Where Barking and Dagenham's Rats Come From
Rear alleys behind the Becontree estate
The estate's back gardens share rear alleys and boundary fences, so a rat feeding on a shed, compost heap or bird feeder a few doors down can be under a kitchen extension within nights.
Old drainage under Dagenham's ex-LCC terraces
Away from the estate itself, the long straight roads of ex-LCC terraced housing around Dagenham were built with drainage that is now close to a century old. A cracked pipe or a displaced joint under the floor lets rats up from the sewer with no visible hole outside, which is why activity confined to one room with no obvious entry point so often turns out to be a drain fault rather than a garden one.
Signs to Look For
- Dark, tapered droppings roughly 1–2cm long, often in small groups
- Greasy smear marks along skirting boards, pipes and the edges of holes
- Gnawing on wood, plastic, food packaging or cables
- Scratching in ceilings, walls or under the floor, mostly at night
- Burrows a few centimetres across in soil, under paving or beside a shed
- A stale, ammonia-like smell in cupboards or under the stairs
Closing the Gap So the Rats Don't Come Back
Once the rats themselves are dealt with, the way they got in usually still needs closing — we'll talk through what that means for your property before anything is booked.
