If you want to get rid of rats living under your deck, you need to do three things: remove what attracts them, block their entry points, and use traps or deterrents. It's essential to be thorough at every step so rats won't come back.

Remove What Attracts Rats

Rats are drawn to places where they can eat, drink, and hide. Take these steps to make your yard and deck area unattractive:

• Clear away any fallen fruit, bird seed, pet food, or compost piles near the deck — these are easy meals for rats
• Trim back bushes and plants touching the deck so rats have fewer hiding spots
• Ensure there are no water sources nearby, like leaky hoses, dripping taps, or trays under potted plants
• Keep garbage in bins with tight-fitting lids and clear away any rubbish, wood, or materials stored under or close to the deck

Block Entry and Exit Points

The material matters: chicken wire has large openings that rats easily pass through. Window screen is chewed through. Only 1/4-inch galvanized hardware cloth (also called hardware mesh) effectively excludes rats from deck voids.

Step-by-step deck exclusion:

• Step 1: Dig a 6-inch trench around the perimeter of the deck
• Step 2: Attach 1/4-inch hardware cloth (NOT chicken wire — rats chew through it) to the deck frame, extending it down into the trench and bending it outward underground at an L-shape to prevent burrowing under the mesh
• Step 3: Backfill the trench
• Step 4: Add an L-shaped apron of hardware cloth at the base for additional burrowing protection

For smaller holes, pack steel wool tightly — rats cannot chew through it. For larger holes, combine hardware cloth with expanding foam or concrete for a permanent fix. Check each year for new gaps, especially after winter freeze-thaw cycles.

Use Traps for Active Rats

If rats are still present after making the area less inviting and sealing entry points, use traps to remove remaining individuals.

• Snap traps are the most effective choice — place parallel to the deck's outer wall, near droppings or gnawed wood, baited with peanut butter, unsalted seeds, or dried fruit
• Avoid poison baits: rats may crawl away and die in hard-to-reach places causing odor, and poison is dangerous for pets, children, and wildlife
• Check traps daily wearing gloves; double-bag dead rats and place in outdoor garbage

New Hampshire Decks: Higher Risk

In wooded New Hampshire neighborhoods, rats nesting under decks are typically Norway rats establishing a colony from a burrow network. The deck provides overhead protection from predators. If you have a wooded property or backing vegetation, deck exclusion is strongly recommended as a preventive measure even without visible rat activity — the wooded NH environment creates ongoing pressure from outdoor colonies seeking shelter.

Consider Natural Deterrents (Optional, but Less Effective)

Peppermint oil, ammonia-soaked rags, and ultrasonic devices are generally much less effective than exclusion and trapping. Rats usually ignore these once they realize they're harmless. Cats and dogs may deter some rats, but don't rely on pets to solve the problem.

Ongoing Prevention

Once you've gotten rid of the rats, maintain these strategies so they don't return:

• Keep vegetation trimmed and don't store clutter around the deck
• Check the outside of your home, sheds, and garage for new gaps at least twice a year
• Promptly clean up food spills or garbage in your yard
• Encourage neighbors to follow similar routines — rats move from one property to the next if food and shelter are available

When to Call a Professional

If you continually see rats or suspect a large infestation under or around your deck, contact Anchor Pest Services. We have specialized tools to handle persistent problems and can ensure rats are removed safely and permanently. Call (603) 785-0118) for a same-day inspection across New Hampshire.

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