Where Croydon's Rats Come From
Old drains under the town centre's towers
Many of Croydon's 1960s and 70s office blocks were never built with today's number of kitchens and bathrooms in mind, and the drainage below them has been added to and altered over decades. A cracked or displaced pipe under one of these conversions gives rats a route straight up into the ground floor, and it's the explanation we come back to again and again when there's no obvious way in from outside.
Railway land and gardens near Coulsdon and Shirley
The outer stretches of the borough around Coulsdon and Shirley have bigger gardens, woodland edges and railway cuttings running close behind them, and rats use all three as cover to move between properties. Compost heaps, bird feeders and loosely stored firewood are the usual draw once they're in a garden, and a burrow under a shed base is often the first sign anyone notices.
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
Stopping Croydon's Rats Coming Back
Once the rats are dealt with, the route in usually still needs closing — small accessible gaps can be sealed separately once the cause is confirmed.
