The Rat Problem That Wouldn’t Go Away Until It Was Properly Understood

May 2025 – The First Call

Back in May 2025, we were contacted by a homeowner who had started noticing something wasn’t quite right.

It began in a way that will feel familiar to a lot of people.

At first, it was just a bit of noise. Movement in the loft. The kind of thing you try to ignore for a few days, hoping it’s nothing serious.

But it didn’t go away.

If anything, it became more consistent, enough for that quiet concern to turn into a decision:

“I need to get this checked properly.”

That’s when he called us.

The First Visit – Looking Beyond the Obvious

When Matt attended the property and carried out the survey, it quickly became clear that this wasn’t going to be a straightforward “set traps and go” situation.

There were signs of rat activity, yes, but the pattern didn’t quite fit a simple internal issue.

From experience, when something feels slightly off like this, it usually is.

And in this case, it pointed towards something we see more often than people realise:

A drainage-related entry point

Now, when people hear “defective drains”, they often assume that means something is broken or collapsed.

But in reality, that’s not usually the case.

More often, it’s something far less obvious and far more common.

It’s situations like:

• Previous building works or extensions built over drains or sewers
• Redundant pipework left open or uncapped beneath the property
• Plastic pipework that has been chewed through

In other words, not always damage but often unsealed access into the home.

And for rats, that’s all they need.

Doing Things Properly From the Start

At this point, we explained everything clearly to the homeowner.

We advised that we could deal with the rats we could see evidence of, but unless the entry point was identified and resolved, the problem would continue.

So, we advised the correct next step:

A CCTV drain survey, carried out by our trusted contractor, the only contractor we recommend and the one we use ourselves.

That recommendation matters.

Because identifying the right issue is everything.

The homeowner took that advice on board and arranged the survey.

And just as expected, it confirmed the problem:
There was a defect within the drainage system allowing rat access into the property

At this stage, everything had been handled exactly right.

A Decision That Made Complete Sense

With the issue identified, the next step was repair.

And this is where the homeowner made a decision that, honestly, most people would make in the same position.

He chose to go through his home insurance.

And to be absolutely clear:

We completely understood why they made that decision

That’s exactly what insurance should be there for, unexpected issues like this.

There was no reason for him to think it would complicate things.

If anything, it should have made the process easier and saved him paying directly himself.

When Things Start to Drift Off Course

The insurance company arranged for their own contractors to attend.

They reviewed the original CCTV survey, carried out their own assessments, and scheduled the repair works.

From the homeowner’s perspective, everything appeared to be progressing as it should.

The repairs were completed.

He was told the issue had been resolved.

And naturally, at that point, you expect to move on.

But Something Still Wasn’t Right

Except… the activity didn’t stop.

The same noises. The same signs. The same underlying issue that had prompted the original call.

At this point, things become difficult, not just practically, but mentally.

Because from the homeowner’s perspective:

• The problem had been identified
• The repairs had been done
• Everything should have been fixed

And yet, it wasn’t.

That’s when he came back to us.

The Question That Changed Everything

When we spoke again, we asked one simple question:

“Do you know exactly what was repaired?”

And the honest answer was… no.

There was no clear breakdown. No report. No detailed explanation. No confirmation of which section of pipe had actually been worked on.

At that point, we knew we couldn’t make assumptions.

There was only one responsible next step:

Another CCTV drain survey, again carried out by our trusted contractor.

The Second Survey

This wasn’t an easy conversation to have.

It meant:

• Additional cost for the homeowner
• More time
• More disruption

But without clarity, there’s no solution.

When the second survey was carried out, the issue became clear almost immediately.

The repair work that had been completed through the insurance route… hadn’t addressed the actual problem.

A section of pipe had been patched, but not the one that was allowing access.

The original defect was still there.

Everything that had happened in between had effectively been a detour.

Finally Fixing It – The Right Way

At this point, the homeowner made the decision to proceed with repair works through the contractor we had originally recommended.

This time, the process was straightforward:

• The correct defect was located
• The repair was carried out properly
• The drainage system was secured

And for the first time since May 2025, the situation was actually moving towards resolution.

Why the Problem Didn’t End Overnight

Even after the repair, there was still some activity.

And this is something that often catches people off guard.

When an entry point from drains into a property is sealed:

• Rats already inside the property don’t just disappear
• They can be trapped in the property and unable to reneter the drains
• Depending on various factors, they can remain active for several weeks

So, while the root cause had been fixed, there was still a short period where the effects remained.

But this time, it was different.

There was now a clear end point