Rotterdam

Rats can cause significant damage to buildings, insulation and infrastructure, and are known to spread diseases through their feces, urine and parasites. They can also contaminate food and environments, posing a risk to both human health and the environment.

Should I report rats?

You have a duty to report rats regardless of whether you have rats at home, at your neighbor's, or in public spaces.

The fight must begin as soon as possible, and when you report rats on www.sonderborgkommune.dk/anmeldrotter The report will be sent directly to the pest control operator's tablet without any detours and with the correct information about address and telephone number.

You can also call, but this delays the process as there may be a typo and you may have to wait unnecessarily for the fight to start.

When will the rat exterminator arrive?

The fighter will contact you as soon as possible to arrange the first visit.

If the rat is indoors in your house, you should expect a call within 24 hours. In all other cases, it may take up to a week before the exterminator calls you.

Outside of normal opening hours, the guard keeps an eye on the reports. The guard will contact you if it is an indoor report, while you will be contacted on the next business day if it is an outdoor report.

A visit to the rat trap is free, but it is your responsibility to report rats or signs of rats.

What does the rat exterminator do at my place?

The exterminator will go around your property to find the reason why you have rats. Based on what is found, a control measure will be initiated using traps or poison.

You talk together about what you need to do to make the control effective and to avoid rats in the future.

You may be given a reminder sheet or a leaflet with tips and tricks to secure your property against rats.

How do I secure the sewer against rats?

Sewer damage is the most frequent reason why a citizen in Sønderborg Municipality has rats indoors.

Holes in the ground near the well or along the sewer line are a sign that the rats are coming from the sewer. A sewer smell indoors can also mean a burst pipe.

The firefighters will blow smoke into the hole, and if it gets into the well or into the sewer or rainwater pipe, you will need to contact the sewer master and your insurance.

It is a good idea to have a rat trap installed in the property's sewage pipes so that rats cannot gain access from the public sewer into your system. A rat trap must be installed by an authorized installer, and it is a good idea to have it serviced once a year.

Can I feed birds?

Bird feeding is the second most common cause of rats in Sønderborg Municipality. Bird feeding attracts rats, and you must feed with care. You must stop bird feeding while we are fighting rats, otherwise the rats will continue to eat bird food, they will not enter our traps, and the fight will take unnecessarily long.

Rats living next door can easily eat at your place, and therefore you may be asked to stop feeding while we control the neighbor's place.

Reduce the risk of attracting rats by following these tips:

• Rats are good climbers. Place your feeder on a thick, smooth post about 10 cm in diameter that the rat cannot get its claws into or get a grip around. Rats will also climb down ropes or chains and eat pellets of food hanging from trees or bushes.
• Rats are good at jumping. Place the feeding tray at least 1,5 m away from anything that can be climbed on, such as a hedge, fence, wall, barbecue, garden furniture or other objects.
• Birds are picky. They sort through the seeds and only eat their favorites. The rest ends up on the ground and becomes easy food for rats. Place a large spill tray under the feeding area to keep the ground free of seeds.
• Remove the peels every day and put them in the closed compost bin or food waste bin.
• Do not throw bird food directly onto the ground or grass.
• Do not put out more food than the birds can eat before evening. Feed the birds in the morning and remove it again in the evening.

Will I get rats if I have chickens, rabbits or other animals?

There is a risk of getting rats when you have chickens, ducks, birds, rabbits, horses or other animals on your property.

It is very important that you are careful with the animals' food. The food should be stored in closed containers. If you feed outside, the animals should not be given more food than they can eat before dark. If you feed inside, doors, gates and windows should be closed at night, and they should close tightly – alternatively, the food should be removed at night.

It may also be necessary to rat-proof the rabbit hutch, aviary, chicken coop or shed.

At the bottom, you can cast a base at least 60 cm into the ground, or dig tight-fitting tiles or galvanized aviary netting to a depth of 60 cm.

The sides and roof can be closed with aviary netting, which must fit tightly to the base, tiles, or aviary netting that is dug into the ground.

The aviary net must have a wire thickness of at least 1 mm. The mesh size must not exceed 10x20 mm.

How do I secure the house against rats?

Nobody wants rats, especially not indoors. A rat only needs 2 cm to get in.

Walk around the house and look for holes and cracks. Holes in the foundation and walls can be closed with cement. Holes in doors and gates and by windows can be closed with a steel plate.

Vegetation up against or close to the wall provides access for rats, mice and martens. Mow down so that there is a distance from the vegetation to your house of at least 1 meter vertically and 1,5 meters horizontally.

Rats can get into the attic through the gutter. They counterattack with their paws and backs and climb up inside the pipe. Downpipes must be closed off with a collar at the bottom and secured so that rats cannot use the downpipe as an access route.

On this page you can watch small films about how you can rat-proof your property.