Brown Rat

Yes, they carry a high risk for both public health and property damage. Brown rats carry hazardous pathogens that cause Weil’s disease (Leptospirosis), Salmonella, and Hantavirus, which spread through their droppings, urine, and saliva. Additionally, their teeth grow continuously, forcing them to chew through wood, plastic water pipes, and live electrical wiring, creating serious fire and flood risks.

Brown rats are much more common in the UK than black rats. Physically, the brown rat is larger, heavier, and has a thicker, blunter snout with small, furry ears. Its tail is also noticeably shorter than the length of its head and body combined. Behaviorally, brown rats prefer living at ground level or underground in burrows and sewers, whereas black rats prefer climbing and nesting high up in roofs.

Brown rats are exceptional diggers and swimmers. They frequently enter properties from ground level by burrowing under foundations, or from below by traveling through damaged drainage systems and broken sewer pipes. Because they only need a gap of around 2 cm to gain entry, they can easily exploit damaged air bricks, gaps around external pipework, or open doors.

DIY rat control rarely works because brown rats are highly intelligent and suffer from neophobia, meaning they are naturally terrified of new objects, which makes them avoid retail traps and bait boxes. To clear an infestation permanently, Invicta Environmental conducts a thorough root cause analysis, often including CCTV drain surveys, to find how they are getting in. We then use industrial strength treatments and implement heavy duty proofing to seal entry points for good.