Rat Control in Cambourne
£260
The service page for Cambourne — what we do, what it costs and what to expect.
See the service →Rat Control — Cambourne
How Can You Confirm Rat Activity Around a Property in Cambourne?
A hole in a bank is not automatically a problem. Whether it is being used is a different question, and there is a free way to answer it.
Rat Control in Cambourne — £260. See the Cambourne service page →
Burrows are the clearest evidence of a rat population living on a property rather than crossing it, which is the distinction that decides whether anything needs doing.
What a Rat Burrow Looks Like
- An opening roughly the size of a golf ball or larger, and typically wider than it is tall
- Fresh spoil — loose soil fanned out below or beside the entrance
- Smooth, worn edges where the animal passes, rather than the ragged edge of a hole made by something else
- A run leading to it, flattened through grass or vegetation
- More than one entrance, often a metre or two apart — a burrow system usually has a bolt hole
- Droppings nearby, on the run or at the entrance
Where They Are
- Against the base of a wall, a shed or a garage
- Under decking, at the edge or where a board has lifted
- In a bank, a raised bed or the side of a ditch
- Beneath a compost heap or behind a bin store
- Under a shed standing on bearers, which is the classic
- Among tree roots, ivy or dense ground cover along a boundary
- Beside a drain or an inspection cover
The test, and it costs nothing. Loosely block the entrance — a light handful of soil, or a ball of newspaper pushed in gently, not packed. Note the date. Look again the next day and the day after. Reopened means active. Undisturbed after three or four days means the burrow is old and you are looking at a record rather than a problem.
What It Is Not
| Also makes holes | How it differs |
|---|---|
| Rabbits | Larger entrance, usually rounder, often with scratched soil and distinctive droppings nearby |
| Mice and voles | Much smaller, often under 3cm, and voles leave neat runs through grass |
| Foxes and badgers | Considerably larger, with obvious spoil heaps and, for badgers, bedding material dragged out |
| Mining bees | Tiny holes, many of them, in a lawn or bank in spring. Harmless and beneficial |
| Erosion or a collapsed void | No smooth wear at the edges, no run leading to it, no droppings |
If It Is Active
Then you have a population living on the property, and the two things that matter are what is feeding it and how close it is to the building. A burrow against a house wall or under decking attached to the house is a building problem in waiting — BPCA put a rat's requirement at a gap of 15mm, and an animal living at the foot of a wall will find one.
What Not to Do
- Do not pour anything down it. Not petrol, not bleach, not cement. Every version of this is either dangerous, illegal, ineffective or all three
- Do not block it solidly as a control measure. They dig another one
- Do not put loose bait in it, which is reachable by anything else that forages
- Do not assume filling it in is the end of it, because the reason they chose that spot has not changed
Where a burrow system is active and close to a building, treatment placed properly and the removal of whatever is feeding it are the two halves that actually work.
Common Questions
How do I know if a hole in the garden is a rat burrow?
Roughly golf-ball sized or larger, wider than tall, with fresh spoil, smooth worn edges and a flattened run leading to it. Usually there is more than one entrance.
How can I tell if a burrow is still being used?
Loosely block the entrance with soil or a ball of newspaper and check over the next few days. Reopened means active; undisturbed after three or four days means it is old.
Should I pour something down a rat burrow?
No. Every version of that is dangerous, illegal, ineffective or all three.
Is a burrow in the garden a problem for the house?
If it is against a wall or under decking attached to the house, yes. An animal living at the foot of a wall will find the 15mm gap it needs eventually.
Rat Control in Cambourne
Tell us what you have found and where. We confirm the treatment and the price before anything is booked.
More on Rat Control in Cambourne
The service page for Cambourne, the other advice for this area, and every price we charge.
What Is the Best Way to Deal With Rats in a Cambourne Home or Garden?
Most people ring us a day or two after they first knew. Here is what is worth doing in that gap, and what quietly makes the visit less useful.
Read the guide →Rat Droppings or Mouse Droppings? How to Tell the Difference in Cambourne
Size is the obvious test. Where you find them is the better one, and it works even when you only have a few to look at.
Read the guide →Why Do Rats Keep Returning to the Same Cambourne Property?
Before assuming new rats arrived, it is worth considering the less comfortable possibility: that some of the old ones were never dealt with.
Read the guide →How Much Does Rat Control Cost in Cambridge?
£260
Every price we charge, what it covers and what happens on the day.
Read the price guide →Rat Control Across Cambridgeshire
The main Rat Control Cambridge page covers the service in full.
Rat Control in Cambourne
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will give you the treatment and the price before anything is booked.