Rats turn up under decking more often than you’d think. They’re not just annoying little visitors, either. These things will happily chew straight through timber, wiring, and whatever’s in reach, leaving a real mess behind them.
Worse than the damage, though, is that they carry diseases that can actually make you, your kids, or your dog pretty sick. So spotting them early and moving fast truly matters.
In this guide, we’re going to walk through realistic ways to actually get rid of rats under your decking.
Table of Contents
Why does your decking attract rats?
Before we get straight into the how-to part, it’s worth pausing to ask why your deck has suddenly turned into a five-star rat accommodation.
Rodents don’t end up under a deck by some stroke of fate. The place hands them everything at once—cover overhead, a stray bit of food, water somewhere nearby, and a pocket of leftover warmth when the night drops.
The space under the decking happens to tick every box, and once you see the list spelt out, the whole thing stops feeling mysterious.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Shelter – They want somewhere quiet, out of the weather, and safe from cats, foxes, and owls. That gap under the decking is dark, dry for the most part, and full of little corners they can squeeze into. It’s a ready-made burrow system that they didn’t even have to dig.
- Food sources – If you’ve got a bird feeder hanging nearby, a pet bowl left out overnight, or apples dropping off the tree and just sitting there, you’ve accidentally rolled out the red carpet. The same goes for any compost bin that doesn’t shut properly.
- Water sources – It doesn’t take much—a plant saucer with some rainwater, damp ground after the hose has been on, or a slow drip from a tap. That’s plenty. Gardens are usually wet in one place or another, and rats are pros at sniffing it out.
- Warmth – You’d be surprised how well the space under a deck holds heat, especially once autumn hits. Ground warmth rises, wind gets blocked, and rain stays off. For a critter trying to keep a litter of babies alive through winter, it’s ideal. That’s why things often get noticeably worse around October or November.
Put shelter, warmth, water, and food all in one place, and, well, you can see the appeal. It’s not really about you doing anything ‘wrong.’ The area under the decking attracts rats. It just happens to be rodent heaven without you even trying.
Read also: What do Rats Eat?
Signs of rats under the decking
The earlier you spot signs of rats under decking, the less you’ll end up forking out on repairs and the less frustrated you’re going to be. Leave a pair of rodents to it for a few months, and you’ll suddenly have twenty or thirty of the critters.
By the time you notice anything, they’ll have already gone to town on the place, leading to frayed wiring and chewed joists.
Most folks only snap when the 2 a.m. scratching gets bold or when the deck suddenly feels a bit soft. And by then, you are going to be trying to fix damage that’s been happening quietly for weeks.
Catch the tiny signs early, and you can deal with one or two strays instead of the whole extended family showing up uninvited.
Here’s the stuff that should have you reaching for a flashlight straight away:
Noises coming from under the decking
Nine times out of ten, the first sign of rodents under the decking at night is the sound. Little scratches, quick scampering feet once it’s properly dark, the odd squeak, and a dull thud as one belts along a beam are all clues.
Rats are proper night owls, so if it’s all kicking off after sunset and then goes dead quiet the second you flip the outside light on, yes, you’ve got company.
Droppings and urine stains
Rat droppings are like small dark rice grains, blunt at both ends, usually dumped along the same paths night after night. You’ll spot little clusters where they stop for a snack or a rest.
Then there’s the smell—a sharp, ammonia-like whiff that hits you on a warm, still evening when you’re sitting out there. It wafts up between the boards and just hangs about. It’s hard to miss once you know what it is.
Gnawed wood, wires, or garden items
Their teeth grow nonstop, so they don’t stop chewing. Fresh marks show up pale and splintered, with those little curls of shavings scattered underneath like confetti.
And they’re not picky—joists, plastic pipes, the garden-light cable, even the hosepipe are all fair game. Nothing’s off-limits.
Get a decent flashlight, lie flat, and check under there once a month in winter. Inspect the timber, the wiring, and anything you’ve stored down there. You’ll catch it early that way.
Tracks or footprints in soft soil
After a good downpour, or in some forgotten dusty corner, you can sometimes spot the prints: four toes up front, five at the back, and that little tail drag scored right through the middle like an underline.
But when the ground is bone-dry? Well, that’s when things get trickier. Dust a bit of plain flour or talc across a likely pathway before bed. Come morning, a perfect set of tiny footprints means you’re not imagining things.
Rat’s nests made of shredded materials
A proper nest is usually a scruffy enclosure the size of a football, made from whatever the rats can drag in. They could grab torn loft insulation, old newspaper, bits of fabric, dry grass, or even feathers.
Do rats nest under decking? All the time. It’s warm, dry, and rarely disturbed. Finding a nest means you already have breeding females. It also means that the problem is about to get much worse, unless you act straight away.
Do you smell a rat? Let the experts take care of it!
Call our professional rat control team to sort it out.
Call usRemove the rats from under the decking
Once you know what you’re dealing with, don’t wait around. Rodents make themselves at home fast. Tucked under a sheltered deck, they’ll settle in like they’ve signed a lease, and the problem isn’t going to magically shrink.
The goal is pretty straightforward: get them out, cleanly and safely, without endangering your own lot or wildlife passing through. It can feel like a lot at first, sure, but you’ll find it doable with some patience.
Set traps for the rats
Traps are usually the first practical step when you’re figuring out how to get rid of the rodents under your decking. They’re among the most direct ways, and they work by intercepting the paths rats naturally travel.
Snap traps, electronic traps, and humane live traps all function differently, but the humane versions tend to strike the best balance. They catch the rat without harming it, allowing you to release it well away from your home.
They’re effective because rats prefer to move along edges and familiar routes, so placing traps against walls, beams, or near visible signs of activity gives you a better chance of success.
For safety, gloves are a must, both for hygiene and to keep human scent off the traps. Also, traps should always be placed where pets and children can’t reach them.
Block any exits
Blocking exits works by limiting where rats can run. When they can’t slip between boards or disappear around pipes, they become easier to trap and far less likely to linger. You’re essentially turning the space into a controlled area rather than a maze of hiding spots.
This method is effective because rats rely on quick escape routes. Once these are sealed, the environment becomes less attractive and easier to manage. Hardware cloth, mesh, or even a bit of caulking for fine cracks can all help.
Larger gaps may need sturdier materials or a professional fix, depending on how awkward the angle is. Safety-wise, take care around wiring, pipes, and any structural fittings. You don’t want to seal something you shouldn’t or cause damage in the process.
Take care of compost bins
Rats are lazy opportunists at heart… if your compost bin smells like an all-you-can-eat buffet and the lid’s half open, they’re moving in. Slam a tight lid on it, stop tossing in meat or dairy scraps, sweep up any bits that fall out, and the place is going to look a lot less inviting.
Once the easy dinner disappears, they are going to stop treating your deck like a drive-through. This probably feels like a minor job, but it’s honestly one of the biggest wins when you’re trying to stop rats from getting under your decking for good.
Safety-wise, just keep the ground around it clear so you don’t slip on slimy residue, and always wear gloves when you’re lifting the lid or turning it. Compost can be a bit unpleasant—bacteria and all that.
The same applies to waste bins: keep the lids shut and make sure you empty them every day.
Read also: How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Home
Stopping rats from getting under the decking
Once you get rid of the little intruders, the real trick is making sure they don’t stroll straight back in the moment you turn around. Stopping rats from getting under your decking matters every bit as much as the removal part. Otherwise, you’re going to be stuck in a loop.
A few simple moves now, and you’ll save yourself a world of pain later.
Create a physical barrier
Rats can squeeze through gaps other pests would struggle with, so proper blocking is non-negotiable. Here’s a practical way:
- Dig in some hardware cloth or decent welded wire mesh all the way around the deck edge.
- Seal up every little crack between boards and posts. Those tiny slits look like front doors to a rat.
- Run the mesh a good 20–30 cm down into the soil, or bend it outwards in an L-shape, so they can’t just dig underneath.
Do this, and there will be nowhere left for rodents to nip in or hide. The whole deck is going to stop looking like easy accommodation.
Use repellents
Repellents won’t wipe them out on their own, but they’re a solid extra layer. Peppermint oil soaked on cotton balls, predator urine, like the fox or coyote kind you can buy, or any half-decent commercial spray makes rats pull a face and think twice.
Chuck it around the corners, near the access points you’ve just sealed, and top it up after rain. It’s not magic, but it backs up everything else you’re doing.
Secure any food sources
Leaving food lying about is basically sending them an invite. Cut that off, and they are going to lose interest fast:
- Bring pet food inside at night or use proper metal bins.
- Switch to rat-proof bird feeders.
- Keep that compost lid locked down and never add cooked food, meat, or cheese.
Trust us, even a small drop in easy calories is usually enough to send them looking elsewhere.
Keep the decking clean
Piles of junk equal a five-star rat hotel. Keep it tidy, and they’ve got nowhere to duck and cover:
- For anything you store under there, toss it in plastic boxes, not on the ground.
- Give the deck a quick sweep every week, clear leaves, and remove crud.
- Keep an eye out for spilt seed or forgotten dog biscuits.
A clean deck means fewer places to hide, and you’ll spot any new signs straight away.
Read also: How to Clean Up After a Rodent Infestation
Keep your garden clean
What’s going on around the deck matters just as much. A jungle of a garden is an open invitation.
To prevent rodents from getting under the decking, you can do the following:
- Pick up fallen apples, pears, and nuts. Whatever drops, grab it the same day.
- Trim anything growing right up against the deck so there’s no green bridge.
- Shift piles of leaves, old mulch, spare compost bags, and anything that makes a cosy nest.
A tidy garden equals a tidy deck and no rats. It’s as simple as that, really.
Read also: How to Get Rid of Rats in the Garden
Other creatures that may seek shelter under your deck
Finding rats under your decking can make you worried, and fair enough, they’re the real troublemakers. But they’re far from the only ones sneaking in for a bit of peace and quiet under there.
Pretty much anything that fancies a bit of warmth, darkness, and a roof over its head when the weather turns cold will call dibs on that space under your deck.
The usual suspects are mice, squirrels, hedgehogs, the occasional lost fox cub, a buzzing great wasps’ nest in July, or the neighbours’ cat having forty winks in the dry.
So, grab a flashlight and actually look before you reach for the traps. Some of those visitors are protected by law, and a couple are beneficial for your garden. You don’t want to be the neighbour who accidentally declares war on the local wildlife that’s actually on your side.
Conclusion
Jump on it quick: remove the rats from under your decking, do it properly and safely, then turn the whole area into somewhere they’d rather avoid altogether.
Spot the early warning signs, tackle it before it spirals, and you’ll save yourself an absolute fortune in repairs and that creeping dread every time you hear a scratch in the night.
Here’s the thing people forget: rats don’t stay polite and outdoors forever. Give them a few months, and those two or three you’ve got now will be twenty, and some of them will already be in your walls, your loft, or helping themselves to the cereal in the kitchen.
If it’s already gone too far, or you’ve tried everything and they keep coming back like bad pennies, don’t test your luck—just bring in professional pest control services. It’s not waving a white flag. It’s being sensible.
For most people, though, the steps we’ve covered here will sort it once and for all. Follow them, stay on top of it, and you’ll finally have your deck and your house back.
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