How to get rid of rats under your deck

Quick overview

• Rats burrow under decks for shelter, food, and water nearby
• Burrows are usually round, about four inches wide, with smooth edges
• Look for droppings, gnaw marks, and grease rub marks along the deck
• Removing food sources and sealing gaps helps limit new burrows
• A professional inspection helps catch every entry point and nesting site

If you've noticed small holes in the dirt near your deck, or caught a rustling sound underneath it after dark, you may be dealing with a rat’s nest under your decking. Decks make an appealing hideout for rats: they're dark, sheltered from weather, and often close to food sources like a trash can, bird feeder, or compost pile. Left alone, a rat burrow can quickly turn into a nesting site for a growing colony.

Why rats burrow under decks

Rats need three things to settle in: shelter, food, and water. A deck checks the first box perfectly. The space underneath is dry, hidden from predators, and undisturbed, which makes it an ideal spot to dig a burrow and raise a litter. Burrows are usually small, round holes about four inches wide that lead down into a tunnel system.

Decks near a food source make the problem worse. Rats will travel for food, but they're far more likely to settle close to one. Common attractants near decks include pet food left outdoors, fallen fruit or birdseed, unsecured compost, and trash cans without tight-fitting lids. Rats are also drawn to standing water, so a leaking hose or poorly draining yard can make your property more appealing.

Signs you have rats burrowing under your deck

Rats tend to stay out of sight during the day, but they leave behind plenty of evidence. Watch for:

• Small burrow holes in the soil around or under the deck
• Droppings, which are dark and about three-quarters of an inch long
• Gnaw marks on wood, deck posts, or nearby structures
• Greasy rub marks along the edges of the deck where rats travel repeatedly
• Scratching or scurrying sounds at night

If you spot one of these signs, it's worth assuming there's more than one rat nearby, since they breed quickly once a burrow is established.

Steps to help get rid of rats under your deck

A few consistent steps can help send rats elsewhere and keep them from coming back:

• Remove food and water sources. Secure trash cans with tight-fitting lids, store pet food indoors, clean up fallen fruit or birdseed, and fix any leaking outdoor faucets or hoses. Taking away the reasons rats chose your yard in the first place makes it less appealing for them to stay
• Clear away clutter and hiding spots. Stacked wood, overgrown vegetation, and debris piles near the deck give rats extra cover. Trimming back plants and tidying up the area around the deck removes some of that shelter
• Seal off access points. Installing a barrier, such as hardware cloth buried a foot or so into the ground around the perimeter of the deck, can help prevent rats from digging new burrows beneath the deck. This works best as part of a broader exclusion plan, since rats are persistent diggers and can find gaps in a DIY barrier over time
• Call in a professional for exclusion and removal. Rats are persistent diggers, and gaps around a deck's perimeter can be hard to seal effectively on your own. A good rodent exclusion service seals off entry points correctly the first time.

Health risks of a rat burrow near your home

A rat burrow under your deck is more than a nuisance since it can bring health risks closer to your family's outdoor space. According to the CDC, rats can carry and spread diseases such as leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and rat-bite fever through droppings, urine, or bites. 

Pets that dig near an active burrow can also pick up fleas or ticks carried by rats, bringing those risks indoors. 

Get help from the professionals

A rat burrow under your deck rarely resolves on its own, and the longer it's active, the more it can spread. 

Our rat control technicians can remove an active burrow and help identify what's drawing rats to your yard in the first place, while our rodent exclusion service seals off entry points to help keep them from coming back.