Filling in Front Yard With Concrete to Prevent Rats

also rats can chew through cement.

slopegirl

in Pest Control 12 years and 6 months ago

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borderline | 12 years and 7 months ago

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I want to fill my front yard (between the house and the sidewalk) with concrete.  Presently, the 7’ by 7’ area is filled with loose stone and dirt.  There have been a couple of rats borrowing in the ground there and I am looking for a way to put an end to their habitat.  I have tried flushing them out and using rat poison.  I have been fined by the city for having signs of rats, which is frustrating because my garbage is always kept neat and inside cans.  We live near restaurants, and I feel that this is why they are making their home in my front yard.  Two questions: Can anyone confirm, or suggest otherwise, that filling this area with concrete is the best way to ensure the rats cannot come back? Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations of someone who would fill this small area with concrete for a decent price?  I want the concrete to go about 9 or 10 inches deep to destroy any tunnels they may be using. Thanks in advance.

greenwoodgeneral | 12 years and 7 months ago

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Unfortunately, and you probably don’t want to hear this, but your concrete will not stop the rats. The work will temporarly displace them, and you will see a lot of more of them- but odds are their tunnels go deeper than 9″ underground, and they have other ways in. They will come back. You will have spent a ton of money, and be stuck with rats and a concrete front yard. Have you dealt with a good exterminator? They will be able to get rid of them. We lived in a place once as renters where rats had tunnels under the concrete backyard, and it took a few tries with different exterminators, but we finally got rid of them.

Putnamdenizen | 12 years and 7 months ago

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Is it even legal to concrete over your front yard?  I thought there was a new ordinance which limited the amount of hard surface one could have in yards.

elbow | 12 years and 7 months ago

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Unfortunately if you’re on a block with restaurants, you may never completely get rid of the problem. I agree that the concrete won’t work. Rats will just find an edge or seam and be at it again in a year or so. For a slightly longer term solution you can clean the area, including the lower portion of building walls, with a bleach solution to eliminate historcal scent trails. I’ve also found that stuffing the holes with broken glass and tight steel wool gets rid of them faster than the exterminator. The best solution, one that’s working for us and the neighbors in the back, is a cat. Our neighbor had 14 huge rat holes in their back yard. This cat showed up and within a month or two, no more rats back there at all. Now he’s our esteemed pet. As far as the violations, we get one about every other spring. What is it about people making 311 calls about something we’re not at all responsible for – we gave up keeping any garbage outside years ago! Well you won’t have to pay a fine if the holes are gone when an inspector comes back and you file a receipt report from your exterminator with the health dept. They will however bill you $167 for their inspection.