Many customers ask, ‘are rats nocturnal animals?’ The reason this is such a common question is because even if you’re in the unfortunate position of suffering a rat infestation, you’re still unlikely to see one roaming around your house or office during the day.

Rats are nocturnal which means they’re most active at night and during dawn and dusk. What’s more, even though they can be brazen at times, they will generally do everything they can to avoid human contact. Typically, they will wait until it’s very quiet before venturing out.

While it’s great news that these rodents are most likely to come out while you’re safely tucked up in bed, it can make spotting an infestation very difficult until significant damage has already been caused.

Some of the more common signs of a problem with rats include:

• Droppings
• Unusual odours (similar to urine or a damp, musky smell)
• Unexplained holes in materials
• Nests
• Scratching noises, especially at night
• Gnaw marks on furniture
• Greasy tracks on the floor or skirting boards
• Footprints (you can test this by laying down some flour at night)
• Your pet is putting its nose inside crevices for longer and more often than usual or they’re suddenly constantly on the hunt for something
• Electrical problems – rodents are well known for eating anything and everything, including electrical wires

If you need help eliminating a rat infestation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your local Prokill team via our online contact form or on 053 9420224 and speak to a member of the team today.