it in a week, it is not proofing.
Rat Control Cambridge — £260, no call-out fee. Every treatment is guaranteed: if the problem comes back within 14 days of treatment, we return and re-treat free of charge.
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Rat Proofing Cambridge — Common Questions
Is rat proofing the same as mouse proofing?
The method is the same, but mice fit through smaller gaps, so mouse proofing has to be finer. The same service and price cover both.
Will one hour be enough?
For a typical house with a handful of access points, often yes. If more time is needed, we tell you what is left and quote it before carrying on.
Can I proof my house myself?
Small, reachable gaps can be packed with wire wool and sealed over. The hard part is finding every route, including those inside cavities and around drains.
Do you proof sheds and garages?
Yes, where they are part of the problem. Closing the void under a shed or decking is often as important as sealing the house.
Does proofing come with the 14-day terms?
Those terms apply to treatments: if the problem comes back within 14 days of treatment, we return and re-treat free of charge. We will tell you after proofing if any route has been left open and why.
Get a Quote for Rat Control
Tell us what you have found and where. We confirm the treatment and the price before anything is booked.
More Rats Advice
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Read the guide →How Much Does Rat Control Cost in Cambridge?
£260
What the price covers, what changes it, and what happens on the day.
Read the price guide →Need Help With Rats?
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will give you the treatment and the price before we book anything.