Rat In The Toilet Or Coming Up The Drains
- How urgent
- Caution
- Who fixes it
- A pest controller
What's happening?
A rat in the toilet is rare, and it means a rat has found a way into the drainage that serves the house. Whether the way in is on your own drain run or further along is for a drainage engineer to establish with a camera survey. The council has a duty under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to take steps to keep its district free of rats and mice, so it is the first call for the rat itself. Rats in the loft are a different page.
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What usually causes it?
- A defect in the drain run that serves your property, which only a drain survey can confirm
- A problem in the wider sewer, which would be affecting other homes too
- A rat already on the property that has found its way into the drainage
Is it dangerous?
Medium. The NHS says leptospirosis is spread in the pee of infected animals, most commonly rats and mice, so avoid touching the rat, its droppings or wet surfaces. A cornered rat can bite. Keep children and pets out. A rat that has been in the toilet has been in a sewer, so clean and disinfect the pan and the floor and wash your hands.
Can I fix it myself?
Close the lid and the bathroom door, and put a weight such as a book on the lid. Do not flush it. Do not try to remove it yourself. Call your council, which has a duty to keep its district free of rats, or a pest controller. Check outside for open or broken drain covers and gullies, and keep toilet lids down. If neighbours have rats too, tell your council.
When should you call a pest controller?
Call a pest controller or your council straight away for a rat in the toilet, and a drainage engineer to survey the drain with a camera and find how it got in.
What will the pest controller actually do?
- Remove or treat the rat, and bait or trap along the drain run
- Advise that a drainage engineer should survey the drain run with a camera
- Refer any drain defect to a drainage engineer for repair
Who fixes this
- Mice and rat control
- Pest control inspection
Questions people ask
What do I do if there is a rat in my toilet?
Will the council deal with rats?
Is it dangerous to have a rat in the toilet?
Sources & References
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