If I Have One Rat Are There More?

Yes, if you see one rat, there are probably many more living in your house, in the attic or walls. Finding a rat in your home can be very off-putting, but in order to deal with the problem, you have to be realistic about the situation. Rats are social creatures by nature, and they breed very quickly, so if you spot a single rat, there is a reasonable chance that you have more than one. Look at photos of a nest of baby rats in the attic. That being said, you may be lucky and just have a single rat on your property or in your house. To understand why you are likely to have more than one rat, take a closer look at this rodent’s behavior, as discussed below. If you want to solve a rat problem, you can do it permanently. First, identify the extent of your problem by inspecting the house and attic for signs of damage from rats. To solve the problem, read the how to get rid of rats in the attic page.



Rats Are Social Creatures
As a general rule, rats will live in groups that are known as packs. The pack is started by a male and female rat and then will grow over time. Some packs may just have a single male with multiple females while others may have multiple dominant males in a single group. It is possible that you have a single rat or just two that are beginning their own pack. It is much more likely, however, that you have a full pack and will need to make plans to deal with a larger group.

How To Handle Packs Of Rats
The method of dealing with a single rat is the same as a larger group of them, just on a different scale. Since rats breed so easily, most experts agree that the best method of dealing with them is snap traps. These will kill the rat instantly, making them a humane option that is also effective. Unless you are absolutely positive you only have a single rat, however, you shouldn’t set just one trap. Experts will always suggest you set at least a dozen or traps as this ensures you catch the most possible rats in the first attempt. You will want to set the traps again after the initial catch.

Can You Tell If There’s Just One?
Realistically, the only way to truly tell if there is just one rat is to catch it. If the noise stops and you don’t see any more, then you can confirm there was only one. Read more about rat trapping. You can also hire a wildlife expert to solve the problem for you, but unless they see multiple rats or hear noise from multiple locations at once, they can’t tell how many rats there are until you catch them. Even so, hiring a professional is the best way to ensure you catch all of the rats in your first attempt. Remember that missing even one or two can lead to a repeat problem as these rodents breed very quickly.