Rat control and removal across Fareham, Gosport and south Hampshire, carried out by James from NJS Pest Control. He finds how the rats are getting in, clears them and seals the gaps they’re using.
James finds where the rats are getting in, clears them with bait or traps, comes back to check, then seals the way in. Most rat treatments take two or three visits over about two weeks.
James checks lofts, wall cavities, drains, gardens and outbuildings to find where the rats are living, what they’re feeding on and how they’re getting in. He tells you what he’s found before any treatment starts.
Bait goes along the routes the rats use. Where children or pets could reach it, it’s put in locked, tamper-resistant boxes. In lofts and wall voids, where people and pets don’t go, bait can be laid open, because rats feed on it better there. Traps are used where bait isn’t suitable, such as inside living spaces. James shows you where every bait point is.
On each visit James checks how much bait has been taken, tops it up, resets traps and removes any dead rats he finds. Visits carry on until there’s no sign of activity.
Once activity stops, the bait is taken away, unless you’d like it left in place. James then proofs the root cause, sealing gaps up to roughly the size of a tennis ball as part of the treatment. Drain valves, where needed, are quoted separately. Repairs to damage the rats have already caused, such as chewed cables, pipes or insulation, aren’t included, but James can recommend the best course of action.
Most rats get into homes in Fareham and Gosport through damaged drains, gaps around pipes, broken air bricks and gaps under doors. Which one depends on the age of the house.
Around Gosport and Fareham town centres. Old clay drains crack as they age, letting rats up from the sewer and under the floors. Broken air bricks are the other common way in.
Parts of Portchester, Stubbington and Fareham’s suburbs. Gaps where pipes and cables go through walls, missing air brick covers and extensions built over old drains.
Such as Whiteley and Locks Heath. Plastic drainage is weaker than old clay pipes, and rats can chew through it quickly, which leads them into cavity walls and lofts. Decking, sheds and garden rooms give them cover right next to the house.
The harbour, the creeks, Lee-on-the-Solent and homes by allotments. Rats living outside move into lofts, sheds and wall cavities as it turns colder in autumn.
1. Air bricks. Broken or open air bricks get covered with fine steel mesh, which keeps rats out and still lets the underfloor breathe.
2. Pipe and cable entries. Gaps around pipes, cables and boiler flues get packed with wire wool and sealed with mortar or sealant. Expanding foam on its own won’t do: rats chew through it.
3. Doors and garages. Gaps under outside doors and garage doors get a bristle strip or metal kick plate.
4. Drains. Where rats are coming up from a damaged drain, a one-way rat blocker in the pipe stops them. A cracked drain itself may need a drainage company to repair it.
James clears the rats and seals the gaps they were using, so the next ones can’t follow them in.
Droppings, gnawing, scratching at night, greasy marks along walls and burrows in the garden are the commonest signs of a rat infestation.
By sealing the way they got in. A rat fits through a 15mm gap, so James checks air bricks, pipe entries and drains.
Treatment clears the rats you have. Rodent proofing stops the next ones. Without it, new rats can use the same gaps to get back in. The British Pest Control Association puts the gap a rat needs at just 15mm, so it’s the small gaps that matter.
1. Keep food waste in bins with tight lids, and don’t leave pet food out overnight.
2. Stop feeding birds on the ground. Spilled seed is one of the commonest reasons rats settle in a garden.
3. Clear rubbish, stacked wood and overgrown corners near the house, and keep shed and garage doors shut.
4. Use a closed compost bin with a mesh base, and don’t add cooked food to it.
Rats breed fast, spread disease and damage your home. A female can have up to 12 litters a year, and rats gnaw through cables, pipes and insulation.
A female brown rat can have 3 to 12 litters a year, each of six to eight young. A small problem left alone grows quickly.
Rats carry leptospirosis (Weil’s disease), salmonella and listeria, spread mainly through their urine. Droppings and urine contaminate food, worktops and anywhere they run.
Rats gnaw constantly to keep their teeth worn down: wood, plastic, lead pipes and the insulation on electrical cables. The BPCA cites an insurance-sector estimate that rodent damage to wiring causes 25% of electrical fires in buildings.
Yes. We handle rat control for landlords, letting agents and commercial premises across Fareham and Gosport, as well as homes, including regular contract work. Under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, property owners must keep premises free of rats and mice.
A tenant reports rats, James goes out, deals with it and seals the way in, and you get one contact from first call to the end of the job. Who pays usually depends on the tenancy agreement and on what caused the problem, so it’s worth checking yours.
Food businesses are expected to have pest control in place. James can treat a one-off problem or set up regular visits to keep premises clear.
Rats in a building you’re responsible for are a health and safety problem for staff and visitors, and they damage stock and wiring.
Real reviews left on Google by NJS Pest Control customers who mention rat control.
The questions we get ask the most about our rat control services.
Every rat job gets a free remote quote, usually within ten minutes. Tell James what you’ve found and he gives you a fixed price before any work starts.
The price depends on how established the rats are, how many ways in there are and how much proofing is needed. Minor proofing is included. Drain valves, where needed, are quoted separately. A photo of droppings or damage makes the quote quicker.
Smaller problems usually clear in two or three visits over a couple of weeks. Long-standing infestations can take several weeks and more visits.
Yes. Both councils run a charged, weekday-only rat service, and both currently warn that wait times are unusually long because of reduced staffing.
Put food in sealed containers, wipe surfaces, keep children and pets out of the room and call. Leave any holes open until James has seen them.
The phone is answered 24 hours a day, so you can book as soon as you find them. James gives you a visit time when he quotes.
If rats are inside the living space, or you’ve got children or pets in the house, say so when you call so James can plan the first visit around it.
Fareham, Gosport and across south Hampshire, including Portchester, Stubbington, Lee-on-the-Solent, Titchfield, Warsash, Park Gate, Whiteley and Locks Heath. If you need a rat catcher anywhere in that area, the phone is answered 24 hours a day, seven days.
Fareham
Gosport
Portchester
Stubbington
Lee-on-Solent
Titchfield
Warsash
Park Gate
Whiteley
Locks Heath
Need rat removal or a rat exterminator in Fareham or Gosport? Tell us what you’ve heard, seen or found.
Practical answers to the questions James gets asked most, from scratching in the walls to wasp nests in the roof. Written by James, BPCA trained and certified.
Scratching in the walls at night is almost always rats or mice. Rats sound heavier and the noise moves along the wall. Mice sound lighter and quicker and stay in one area. Squirrels are louder still, and active in daylight rather than after dark.
Rats usually get into wall cavities from below, through damaged or disused drains, or through gaps around pipes and broken air bricks. Scratching that moves along the wall at night almost always means rats. Clearing them is only half the job: until the way in is sealed, the next ones follow the same route.
We will respond to your request as soon as possible and no later than 4 working hours.
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