How to Tell How Many Rats You Have (& Get Rid of Them)

Plus, how many rats are in a colony and whether they can return

Co-authored by Chris Parker and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: March 25, 2026 Fact Checked

• Determining Infestation Size
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• Signs of Infestation
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• Typical Colony Size
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• Removing Rats
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• Extermination Timeframe
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• Signs the Rats Are Gone
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• Can rats return?
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• Where Rats Come From
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• Video
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• Expert Interview

|Show more |Show less

Rats are devious little critters, and they don’t make it easy for you when it comes to figuring out how bad an infestation is. Since the rats won’t voluntarily come out in the open and let you count them, you’re going to have to estimate how many rats you’ve got on hand. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to do this. Read on to learn everything you’ll need to know about determining how many rats you’ve got to deal with, how to get rid of them, and more.

How do you know how many rats are in your house?

• Look at the size and number of poops: Variations in size and lots of different poops scattered about can indicate a colony of old and young rats.
• Look at the size and number of bite marks: Different-sized bite and scratch marks all over surfaces can indicate a colony of rats shaving their teeth down.
• Look at the number of tracks they leave behind: Multiple tracks are a sign that there’s more than one rat. Pour out flour in their suspected path to help count the tracks they leave behind.

Steps

Section 1 of 8:

Determining How Many Rats You Have

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   A variation in droppings size indicates a large colony. Rat droppings are rice-shaped, and normally around ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) in length. If you find rat droppings and they’re all different sizes, it’s a sign that there is a combination of younger and older rats. This implies you have a larger infestation on your hands.

   • House cleaning professional James Sears says rat poop carries all kinds of disease, so discard the poop in a paper towel and clean the surface with a bleach- or vinegar-based cleaner to disinfect it.
   • Mouse poop is usually ¹⁄₄–¹⁄₈ inch (0.64–0.32 cm) in length. If you don’t find any droppings at all that are around ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm), you may only have mice.
   • Can you know exactly how many rats are in your home? No, there’s no way to physically count the exact number of rats living in your home. However, you can get a really good sense for how bad an infestation is by looking at the intensity of the signs.
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   A lot of scratch and bite marks indicate a bigger rat infestation. Use the size and number of holes to determine the infestation. If you stumble on the occasional scratch or bite in your flooring, it’s probably just a small colony. However, if you see large holes in your drywall in multiple rooms and there are corners of your wood furniture with large chunks missing, there are likely a large number of rats.

   • This applies to lofts, decking, and garages, too. If you notice scratch and bite marks on wires, boxes, pipes, and decking boards, that’s a sign of an infestation.
   • Rats bite, chew, and shred different objects to shave their teeth down, as they never stop growing.
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   The size and number of rat nests demonstrate a larger problem. The presence of a nest alone means that there are probably a good number of rats in your home. However, if you find actual nests in your crawl space, rafters, or basement, check to see how big they are. Ask yourself, “How many rats could fit on this nest?” This should give you a sense for how many rats you have in your home.

   • If you can’t find any nests, it’s possible the rats aren’t sleeping in your home, and they’re going elsewhere every night to get some shut-eye.
   • Indoor rat nests typically hold between 5 to 15 rats.
4. 
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   If the noise is keeping you up at night, there are likely a lot of rats. If you can hear things crawling, scratching, and gnawing inside of your walls, floors, and ceilings at all hours of the night, you’ve probably got a pretty big rat problem on your hands. If you only occasionally hear a little scurrying here and there, it’s likely only a handful of rats.

   • Pay attention to where you’re hearing the noise, as well. If you hear noises in your walls and ceilings all over your home, the odds are higher that the infestation is fairly large.
5. 
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   The number of rats you see tells you a lot about the colony. If you’ve only seen one rat in the past two weeks, your problem may not be particularly extensive. However, if you’re seeing rats every day or so, or you’ve turned on a light at night and 3-4 rats scurry, you’ve probably got a pretty extensive rat infestation on your hands.

   • Rats go out of their way to stay out of sight and avoid you, so the more rats you see, the more likely it is that the infestation is pretty extensive.
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Section 2 of 8:

Signs You Have Rats in Your Home

1. 
   Rat sightings, droppings, and scratch marks are indicators you have rats. If you see a rat inside your home, you’ve likely got a rat problem. Even if you don’t see them, they still may be there. For example, pest control specialist Chris Parker says if you see grease marks on corners and holes, you may have rats, as they accumulate oil on their fur and drag it on their path. Other key signs you’ve got a rat infestation on your hands include:

   • Rice-sized poop: Different-sized poops can indicate that there are young and old rats in your home.
   • Scratching or scurrying sounds in the wall: Listen for these noises at night, as that’s when rats are most active.
   • Small nests made of paper, insulation, and wood: These nests may be in the burrows of attics, walls, basements, or backyard areas. The size can give you an idea of how many rats you have.
   • Footprints near corners: Multiple track marks can indicate multiple rats. You can pour flour or sand onto their path to get an idea of how many tracks they leave.
   • Scratches and bite marks: The number and size of scratches and bite marks can give you an estimate of the number and size of rats in your home.

Section 3 of 8:

How many rats live together?

1. 
   Ordinary rats usually live in groups of up to 12. The ordinary Norway rats are social creatures, so they already like to be in groups. Once you factor in how much they breed, you can easily get an infestation of 4 or more rats in your home, depending on their access to water, food, and warm areas to nest. It’s important to act quickly when you spot a nest so the population doesn’t grow.

   • It’s rare, but sometimes, even more than 12 rats may reside in a single nest.
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Section 4 of 8:

How to Solve a Rat Infestation

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   Remove food and water sources by keeping a tidy home. The rats are in your home for a reason—they’ve got resources here. Remove those resources, and the rats may go away on their own. Sweep your floors, store your trash outside in a sealed bin, and remove any standing sources of water. The cleaner you can keep your home, the more likely you are to keep rats from running rampant.
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   Fill in any gaps or openings where rats may be coming in. Patch holes in your drywall and seal exterior gaps with caulk or sealant. The harder it is for rats to get in, the more likely it is that the rats will go somewhere else. Plus, rats can fit into small holes, so it’s important to patch them before they become a problem.

   • Parker says a rat can fit into a hole the size of a quarter, so if you have a quarter-sized hole somewhere in your home, it may be used for entry.
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   Set up traps if you suspect you’ve got a smaller infestation. If you’ve got the sense that you’re only dealing with 1-5 rats, trapping them is the best way to go. Purchase some no-kill traps and set some bait, like peanut butter or bacon scraps, inside. When you capture the rats, you can either kill them or release them at least 1 mi (1.6 km) from your home.

   • Glueboards work with mice, but they tend to be less than ideal for rats. Rats may be strong enough to keep moving around with a glue trap on them, or fight their way off the trap entirely.
   • Avoid using toxic bait. You’ll end up with smelly rat carcasses in your floorboards, walls, or crawlspaces.
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   Contact a professional to tackle larger infestations. Rats carry all kinds of diseases, and they can bite or scratch when they feel cornered. As such, it’s fairly difficult (and dangerous) for a non-professional to tackle a large rat infestation. Contact an exterminator or rodent control expert who has the skills and talents to remove a larger number of rats.
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Section 5 of 8:

How Long It Takes to Get Rid of Rats

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   It can take 1 to several weeks, depending on the number of rats. Getting rid of rats takes time and patience, and even then, there can just be a whole bunch of rats to work through. The size of the colony and the methods you use to get rid of them influence how long it takes, but no matter what, it’s important to seal up any holes, cut off food and water sources, and keep the area clean to stave off future infestations.

Section 6 of 8:

How do you know if rats are gone?

1. 
   The rats are gone when you no longer see signs of their presence. If there’s no more noise in your walls, the droppings stop showing up, and you don’t find any random holes in your drywall or cupboards, the rats are likely gone for good. The absence of any evidence is the most meaningful evidence of all, so don’t stop cleaning and checking traps until the major signs are gone.
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Section 7 of 8:

Do rats return to the same place?

1. 
   Yes, rats can and will return to the same place if they have access. Rats tend to establish home bases that they go to and from if the conditions are ideal. If they’re somewhere they feel safe, have access to food and water, and can easily get into and out of, they may keep returning, even if you move them outside. They are also strong navigators and can recognize places with their sight and smell.

Section 8 of 8:

Where do rats come from?

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   Rats can come from parks, fields, wooded areas, and garbage dumps. Rats often frequent these areas in search of food, so if you live close, you may be at higher risk for an infestation. If they smell any food or notice a hole on your property that leads them to a warm, secure place, they may help themselves and make a new home right under your nose.
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   Rats can also come from neighboring buildings. Rats scurry around at night and are excellent navigators, and if they’re in a building close to you, they can easily find a way into your building if it’s not properly sealed or protected. So if you ever notice rats scurrying around garbage near your neighbor’s building, you may want to take necessary precautions to protect your own.

   • Most commonly, rats get into buildings through cracks and holes in the walls, foundation, and floors.
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   Some rats get into your house by jumping off of branches. Parker says that “If there is a tree branch within six feet of your roof…a rat will jump off the tree, run down into your gutter, [and] there is very often a gap between the top of the gutter and the bottom of the shingles.” Rats will use this gap as an entrance into your house, like a front door.
4. 
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   There are even some rats that get in through your sewers and pipes. If rats smell the food that’s been washed down your drain and into the sewers, they may be able to follow the scent all the way into your home. Heavy flooding and rain can also drive them into the sewers and into your pipes as they search for food and safety.

   • Since kitchen drains tend to be too small for rats, they often try to come up through your toilet.
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Warnings

• Wear latex gloves if you’re handling any dead rats and disinfect the area with a sanitizing spray where you found the body.
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