If you’ve ever sat quietly at night and heard scratching, gnawing, or scurrying sounds behind your walls, then you already know how unsettling it can be. Rats hiding in your walls isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a serious problem. It can affect your sleep, damage your property, and even put your health at risk. Getting rid of them properly means knowing what you’re dealing with and acting quickly. Let’s walk through exactly how you can deal with rats in your walls and prevent them from coming back.

How do you know if there are rats in your walls?

Before you start planning how to get rid of them, it helps to be sure they’re actually there. Rats are secretive, but they leave behind signs if you know what to look for. You might notice:

• Noises at night—scratching, chewing, or running behind the walls
• A musky smell that lingers in rooms with no ventilation
• Small black droppings along skirting boards or near entry points
• Greasy marks on walls or near holes they squeeze through
• Damage to wiring, pipes, plaster, or insulation

If the noise happens mostly at night and comes from lower down in your walls, you’re likely dealing with rats rather than birds or squirrels. And if your dog or cat keeps sniffing the same spot or acting agitated, they probably hear something you don’t.

What causes rats to get into your walls?

Rats don’t just end up in walls by accident. They’re usually looking for warmth, food, and shelter—especially during colder months. Gaps in brickwork, broken air vents, loose roof tiles, or even pipe holes can give them just enough room to squeeze inside. Once they’re in, walls give them a dark, quiet place to move around without being disturbed.

If you’ve got easy access to food—unsealed bins, crumbs under cupboards, or poorly stored pet food—rats will stick around. They’ll chew through insulation, wood, and wires, build nests, and multiply quickly if nothing stops them.

Can rats in the walls be dangerous?

Yes, unfortunately they can. Rats carry diseases that can spread through their urine, droppings, and saliva. They don’t even need to bite to be a health risk. Once they move through your home, bacteria can spread onto surfaces and contaminate food. That’s why it’s so important to act quickly.

There’s also the risk of electrical fires. Rats often chew through wires while building nests or keeping their teeth filed down. Over time, that can expose live wires, trip circuits, or even spark flames inside walls. The longer they’re inside, the more damage they do—usually without you even knowing.

What’s the best way to deal with rats in your walls?

Let’s be clear—getting rid of rats in your walls isn’t just about setting traps and hoping for the best. You need to take a full approach that deals with the problem properly, safely, and for good. Here’s what you should do, step by step:

1. Confirm their presence and track where they go

Listen for activity late at night or early in the morning when rats are most active. Try to figure out which rooms have the most noise. Look for entry points both inside and outside—any gaps in your brickwork, foundations, roof edges, or under floors. You can even sprinkle a bit of flour near a suspected opening overnight to spot footprints.

2. Seal all possible entry points

This is one of the most important steps. You can’t just remove the rats—you’ve got to block where they got in. Otherwise, new ones will take their place.

Use steel wool mixed with expanding foam to block small gaps. Cement, wire mesh, or metal flashing work best for larger holes. Pay attention to places like:

• Around pipes and utility cables
• Damaged vents or air bricks
• Cracks in walls or loose mortar
• Gaps beneath doors or garage access points

Remember: rats can squeeze through a hole about the size of a 20p coin.

3. Use traps, but place them properly

Poisons can be risky, especially if you’ve got kids or pets, and they don’t always work well inside walls. A poisoned rat may die inside, leaving a terrible smell and attracting insects.

Instead, place snap traps or electronic traps near entry points, under cupboards, or along known pathways. Use peanut butter or dried fruit as bait—they’re more appealing than cheese. Place traps parallel to walls with the trigger side closest to the wall.

You may need several traps for it to be effective. Check them daily and wear gloves when handling them.

4. Try a professional pest control service

If traps don’t work or if the problem’s bigger than you thought, don’t wait too long. A licensed pest controller can find hidden nests, use safe and effective methods, and give you advice on keeping them out long term.

Look for someone who’s experienced with internal wall infestations—not just outdoor rat control. They’ll know where rats are most likely to hide, how to access sealed cavities, and what to do if they’ve been nesting for weeks or months.

5. Clear out what attracts them

Even if you block rat holes and trap a few rats, they’ll come back if there’s still food and shelter.

Make sure you:

• Store food in sealed containers
• Clear out crumbs and waste from behind appliances
• Put lids on bins (inside and out)
• Avoid feeding birds or leaving pet food overnight
• Tidy sheds, lofts, and garages regularly

The cleaner and less accessible your home is, the less likely they are to return.

Can you use sound or scent to get rid of rats in walls?

Some people use ultrasonic devices that claim to scare rats away, but their effectiveness is hit and miss. Rats are clever and often get used to the noise after a few days.

Scents like peppermint oil, ammonia, or mothballs can sometimes drive them away for a short time. But again, these are temporary solutions. If the walls are still warm and there’s food nearby, rats will put up with the smell.

Use deterrents alongside sealing, trapping, and cleaning—not instead of them.

Should you open the wall to remove rats?

In most cases, no—not unless you’ve got a dead rat causing a smell or serious structural damage. Opening walls should be a last resort and only done by professionals. They can locate the nest using tools like thermal cameras or fibre-optic scopes, which reduces the need to cut blindly.

If a rat has died inside and the smell is unbearable, then you might need to open part of the wall to remove it and clean the area. But don’t go pulling plaster off unless you know what’s inside.

How do you stop rats from coming back?

Once you’ve removed the current infestation, prevention is everything. Rats are persistent, and even if you’ve cleared your walls once, they’ll try again if the opportunity comes up.

Here’s how to keep them out for good:

• Walk around your home every few months and re-check gaps or holes
• Keep your garden tidy—cut back ivy, overgrown bushes, and compost areas
• Store woodpiles away from your house
• Clean up spills and sweep floors regularly
• Don’t leave pet food or bird seed outside unattended

Being proactive is easier—and cheaper—than dealing with another infestation.

When should you worry about rats in walls?

If the noises get louder, if there’s a strong smell, or if you notice signs in more than one part of the house, you need to act fast. Rats reproduce quickly, and what starts as a small issue can turn into a serious one in just a few weeks.

You should also worry if:

• You notice bite marks on electrical cables or water pipes
• There are greasy stains or droppings appearing in new areas
• You spot rats during the daytime (this usually means the nest is large)

In these cases, don’t try to manage it alone. Call a pest control expert before the damage becomes permanent or dangerous.

Final thoughts: Act quickly, and don’t ignore the signs

Dealing with rats in your walls might feel overwhelming at first, but the sooner you start, the easier it’ll be to fix. Don’t put it off. Once rats find their way into your home, they’ll stay unless you give them a reason to leave—and no way to come back.

Focus on finding their entry points, sealing them off, removing food sources, and using traps where it’s safe and effective. And if it gets out of hand, you’re never wrong to get a professional involved.

You deserve a quiet, safe home. And that starts with making sure nothing’s living behind your walls except insulation.