The hillier streets near Forest Hill and Sydenham
Older drain runs beneath the steep Victorian terraces climbing towards Forest Hill and Sydenham are a common source of indoor rat problems, since the gradient can put extra strain on pipe joints that have shifted slightly over the decades.
Deptford Creek and the converted warehouses
Around Deptford Creek, converted dockland warehouses and new-build flats sit close to older infrastructure and waterside routes, and rats living near the creek can move into nearby buildings when building work or a change of season disturbs their usual ground.
Catford and Lewisham town centre
The Victorian terraces and postwar estates spreading out from Catford's shopping area and Lewisham town centre give rats a mix of older drainage and shared bin store routes to travel through, depending on the particular street.
Getting rid of them: the order that works
- Confirm the animal, and note where and when you see or hear it
- Take away easy food: bird feeders, split bin bags, pet bowls left down overnight
- Book treatment rather than laying poison where children, pets or wildlife could find it
- Leave any holes you have found open for now, so no rat is sealed inside a wall
- Once activity has stopped, close the route: proofing above ground, a repair below it
Whether rats come back hinges on that last step, one that's easy to overlook once the house falls quiet again, true near Brockley too, where well-preserved Victorian terraces and conservation-area streets close to the station.
Keeping them out once they have gone
On the hillside terraces around Forest Hill and Sydenham, that often means sealing gaps around pipework and old airbricks in cellar walls. On the postwar estates further out, worn thresholds and gaps around communal bin store doors are the routes worth checking. Our rodent proofing service covers this above-ground work.
Booking rat control in Lewisham
Rat control anywhere in Lewisham is £190 for a flat and £240 for a house, and because around Lewisham, where the town centre and surrounding streets, mentioning that when you book rat control points us towards the likely route in, with the rest of the detail on the Lewisham rat control page.
