Where Haringey's Rats Come From
Drain faults beneath Tottenham's terraces
Tottenham's densely built Victorian terraces sit on drains as old as the houses above them, and a cracked pipe or displaced joint gives rats a route from the sewer into the ground beneath a property. From there they move into floor voids that run under a whole row of houses, which is why scratching with no visible hole outside so often points to a fault below rather than anywhere above ground.
Railway embankments and gardens across the borough
The railway lines that cross Haringey give rats a corridor of their own — embankments, sidings and the gardens backing onto them offer cover and a route between streets that has nothing to do with drains at all. Burrows here tend to sit against a fence line or under overgrown vegetation rather than near a pipe.
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 Haringey's Rats Coming Back
Once they're gone, the route in — a drain fault or a gap by a fence — is usually the next thing worth dealing with, alongside rodent proofing for smaller holes.
