Rat Hearing scratching, scuffling or gnawing sounds under the floor is one of the most common reasons Sudbury residents get in touch with us. It is unsettling, but it is also a fairly clear sign that rats have found a way into the void beneath your ground floor.
Many of Sudbury's older properties have suspended timber floors with a gap underneath, sometimes connected to airbricks, drains or cavity walls. These voids are dark, sheltered and often close to a food source, which makes them an attractive place for rats to settle.
Why rats end up under floors
Rats look for spaces that offer both shelter and easy access to food and water. A gap under floorboards ticks both boxes, especially if there is a damaged airbrick, a gap around pipework, or a crack in older brickwork nearby. Once inside, they can travel along the void and sometimes gnaw their way up into skirting boards, cupboards or wall cavities.
What not to do
It can be tempting to lift a floorboard and try to deal with the problem directly, but this is not usually a good idea. It can allow rats to escape further into the property, risks disturbing nesting rats, and does not address how they got in to begin with. Blocking one gap without knowing all the entry points rarely solves the problem.
The right approach
A proper inspection identifies where rats are entering, how they are moving through the void, and the most effective way to treat the area without unnecessary disruption to your floor. This might involve baiting or trapping in the void itself, combined with proofing work once activity has stopped.
Timing also matters. Treatment placed in the wrong spot, or without understanding how rats are moving through the void, can take longer to work or miss the problem altogether. A professional assessment looks at the whole picture, including nearby airbricks, drains and cavity walls that might be connecting the under-floor space to the outside.
After treatment
Once activity under the floor has stopped, it is worth having the entry points properly sealed so the void does not simply attract the next passing rat. Follow-up checks can also give peace of mind that the noises have genuinely stopped for good, rather than just gone quiet for a few weeks.
If you can hear movement under your floorboards at your Sudbury property, it is best not to leave it. Green Pest Control offers free, no-obligation quotations and can assess the situation properly. Call 01502 630 122 to arrange an inspection.
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