Rats, along with other rodents, are skilled diggers that might burrow outdoors long before you see them in your home or business. Find out how to identify rat holes and burrows, whether one might belong to another pest, and what to do once you’ve spotted one.
Rats create two distinct types of openings depending on where they're nesting. Burrows are dug into soil outdoors, while holes are gnawed through building materials to get indoors. Each tells a different story about an infestation.
A typical rat burrow starts with a smooth, round entry hole, usually two to four inches wide.
Active burrows have hard-packed, worn edges from repeated use. You'll often see loose, freshly dug soil scattered just outside the opening.
Underground, the tunnel usually leads to a short network of connected rooms used for nesting, food storage, and quick escape routes if a predator shows up.
Rat holes show up in and around buildings rather than in open ground, often gnawed through weak points like shed walls, kitchen cabinet bases, or gaps around pipework.
The edges tend to look rougher and more chewed than a burrow entrance, sometimes with small scratch or gnaw marks nearby.
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Burrows are dug outdoors in soft ground close to food, water, and cover, while holes are gnawed through building materials to get inside. You'll typically find burrows and holes in similar spots, including:
Because rats stay close to a reliable food source, burrows and holes near dumpsters, bird feeders, or pet food storage are especially common.
Burrows can quietly undermine your property, as rats dig close to foundations and slabs, wearing away supporting soil and contributing to cracks or settling over time. Holes carry a more direct risk, since a gnawed opening in a shed wall or cabinet base often becomes a rat's way inside.
Either way, their presence means rats are living and feeding close to your home or business, raising the chance of droppings, gnaw marks, and the health risks that come with them.
It can be tricky to tell exactly which rodent made a burrow just by looking at the hole, since several species dig similar-looking tunnels. Here's a quick guide to a few other common diggers:
To the untrained eye, many of these rodent burrows and holes will look the same. Figuring out which animals they belong to is difficult at the best of times. Our rodent control experts can help identify the species and design a custom treatment plan based on your property’s layout.
Rats can't dig through solid concrete, but they can exploit existing cracks, gaps, or weak points next to foundations and slabs. This is why burrows often appear right alongside a building rather than underneath intact concrete.
Look for smooth, compacted tunnel walls, fresh soil near the entrance, and recent droppings or rub marks. You can also loosely block the hole and check back in a day or two to see if it's been reopened. If you’re not sure, just give us a call.
A rat burrow typically has a smooth, round entrance about two to four inches wide, with a short tunnel network leading to nesting and food storage areas underground.
If you spot a rat hole in your house, avoid blocking it with caulk or foam, as rats can easily chew through most DIY materials. It's best to contact us for an inspection, as our technicians can confirm how rats are getting in and help seal entry points with longer-lasting exclusion materials.
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