Rat(s) in my attic

ice30

need some advise please, in a rented house at the moment, and a rat/rats have gotten into the house, well into the attic anyway,called the pest control guy nd he put sum bait out back, this kinda thing has happened to previous tenants but we only found this out lately, we also have a 6month old in the house this is our main concern, if I had known der was an issue with rodents I would never have moved in first day, so is time to go or stay and try nd get it sorted, my partner is set on moving

Nomis21

I had the same problem. Got the cat welfare to give me one of their rescued cats and within minutes of his arrival the rats ran for their lives, never to be seen again...

Solly my cat sleeps on my bed every night and all he asks for in life for doing such an efficient rat killing job is a 2 euro packet of tesco's cat food every week.

MaggotBrain

Wouldn't be ideal having a cat about with a young baby though. Have those 3 of those ultra sound emitters at home up in the attic and haven't had a rodent since.

Kevin McCloud

Cats will only do so much, a mother rat will will walk all over any cat. A ferret is the only job.

shamrock55

Why is the cat going to eat the baby or something

MaggotBrain

Allergies would spring to mind. Also may be an urban myth but I've heard of cats climbing up on unattended babies for warmth. Not something I'd take a risk with no matter how ludacris it sounds.

Kevin McCloud

shamrock55 wrote: »

Why is the cat going to eat the baby or something

The op is having problems with rats not cats

KKkitty

shamrock55 wrote: »

Why is the cat going to eat the baby or something

As with any animal there is a risk of the cat harming the baby. Ferrets are supposed to be good at getting rid of rodents.

shamrock55

KKkitty wrote: »

As with any animal there is a risk of the cat harming the baby. Ferrets are supposed to be good at getting rid of rodents.

Id rather have a cat around a baby then a ferret, we too had a rodent problem in our back yard though not in the house, have a cat now and i havent seen a rat since we got him, unless you count the dead ones he brings to the back door:D

KKkitty

shamrock55 wrote: »

Id rather have a cat around a baby then a ferret, we too had a rodent problem in our back yard though not in the house, have a cat now and i havent seen a rat since we got him, unless you count the dead ones he brings to the back door:D

Don't you just love those little presents

laurinjames

would these be four legged rats or two legged rats you have in your attic ?

Kevin McCloud

laurinjames wrote: »

would these be four legged rats or two legged rats you have in your attic ?

Is there a 2 leg rat?

bigroad

Ur main problem here is your water supply.
Do not drink from or wash your teeth from the tank supply.
Only use the main supply from the tap.
Give them poision and they will leave and then block the entrance holes.
I had the same prob and no more now.
If you need any more advice ask.

laurinjames

Kevin McCloud wrote: »

Is there a 2 leg rat?

oh yes indeed, there are many many of them out there

Kevin McCloud

laurinjames wrote: »

oh yes indeed, there are many many of them out there

seriously i have never seen any.

GG66

I saw two once. At least I think it was two, they were walking very close to each other and I could only see one head and one tail. Maybe it was one long one.

ted1

The pest control guy should have done more than lay bait.

Any time I have used them
They paid several visits to ensure they were gone and also more importantly identified the access points that they are using so that they can be blocked up so that they won't return.

Lucy and Harry

You need to block the way into the house.Or they will keep coming back again and again.Even if you do not want a cat get a terrier.Those Jack Russells love rat meat.Buy rat traps in a hard ware store and put them up in the attic yourself to save cash.

ice30

Lucy and Harry wrote: »

You need to block the way into the house.Or they will keep coming back again and again.Even if you do not want a cat get a terrier.Those Jack Russells love rat meat.Buy rat traps in a hard ware store and put them up in the attic yourself to save cash.

heres the thing, I see a hole that they possibly could be getting in ,but theres decking covering nearly all the back yard of the house, its built up against the house also,maybe they found a way in under that, we are still thinking of moving out because of this problem, will I get my deposit back if we do?

ice30

Lucy and Harry wrote: »

You need to block the way into the house.Or they will keep coming back again and again.Even if you do not want a cat get a terrier.Those Jack Russells love rat meat.Buy rat traps in a hard ware store and put them up in the attic yourself to save cash.

heres the thing, I see a hole that they possibly could be getting in ,but theres decking covering nearly all the back yard of the house, its built up against the house also,maybe they found a way in under that, we are still thinking of moving out because of this problem, will I get my deposit back if we do?

endacl

ice30 wrote: »

heres the thing, I see a hole that they possibly could be getting in ,but theres decking covering nearly all the back yard of the house, its built up against the house also,maybe they found a way in under that, we are still thinking of moving out because of this problem, will I get my deposit back if we do?

Decking? Rat paradise.

nuckeythompson

ice30 wrote: »

heres the thing, I see a hole that they possibly could be getting in ,but theres decking covering nearly all the back yard of the house, its built up against the house also,maybe they found a way in under that, we are still thinking of moving out because of this problem, will I get my deposit back if we do?

This is your landlords responsibility end off - what has the landlord said?

This happened with a friend of mine and his landlord said he breached the contract. PRTB involved and said the landlord should have provided him with a safe home

deadlybuzzman

I was in the same situation previously with mice. There was loads of them in the house and I couldn't kill them with traps faster than what they were reproducing. In the end we got pest control in and because I already closed off any little gaps into the house with steel wool all he did was put out bait boxes both in the house and outside.
It worked but it cost alot. Get yourself to a hardware shop and get a load of poison and bait boxes

K-9

Lucy and Harry wrote: »

You need to block the way into the house.Or they will keep coming back again and again.Even if you do not want a cat get a terrier.Those Jack Russells love rat meat.Buy rat traps in a hard ware store and put them up in the attic yourself to save cash.

That's what Jack Russells were bred for, rats loved flax factories so the Jack Russells would scurry about under the machines and catch them.

Dfmnoc

When you do get rid of them try getting one of these

MaggotBrain

Dfmnoc wrote: »

When you do get rid of them try getting one of these

Same yoke I have x 3. Haven't heard a peep since buying them.

james2015

bigroad wrote: »

Ur main problem here is your water supply.
Do not drink from or wash your teeth from the tank supply.
Only use the main supply from the tap.
Give them poision and they will leave and then block the entrance holes.
I had the same prob and no more now.
If you need any more advice ask.

Never put poison in your house, a recipe for disaster. The poison like storm or any others gives a rat an unbearable urge for water and if there is no lids on your attic tanks that's where they will end up and now you will have a contaminated supply. The only option is to catch all of them and the best way to do this is get two terriers or cats/ferrets and leave them in the attic for a while then block all the holes/cracks up when the job is done.

Dial Hard

james2015 wrote: »

Never put poison in your house, a recipe for disaster. The poison like storm or any others gives a rat an unbearable urge for water and if there is no lids on your attic tanks that's where they will end up and now you will have a contaminated supply. The only option is to catch all of them and the best way to do this is get two terriers or cats/ferrets and leave them in the attic for a while then block all the holes/cracks up when the job is done.

Plus there is nothing like the stink of a dead rat or mouse slowly decomposing somewhere completely inaccessible in your house.

ClareGal2015

Has anyone who posted here have any tips on how to locate the rat entry points for an attic? I am anxious to block them off and put a stop to this for good. Live in a semi-detached bungalow (wall is rough cast so heard they can actually climb right up that?) but no real obvious entry points apart from a drain pipe. Or if anyone can recommend which pest control companies are any good? Cheers.

...__...

Had this problem 2 years in a row
first things first
Water you need to seal your attic tank with a lid even a heavy sheet of wood should do it for now, But the hard plastic ones are around 30 euro from a builders providers (make sure to measure the tank).

Then poison and traps run a small piece of steel wire through the centre of the bait blocks and secure each end that way they have to eat it there as opposed to taking it away and risk losing it.

You will see the poo try and follow it to where they may get in even the smallest crack or hole they will get through seal up with cement with some chicken wire inside as they go through the wire will cut them.

Its safe to go up in the day but avoid an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset and the night. A good torch and an attic light are necessities.

Cats are no use against rats a cat WILL come off worse unless its a baby rat rats are NOT AFRAID of cats. and those ultrasonic things just are a waste they will not rid your house there is no evidence of ultrasonic affecting a rat (google it).
Around the outside of the house look for overhanging branches, ivy anything like that they can climb up. fascia boards are almost always rotten somewhere you have to patch them up.

Hopefully they are only feeding scrounging around and not nesting but they will generally stay within 50 metres of the nest.

Talk to your L/L this bit is ****ty he must make sure the house is sealed up secure etc. but unfortunately if there is a rodent problem its your responsibility. ( I looked already that's what I found out )

The pest company shouldn't have just put bait in the garden some blocks in the attic at least 6 is the right way to go as well as some bait boxes in the garden. Traps are great better than great make sure there rat traps much bigger than mouse ones. Place along walls where they will run in straight lines. I doubt that they are nesting as the weather is getting better so shouldn't be a problem with the rotting smell. one other great trick is a bowl of anti freeze with a 50 50 mix of water. Lovely smell and sweet taste they cant resist get the mix just right and a huge amount will die on the spot drinking it.

for around the garden cut some pieces of pipe about a foot and a half long (2" pipe is best) place bait in the middle so animals cant get to it.

Also don't bother with diy shop poison its too weak contrac blox are the best available. Farmers supply shops argi shops etc. will be your best bet

First year I got a company out cost 240 euro then in my job we have a pest guy who I asked he popped round and sorted everything a great friend now try asking in your job as those guys are too happy to do a nixer

foxy farmer

Had a problem with a rat when building my house 12 yrs ago. Heard him rooting one morning. Blocked every hole i could find with expanding foam. He came back after a few days. Got a few bait blocks put a hole in them and tied one on each end of a30ft long piece of twine. Put them out when lads had gone home. 2 down stairs and 1 upstairs. The following morning i found his exit. He had dragged one of the blocks from downstairs up a ladder(yes) and out a new hole under sewer pipe in upstairs bathroom. That hole was blocked and he was never seen again.
Try it. It might give you an idea where hes coming from.
Had mice in attic last october. Dug through expanding foam around pipes going from boiler into the house and took up residence in the attic. 2 traps and some chocolate sorted them in 3 days.
Vents for dryers cooker hoods shower fans should have a intact flap on outside wall and a rigid plastic or metal pipe going through the wall to stop them getting into the wall cavity