Rats Nest: Where do Rats Hide?

Rats are some of the earth’s ultimate survivors, however, they need certain conditions for a beneficial environment in order to thrive. Rat nests, in general, are in need of the following:

• Supply of food within walking distance;
• Supply of water within walking distance;
• A certain degree of warmth;
• Lots of hiding places.

Depending on the above circumstances, here is a list of the most probable places where rats can hide in your house.

Check all information on rats >

The Attic

An attic is a perfect place for a rat’s nest. Since people pay special attention to the structure of their roof, the attic is dry and relatively warm compared to the outside. Attics are full of junk, which serve as good hiding places.

And not only that, but it’s also generally undisturbed by human presence. The perfect place where a rat’s litter would be safe. Also, food and water are nearby once they squeeze through holes in the walls and enter the kitchen.

Read more: What Happens if You Disturb a Rats Nest?

How to make your home unpleasant for rats?

Do yearly inspections of your home structure and fill the gaps in the walls to limit indoor access for rats. Also, declutter your attic. The more open space there is, the better.

Read more: How to keep rats out of the attic for good.

In the Walls

Depending on the type of your building, there might be gaps between the walls that are not only perfect for rat passages, but also a haven for their young. And, yes rats can chew through concrete. The walls are also generally warmer than the attic. And, if you happen to have a pipe leak within the wall, they also would have a close source of water.

How to make it unpleasant for rat dwelling?

A home inspection would not only fix your pipes and holes in the wall but also would easily catch the infestation in the happening.

The Garden

The garden is the ultimate food source for any rodent. Rats are omnivores, so they would eat anything, no matter what it is. At the dawn of human civilization, this is where rats first started infesting - the gardens and the storage barns.

Garden sheds

If not maintained properly, sheds will draw the attention of rats. Same as with the attic, if you have lots of clutter, they will find where to hide and it will keep them snuggly and warm. Not to mention, the food from the garden is just outside.

How to make your garden unpleasant for rat dwelling?

In the past, the best way to keep the rats away was to let a few cats in the garden. This wouldn’t work for the house because the rats that manage to escape can find lots of passages to hide. But in the garden, they are already outside. If they manage to escape the cat, they would simply run away and never come back. Rats are smart, they would never try to invade a place with a predator.

Read more: How to keep rats out of the garden without poison.

The Basement

Since basements are usually used for food storage, you’re basically giving the rats all the conditions they need - food, warmth and lots of safety.

How to make your basement unpleasant for rat dwelling?

The most important thing to concentrate on here is prevention. If you put all your food in sealed glass jars, rats won’t be interested in it, so they won’t invade at all. If you can avoid putting anything in bags, this is your most important step. And, it might be enough, because even if the basement offers warmth and safety, it makes no sense to make a nest there if they have to travel too much for food. Rats are practical like that.

Drains and Sewers

Rats can squeeze through an opening with a diameter of 4cm, so it’s extremely easy for them to infest drains and sewers for a very long time. They can cause serious structural damage to your piping system. In addition to this, rats are excellent swimmers and can get out through the toilet. Yes, this happens.

How to make them unpleasant for rat dwelling?

There are protective barriers you can put on your toilet bowl to prevent rodents from coming out. This way the pipe would only be a one-way path. Still, this doesn’t solve your problem entirely. You need someone to calculate the damage control and work with a professional exterminator.

The Garage

The garage usually contains rubber, wires, car tires and such are the usual victims of a rat infestation. There’s also enough clutter for them to hide in. Not to mention they might infest the car’s engine compartment.

How to make your garage unpleasant for rat dwelling?

The easiest thing to do is to seal the garage door bumper with garage door brush strips. You can find them in any store and they’re cheap. Also, an ultrasound device for the garage might prove effective enough.

Read more: How to get rid of rats out of the garage.

Around the Kitchen

Rats can become very brave if they’re hungry and won’t be too shy to directly invade your kitchen. They would climb on your cupboards, hide under the sink (especially if there’s a leak) and get in your garbage can. There’s no way to avoid it - if there’s the food they will know.

Check also: What are the most common pests in restaurant kitchens?

How to make your kitchen unpleasant for rat dwelling?

The best cure is prevention. Keep your pipes in good condition. Never leave food out in the open. Instead of putting food in plastic bags, put it in metal casings. And, anything that doesn’t go in a metal case, put in the fridge. Empty the garbage can as often as possible, especially if there’s food waste in it. If prevention doesn't work, you need to call your local rat exterminators to take care of the job.