Specialist Rat Investigations
Finding Out Why Rats Are There — and How They Are Getting In
Rats in? We find out how. We don’t just ‘Detect’ or ‘Intercept’… We ‘Solve’
A rat problem is not always simply a matter of controlling the rats that are visible.
Where rat activity is persistent, unusual or difficult to explain, the more important question can be:
How are the rats getting there?
At Rattraxs, we investigate rat activity with the aim of establishing where rats are active, how they may be moving through or around a property, and what potential access routes or defects may be contributing to the problem.
This can include the relationship between rat activity, buildings, external structures and drainage systems.
Our approach combines professional pest-control experience with systematic inspection, tracking, specialist tracing techniques, CCTV drainage surveys and professional reporting where appropriate.
A Rat Investigation Is About More Than Treatment
Conventional pest control can be highly effective at addressing an active infestation. However, in some situations the underlying reason for the infestation may remain.
If rats continue to appear, the point at which they are being seen may not be the point at which they are entering the property.
They may be travelling through:
● Drainage systems
● Defective gullies
● Damaged or displaced pipework
● Building voids
● Service penetrations
● External structures
● Defective boundaries or ground-level access points
● Concealed routes around or beneath buildings
● Other defects providing potential access
Our role is to investigate the available evidence and establish what may be contributing to the activity.
We don’t simply ask, “Where are the rats?”
We ask, “Why are they able to get there?”
Our Rat Investigation Process
Every investigation is tailored to the property and the circumstances reported.
1. Understanding the Problem
We begin by establishing the history of the rat activity.
This may include:
● Where rats have been seen
● When activity occurs
● Frequency of sightings
● Internal or external activity
● Previous pest-control treatments
● Previous drainage investigations
● Changes to the property or surrounding environment
● Evidence of damage or access
● Any recurring patterns of activity
This initial information helps determine where further investigation may be appropriate.
2. Property & Environmental Inspection
We inspect the relevant areas of the property and surrounding environment for evidence of rat activity and potential access routes.
Depending upon the circumstances, this can include buildings, gardens, boundaries, external structures, drainage points, gullies and other areas associated with reported activity.
3. Tracking & Monitoring
Where appropriate, established tracking and monitoring methods can be used to determine patterns of movement and activity.
This can help establish where rats are travelling and which areas may require further investigation.
4. Specialist Tracing
Where conventional inspection cannot fully establish the route, specialist tracing methods and equipment may be incorporated.
Rattraxs can utilise appropriate technology such as specialist sonar tracing, thermal imaging and professional inspection equipment, depending upon the circumstances.
Technology is used alongside practical field experience and physical inspection rather than as a substitute for them.
5. CCTV Drainage Investigation
Where the evidence suggests a potential connection with drainage, a CCTV drain survey may be recommended.
This can allow the drainage system to be visually inspected for potential defects or conditions that may be relevant to the rat investigation.
Findings may include:
● Damaged pipework
● Open joints
● Defective connections
● Defective gullies
● Structural defects
● Obstructions
● Potential access routes
● Other drainage conditions requiring attention
Not every rat problem is caused by drainage, but where drainage is suspected, CCTV inspection can provide valuable evidence.
Rats & Drainage
One of the specialist areas of Rattraxs is investigating situations where rat activity and drainage may be connected.
A property may have persistent rat activity around a building even though the visible signs do not reveal how the rats are gaining access.
In these circumstances, investigating the drainage system may help establish whether there are defects or potential routes that warrant further attention.
This is why we often describe our approach simply as:
> **A rat problem can actually be a drainage problem.**
Where appropriate, Rattraxs can combine Rat-control investigation with CCTV drainage surveying to provide a more complete assessment.
Building & Property Access Routes
Drainage is only one possible route.
Our investigations may also consider potential access associated with:
● Air bricks and vents
● Service penetrations
● Gaps around pipes and cables
● Damaged brickwork
● Voids and cavities
● Defective doors or thresholds
● External structures
● Decking and other constructed areas
● Boundaries and retaining structures
● Ground-level defects
● Other potential entry points
The objective is not to assume that a particular defect is responsible, but to identify and document relevant evidence.
Evidence-Led Investigation
Rattraxs takes an evidence-led approach.
Where possible, findings are supported by observations, photographs, tracking evidence, CCTV footage or other relevant investigative information.
We distinguish between:
Observed evidence
and
Potential or suspected causes
This distinction is important when an investigation is being used to help determine what further work may be required.
Professional Rat Investigation Reports
Following an investigation, Rattraxs can provide professional documentation recording the work undertaken and relevant findings.
Depending upon the requirements of the investigation, reports can include:
● Property and site details
● Investigation methodology
● Observations
● Photographic evidence
● Rat activity findings
● Potential access routes
● CCTV drainage findings
● Identified defects
● Relevant supporting evidence
● Recommendations
● Further investigation requirements
Our professional reporting software allows information to be presented in a clear and structured format.
Reports may be particularly useful for:
● Homeowners
● Landlords
● Letting agents
● Property managers
● Facilities managers
● Commercial property owners
● Insurers
● Solicitors and legal departments
● Environmental Health professionals
● Local authorities
● Pest control companies
● Drainage contractors
● Other property professionals
When Should You Consider a Specialist Rat Investigation?
A specialist investigation may be appropriate where:
● Rats keep returning after treatment
● Rat activity is occurring inside a property
● The source of the infestation is unclear
● Rats are appearing around drainage points
● There is suspected rat activity within drains
● A property has recurring external rat activity
● Previous treatment has not resolved the underlying issue
● A drainage defect is suspected
● A building defect may be providing access
● Evidence is required for a landlord, insurer, solicitor or other professional
● Several different contractors have been involved but the cause remains unclear
Not every rat problem requires a specialist investigation.
Where a straightforward pest-control treatment is appropriate, we will say so.
Where the circumstances indicate that further investigation may be beneficial, we can explain why.
Treatment Where Required
Investigation and treatment are not mutually exclusive.
Where active rat infestation is identified, appropriate pest-control measures can be undertaken alongside the investigation.
However, where evidence indicates a potential underlying access route or property defect, we can also identify where further remedial investigation or repair may be required.
The purpose is to address the problem as comprehensively as the available evidence allows.
Specialist Rat Investigations Across the Midlands
Rattraxs primarily operates across:
Selected areas of Leicestershire
Selected areas of Warwickshire
Specialist and out-of-area appointments may also be considered by prior arrangement where the circumstances and availability allow.
Why Rattraxs?
Rattraxs combines:
Professional Pest-Control Experience
Rat Investigation
Building & Access-Route Assessment
Specialist Tracing
This allows us to investigate rat problems from a broader perspective and, where appropriate, bring together Rodent-control and drainage evidence within the same investigation.
Our aim is not simply to tell you that rats are present.
Our aim is to help establish how they are getting there.
Rattraxs Pest Control
Specialist Rat Investigation • Rodent Control • CCTV Drain Surveys • Tracing • Professional Reporting
Rats in? We find out how.