Where Hackney's Rats Come From
Old drain runs beneath Homerton and Clapton
Homerton and Clapton were built up around the same time as much of Hackney's Victorian terracing, and the drains underneath them are just as old. A cracked pipe or a loose joint gives rats a way up into the ground beneath a house, and from there into floor voids that run the length of a row of houses. Scratching under a ground-floor room with no obvious hole outside is usually the first sign something below has failed.
Gardens and towpaths near the canal at Hackney Wick
The stretch of towpath and garden land backing onto the canal near Hackney Wick gives rats a route most terraced streets don't have — open ground, bin stores serving several properties, and compost heaps left undisturbed over winter. Burrows here tend to sit against a fence line or under a shed base rather than near a drain, so the fix is usually about access rather than plumbing.
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 are gone, the route they used usually still needs dealing with — a drain repaired, or a gap at the base of a fence closed off, alongside our rodent proofing for smaller accessible holes.
