Two Different Ways Rats Reach a Hounslow Property
Open storage and loading bays along the Great West Road
The warehousing and trade counters lining the Great West Road offer rats open storage, waste and gaps around loading bays that a residential street simply doesn't have. Activity here rarely stays confined to one unit, spreading between neighbours through shared fence lines and service yards instead.
Ageing drain runs through riverside Brentford
Brentford's older streets near the Thames and the Grand Union Canal sit on drainage that predates most of the newer waterside development around it. A cracked pipe under one of these terraces can put rats into a floor void with no visible hole outside at all — the telltale sign of a drainage fault rather than a garden entry point.
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 Off Whichever Route Rats Are Using
An open yard and a faulty drain need different fixes, but both need closing off properly — we'll confirm which one applies before treatment.
