Rodent Control
Brown Rats: Signs, Risks & Rat Control
Professional rat control across South & West Yorkshire, with local pages for Sheffield, Leeds, Barnsley and Rotherham.
Rats that keep coming back? Apex finds how they get in, clears them — and seals them out for good.
BPCA-certified · From £160 +VAT · 12-month guarantee · No call-out fee · 7 days a week
At a Glance
- Service
- Rat Control
- Provider
- Apex Pest Control Ltd
- Locations
- Sheffield, Leeds, Rotherham & Barnsley
- Price from
- £160 + VAT
- Response
- Fast response · 7 days a week
- Credentials
- BPCA certified · £5M insured · DBS checked
Rat Control: Understanding the Problem
Apex Pest Control Ltd provides professional brown rat control across South and West Yorkshire. The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is the UK's most common commensal rodent. Rats are neophobic by nature — cautious and largely nocturnal — and they move inland from river corridors and into homes and gardens for food and shelter, especially between October and February. Most call-outs come from Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, and Leeds.
Brown rats carry Leptospira interrogans — the bacterium behind Weil's disease — and spread Salmonella and E. coli through droppings and urine. Left untreated, they breed quickly, gnaw cables and pipework, and establish concealed burrow networks. Apex Pest Control Ltd clears the infestation with tamper-proof bait stations and CRRU-compliant rodenticides, then proofs the property.
Species Profile
What Are the Signs of a Rat Problem?
Apex Pest Control Ltd advises homeowners and landlords to act immediately on any of these warning signs. Brown rats are cautious and largely nocturnal, but they leave clear, identifiable evidence long before any visual sighting. These are the most common indicators that rats are active on your property.
Droppings
Dark, tapered droppings (15–20mm) found along walls, in cupboards, under floorboards, or near food storage — larger than a mouse's 3–6mm.
Burrow entrances
70mm diameter holes in soil, compost heaps, or beneath garden structures, decking, and sheds, where rats nest below ground.
Gnaw marks
Chewed cables, joists, pipework, and food packaging. Brown rats gnaw constantly to manage incisor growth, and chewed wiring is a recognised fire risk.
Grease smears
Dark grease rubs and smears along skirting boards and wall edges, left by rats using the same runways night after night.
Night noises
Scratching, scurrying, and gnawing in cellars, lofts, cavity walls, and under floors after dark, when rats are most active.
Runs & entry points
Worn runways through long grass and gaps at drainage faults, broken air bricks, and pipework where rats get in — often via the drains.
What Are the Risks of Leaving Rats Untreated?
Apex Pest Control Ltd treats rat problems before they escalate, because an infestation does not resolve on its own. The longer it is left, the greater the health, fire, and structural risk to your property.
Disease & Weil's disease
Brown rats carry Leptospira interrogans — the bacterium responsible for Weil's disease, a serious and potentially fatal illness — and also spread Salmonella, E. coli, Hantavirus, and Toxoplasma gondii through droppings, urine, and contaminated surfaces.
Fire risk from gnawed cables
Rats gnaw constantly, and chewed electrical wiring in walls, lofts, and under floors is a recognised cause of house fires.
Rapid breeding & burrow networks
Rats breed quickly and establish concealed burrow networks below ground, so a small problem spreads fast and becomes far harder to clear.
Property & structural damage
Gnawing damages pipes, insulation, drainage, and building fabric, and contaminates stored food in homes and businesses.
How Does Apex Treat a Rat Problem?
Apex Pest Control Ltd follows a structured, professional rat control process — not a one-size-fits-all visit. Every visit is carried out by a BPCA-certified technician using professional-grade products. Here is exactly what happens from your first call to your 12-month guarantee for rats.
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Contact & fast response
Call or book online. We confirm availability and arrange a prompt visit across Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, and Leeds — 7 days a week.
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Inspection & survey
A full site inspection by a BPCA-certified technician. We locate burrow entrances, active runways, gnaw damage, and entry routes — including drainage access points — before any treatment begins.
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Treatment — tamper-proof bait stations
We position tamper-proof bait stations precisely — critical for neophobic brown rats. Rodenticides are applied by RSPH Level 2 qualified technicians, fully compliant with CRRU Phase 2 guidelines, protecting children, pets, and non-target species.
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Follow-up & 12-month guarantee for rats
We return within 10–14 days to assess bait take, confirm treatment effectiveness, and provide a written entry-point report with rodent proofing recommendations, backed by a 12-month guarantee for rats.
Rat control includes two professional visits, tamper-proof bait stations, a full inspection and entry-point report, and a 12-month guarantee for rats. No call-out fee. If a heavy infestation needs a third visit, it is charged at £60, agreed in advance.
What Our Customers Say
"Tony Johnson arrived at the agreed time, set the traps and laid bait, then returned as agreed and advised us on sealing the entry points. Months on, we have no rats at all."
"Tom was great and thorough and really knew his stuff. He came back three times to make sure the rats were gone from our garden and kept me updated throughout."
"We called Tom after reading the positive reviews. He assessed our property and gave us a plan to sort the rats in the garden — we haven't seen any since."
Rated 4.9/5 from 110+ reviews across our Google (Sheffield & Barnsley) and Trustpilot profiles.
Commercial Rat Control in Action — Hope Valley
A new commercial contract for Apex Pest Control Ltd — a rat infestation inspection on an embankment behind a restaurant in Hope Valley, Sheffield. The clip shows how Apex surveys the site and finds the source of the rats before any treatment begins.
Transparent Pricing
How Much Does Rat Control Cost?
£160 + VAT for rat control — fixed and confirmed on site after inspection, before any work begins. No hidden charges, no call-out fee.
Prices from
£160
+ VAT · price confirmed on site after inspection
- Two professional visits + tamper-proof bait stations
- Full inspection & written entry-point report
- 12-month guarantee for rats
- Heavy infestation needing a third visit: £60, agreed in advance
Worried a DIY box won’t fix it? Council rat treatment is a paid service for most Yorkshire homeowners — from £124.80 in Sheffield to £160 in Leeds — and none of the councils cover weekends. Apex Pest Control Ltd is BPCA-certified, works 7 days a week, and backs every rat treatment with a 12-month proofing guarantee.
Commercial rat control is priced on a tailored site survey — contact us for a free commercial survey. View our full domestic price list.
Why Choose Apex Pest Control?
Apex Pest Control Ltd is a local, independently run pest control company serving South and West Yorkshire. Tony Johnson personally carries out the majority of Sheffield and South Yorkshire rat treatments. Nathan Marshall (BPCA certified) covers Leeds and West Yorkshire, and Tom Johnson (RSPH Level 2) delivers the same standard of service. Every job is carried out to professional industry standards.
Tony Johnson — Founder, BPCA Certified
Tony Johnson personally carries out the majority of Sheffield and South Yorkshire rat treatments. "Every rat job in Sheffield starts with finding how they're getting in — the drains, the gaps, the weak points. Get the entry point wrong and the treatment is only half the job."
BPCA Certified & CRRU Compliant
All technicians hold current BPCA certification and are CRRU Phase 2 compliant — legally qualified to apply professional-grade SGARs that DIY products cannot match.
Available 7 Days a Week
We operate Monday to Friday 08:00–19:00 and Saturday to Sunday 08:00–13:00. In most cases we can arrange a visit within one to two working days.
£5M Public Liability
Fully insured to £5M public liability, and every technician is DBS checked. You are protected on every visit, in every property type.
Transparent Pricing
£160 + VAT, quoted before we start. No hidden call-out fees, no surprise charges on domestic rat treatments.
Domestic & Commercial
Apex Pest Control Ltd provides domestic and commercial rat control across South and West Yorkshire — for homes, rental properties, restaurants, warehouses, and care homes. Businesses can arrange cover through our commercial pest control service.
CHAS Accredited
CHAS accreditation confirms our health, safety, and compliance standards meet the requirements for commercial contracts.
Where Do We Provide Rat Control?
Apex Pest Control Ltd provides professional rat control across South and West Yorkshire. Choose your nearest area for local availability, pricing, and area-specific advice — or see commercial cover below.
Rat Control for Businesses, Landlords & HMOs
Apex Pest Control Ltd also protects rental properties, HMOs, restaurants, care homes, and food businesses across South and West Yorkshire — with written treatment reports for compliance, priced on a tailored site survey.
Pest Intelligence
About Brown Rats — Behaviour & Facts
Understanding how brown rats behave explains why professional bait stations and proofing work where DIY poison and traps alone do not.
Rat Control — Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions we hear most often. If yours is not listed, call us on 0114 349 1098.
Need Rat Control in Your Area?
Speak to a BPCA-certified technician today. Apex Pest Control Ltd covers Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, and Leeds — 7 days a week.