05/05/2026
One thing we’ve noticed more and more from speaking to people across the pest control and drainage industries is just how much urban environments are contributing to rat activity.
It’s not one single issue. It’s the combination of dense populations, food waste, busy commercial areas, older infrastructure and interconnected drainage systems that creates the problem.
In towns and cities, rats have everything they need: food, shelter and hidden routes to move between locations. That’s why it’s so important to look beyond the visible infestation and ask where the problem is actually starting.
Drainage systems play a much bigger role than people realise, with 80% of rat infestations originating from sewers. If rats are entering through the drainage system, treatment alone won't solve the underlying issue. This is where many businesses and property owners get stuck in a frustrating cycle.
- Rats appear inside the building.
- Treatment is carried out.
- Activity reduces.
- But the drainage access point remains open.
Over time, rats are able to re-enter through the same route and the problem returns.
In many cases, the issue is not that pest control has failed. It is that the building has not been properly protected against re-entry.
We’ve written a new blog looking at why urban environments have become the perfect storm for rat activity, how rats are using drainage systems to enter buildings, and why prevention at source is becoming more important.
You can read it here: https://www.ratgate.co.uk/post/why-urban-environments-have-become-the-perfect-storm-for-rat-activity
We’d be really interested to hear what others are seeing, especially those working in pest control, drainage, facilities management and property maintenance.
