Rat problem

[wackyraces]

Hi all

I live in an end terraced house and have been having problems with rats in my loft every year. Originally they were coming up the internal soil stack. I sealed this up with loads of poison and galvanized wire mesh. This seem to stop them for a while. They have now found another way into the loft of which I cannot find. I've put traps and poison down etc. They have had a small chew on the poison but completely avoid the traps. I purchased a Pestclear Pro, which I was told would solve the problem but it hasn't. Any advice on what I can do to get rid of them? Should I mount the Pestclear pro in the loft?

I wasn't sure if I should post it in this forum of the loft forum.

Thanks.

 

[masona]

Any advice on what I can do to get rid of them? Should I mount the Pestclear pro in the loft?

Many years ago my local council did it free of charge, I don't know if it's still free, might be an idea to ring them and see what they say.

 

[Diyisfun]

Have you tried contacting your local council?

 

[wackyraces]

I've contacted the Local Council every time they appear. They put the poison down in the bags and then go away again. The rats come along eat the poison, go away for a few days then come back. I've run out of ideas now.

 

[trowelhead]

I had rats under our floor nearly a year ago and the stench is still there,i really can understand what you are going through.No one can understand what its like untill it affects you.
The council i used charged £45 to put poison under the floor and was as usefull as a choccy teapot! I got rid of mine by knowing the only place they got in,blocked it off and then allowed an exit for them.
The only way i can see you getting rid is to sit in the loft after about 4 to 5 ish and watch where they come in from,block it off, check everywhere for holes(the council bloke said a rat can get thru' a hole the size of your thumb!) and then get a mate with ferrets or jack russells up there!
That might sound drastic but they have to be killed or ejected but you have to know how they are getting in or everything you do will be a waste of time.

 

[breezer]

you say rat traps are a waste of time, i have to disagree. we had one rat got in our house, it chewed through some cables to get in, but that is another story, i put down poison , traps to no avail. rang council they said they would put poison down (marvelous) i looked on the web and found the answer.

rats are creatures of habbit and will follow walls, what you have to do is put rat traps (not mice traps) down two at a time, one opposite way than the other (so that which way the rat goes it should pass one of them)

Please dont tell me you put cheese on them as bait, they dont like cheese, i found that something moist works, like cake or even tangerine segment, but NOT biscuits.

you may have to put several pairs down, but we got our rat within 2 days.

since seen a rat in the garden, he was killed next night using same method.

rat poison is a waste since they become imune to it and you cant see if they are dead (only smell them 6 months later)
no rat has ever become imune to a broken neck, i have a picture but its not for the squeamish.

Q & B do sell both rat and mice traps, get rat traps as they are bigger, you want the ones like you see in tom and gerry.

good luck

 

[wackyraces]

Thanks for the replys. The rats always appear around 2am in the morning and stay until around 5am. I've put peanut butter on the trap, so I hope they like it! I'll get some more rat traps, as I never thought about placing 2 together, so they can't turn around without running into one of them. It's really annoying when you are woken up at night by the patter of many tiny feet on your ceiling! I'll try shifting the Pestclear unit into the loft as well.

 

[breezer]

i take it you did use cheese then?

Perhaps i wasnt quite clear as to why you have 2 traps, its not the turning round, its because you do not know which way the rat will be coming from.
so you should put them close to a wall either side by side or end to end



< >

or
<
>


I am the owner of at least 10 rat traps, most are sitting in the cupboard just in case.

 

[wackyraces]

Thanks for the tips on the way to put the traps. I'll get quite a few and then spread them around the loft. It's difficult to determine where they are coming from, as the sound travels through the walls etc. I'll find them though.

 

[Screwfix]

Hi all...

First time on this Forum...

I just googled Rat Problem in the Roof and this came up...
I have been using CHEESE in my Rat Traps, no wonder I am not catching anything!!
I have got a few bits of sausages left over and will use them instead...

Have had Rats in the Loft for about 4 months now, habe used the Electronic Rat Repelants but they dont seem to work...

Hope Rats like Sausages...

 

[bobby spray]

Rats are thirsty animals and need water (probably why they like sewers)
The best bait for to trap them, believe it or not is Potato! as it satisfies the water and sustenance requirements.
Forget the traps from B&Q get yourself a Fenn MK VI.

 

[JohnD]

Also find out where they are getting their food and water.

If it is hamburgers dropped in the street you might not be able to cure it, but if it is rubbish left in bags, or petfood left out, or food left on rat-tables, try to put a stop to it.

Rat-tables are very common in gardens. Sometimes bird come along and steal some of the rat-food, but when they do, they always scatter some of the rat-food on the ground (the rats can also climb up to the rat-table).

Here is a typical rat-table. If you or your neighbours have one of these there is no need to stand and shout "Here, Ratty, Ratty, Ratty!" as they will come anyway, in droves

Rat-table

 

[Symptoms]

Screw - how about discovering how they get into your loft & then block-up their access. Rat are good climbers. Any overhanging trees? - lop the offending branches. Trellis up the wall? - create a gap to from there to eaves. If house is a semi or terrace? - check the party wall in the loft space for gaps/holes then fill with sand/cement mortar. Wire mesh (not chicken wire, get some expanded metal mesh) gaps in soffit/facia boards as they can get across the slates/tiles/; any of these missing?

 

[Screwfix]

Thankyou all for your advice...

I googled Fenn MK VI and it looks really deadly...

I have baited the traps with Susages, I check after a few days and nothing, the sasuages had dried out and didnt look too good, not even foe a Rat I dont think...

I will try the Potatoe bait today and see if that works...

I have checked the places that they could possibley get into, but there seems to be quite a few, I have a cavity wall... I have blocked up all the air vents using !cm square wire mesh and doubled this up on all the vents at the basment of the house...

I do shift work ( Yea Olde Bill ) so I need all the sleep I can get so when I get disturbed it really tires me out...

I am not into animal cruelty, but if I ever catch that Rat I will teach it a lesson or two!!

 

[breezer]

clicky