Most effective rat and squirrel seals?

[blackcloud]

Hi all

We have rats (for sure) and maybe a squirrel that are in our loft.
The council had environmental health lest control out who laid baits etc.
They advised I have a roofer or similar to check for entry points in the roof and on the outside of the building and seal up any entry points.
This is not something I can do so looking a professional company to do this.
However please can others advise the most effective sealants to cover up holes? Proofing (what type), sealant, rodent-proofing paste etc? Need something that's going to last for years and not something that only last a year.
So need to ensure who ever seals up entry points uses the very best materials etc?

There's no infestation yet just started to get a few visitors in last few days up there.

Only caught on camera the rats and no squirrels but suspect maybe a squirrel too as it was during the day and very nosiey and the way a box was ripped into looks like a squirrel.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Dunno about “best” but when I had a squirrel …

It entered via a corner of the roof where the gutter turned a corner. I believe that a bird had previously built a nest there and that squirrels look for birds nests as possible sites to start one of their own.

I used the reinforced expanded metal that is in a diamond pattern - stainless I think, nicked from work.
A pest controller recommended that after setting up a one way “cat flap” (so I din’t trap the animal inside if it was still there)
I should soak the repair area in Jeyes Fluid as squirrels use scent to discover old nest sites.

I screwed the mesh to the nibbled joist that the squirrel had used to enlarge the hole, making sure that it was double fixed to the timber and under the tiles. Then haunched the area with cement and a stainless pot scourer to discourage any digging.

It worked so far (20 years)

 

[johnny2007]

Yes, metal mesh is good.
For uneven gaps, use chicken wire bent to shape and then filled with steel wool.
Hold everything together with silicone.
Rodents will try to chew but will cut their gums and give up immediately.

 

[blackcloud]

Had a guy out from a pest control company and he said its almost impossible to proof up the roof as just so many possible entry points. As there's areas where there's open flooring with insulation showing etc. Trouble is I'm in a 6 house terraced and the rats are just running freely along the neighbours lofts.
All the 6 neighbours have rat droppings in the lofts.

Can I also ask this question.

How can I proof off this hole (behind toilet brush) as the previous owners cut a hole though the plastic so you can access the stopcock and that round bit of plastic just comes out and then back in.
But as it's an entry point from within the walls and pipes and outside I want to proof it off but somehow allow for me to still access it if I need to use the stopcock.
Please can some people give me some ideas? Thanks

 

[Odds]

For starters i'd use a boxcutter to cut a cleaner hole, then apply a simple latch across the flap to prevent access from outside.

 

[blackcloud]

For starters i'd use a boxcutter to cut a cleaner hole, then apply a simple latch across the flap to prevent access from outside.

Thanks. So you mean put another piece of plastic over the top and then a latch to open and close it?
Any links to any materials I would need would be really helpful. Thanks

 

[foxhole]

Pest control needs to trace where they are coming from (and bait that) not where they are going.