Rat in the loft!! At wits end!!

[sunny84]

Not sure if I'm posting this in the right place but here goes. A week ago I started noticing scratching noises in the ceiling above my bedroom. Being petrified I called a private pest control company and the guy called the next morning. He's put bait under the floor boards, all through the loft and behind my bath panel. He put tracking dust down and came back a few days later. Using UV light he's found that it's coming from next door and the only bit of bait that had been touched was in the loft space joining to next door. Next door is a council house and they have put bait down but the pest control guy I've been using said the rat will actually be attracted to the better quality bait he uses. He came round yesterday to seal the loft for me and re pointed all possible entry points around the outside of my house.

I spent 150 for the call out and 3 visits plus 80quid for repointing and him sealing the entry point in the loft (wire and expanding foam). He was certain there would be no way a rat could get in now but laid in bed I can hear it every so often it's not loud but I'm sure it's not just paranoia!

Any further visits are free of charge and he does seem like a genuinely nice bloke who doesn't seem to be just ripping me off but I'm worried this problem is never gonna be sorted. With no entry points (he's looked everywhere possible and sealed everywhere) how can this problem ever be solved? Next door said they can't hear it now but I'm sure I can. Spent £230 (which I've had to borrow) and feel absolutely gutted to be honest. He said the bait can take 5 days to give them a lethal dose so in theory it should be dead by now!

Had this problem about 6 years ago and they eventually went after just putting my own bait down. Then nothing for years now this ......

When I originally went next door to ask if they had been hearing noises she said 'oh yeah I've been hearing it for a while I just assumed it was a pigeon' .. Give me strength 😣

 

[geraldthehamster]

http://www.pigeons.co.uk/pest-control/self-set-mouse-rat-trap.html

Comes in two sizes. Sure it's a rat and not a mouse?

We get mice coming in from the fields in the autumn (never have been able to find where they get in. I find the above traps 100% effective.

I don't like killing them but they skrit around under the floor, and I don't want them sharpening their teeth on my wiring or my plastic water pipes.

Cheers
Richard

 

[tony1851]

Traps with bait are the best option.

Don't get mouse traps, they will only trim the toe nails of some rats.

Don't set the trap but fill it with bait (the green stuff from B&Q), do this 2 or 3 nights to give it confidence.

Then set the trap and fill with bait (carefully - it might go off!).

You will eventually get it - you must persevere as they will chew lighting wiring, so causing a short and burning.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Traps with bait are the best option.

The most effective bait for a trap is peanut butter. You're trying to kill the mouse in the trap, not poison it.

Don't get mouse traps, they will only trim the toe nails of some rats..

Fully agree, hence my comment about being sure which size rodent you have. Is there evidence of either mice or rats in neighbouring properties? Some urban areas have issues with rats because of the amount of food rubbish strewn about. In my experience of town and country, mice are more common.

My take on mouse/rat traps:

Don't buy anything made mainly of plastic, or with a plastic sheath around the killing bar. These don't deliver enough force and can maim rather than kill outright.

The wooden "Little Nipper" and "Big Nipper" mouse and rat traps do deliver effective killing force. The only issue I've found is that because the treadle the animal stands on is the full width of the trap, it can occasionally be set off by a paw or a snout, again maiming the animal, which you don't want. I've found this to be unusual but it does happen, and isn't very nice to deal with.

In my opinion the best kind are the all-metal, British made "Easy Set" traps. They are activated by the rodent pushing a small metal prong upwards. A small amount of peanut butter *under" the prong ensures that the rodent is correctly positioned for a clean kill.

Used correctly, a rodent trap is humane. Poison, on the other hand, kills the animal over several days by inducing internal bleeding. This has to be painful and it's always surprised me that the stuff is allowed.

Don't set the trap but fill it with bait (the green stuff from B&Q), do this 2 or 3 nights to give it confidence.

As above, personally I wouldn't use poison. I don't see the logic of leaving the trap unset. The rodent only has to take the bait once; I don't see any need to gain its confidence

You will eventually get it - you must persevere as they will chew lighting wiring, so causing a short and burning.

And you can be sure they won't do it in a convenient place.

Cheers
Richard

 

[tony1851]

I agree with most of your points.

The reason I suggested putting the poison bait in the traps was that it is very palatable to the rat and entices it to the trap. Sometimes they don't go off and it's very frustrating to see the bait disapeared with the trap still set.

If you get a very cunning rat, sometimes poison is the only way to go. Agree it is painful for the rat, and when it dies (usually under the floor) there's a bad smell for several days. But they have to go - in the end it's either them or us.

Yes to peanut butter - also some rabbit food is popular as well.
(But don't use cheese - that's only done in the cartoons).

 

[geraldthehamster]

(But don't use cheese - that's only done in the cartoons).

Ah yes, the traditional method, also involving a cat, and a middle aged black lady standing on a stool with a broom.

I'm not sure you're allowed to do that any more



Cheers
Richard

 

[tony1851]

I'm not sure you're allowed to do that any more



Cheers
Richard

I think it's still permissible to stand on stools.

 

[catlad]

A lot of squirrels getting in roofs these days, had to evict a few in the past after the pest control man has left of coarse.

 

[sunny84]

thanks for all the advice guys. Just to update the rat situation continues ....pest control said he had sealed all entry points but obviously not I heard it running all over my bedroom ceiling the past two nights and haven't had a wink of sleep absolutely terrified. We've gone out and bought traps and last night every one went off but nothing was caught. I'm at my wits end. Pest control man is back tomorrow and has assured me he will sort it but I'm not convinced if this continues I want my money back that I paid him to seal entries and will have to call someone else. Just want to take my little boy and move out but finances are at an all time low at this point!! Pest control dude is bringing cameras round tomoz to put them down as well.

 

[geraldthehamster]

I think you're wasting a lot of money on this pest control person.

What sort of traps did you buy? Set them again.

Cheers
Richard

 

[sunny84]

I think you're wasting a lot of money on this pest control person.

What sort of traps did you buy? Set them again.

Cheers
Richard

I agree weve spent waaaay too much!! i bought the traps from B&Q then got home googled them and theyve got a rubbish rating. Ive baited them with peanut butter for now but ive ordered some of the old style wooden traps which are supposedly still the most effective.

We have called this man's boss today because he never turned up despite asuring me hed be out first thing monday. Theyve rang him and asked him to come today but he said he cant. We are looking into getting some of the money back that weve paid if the problem isnt sorted by the end of the week. Hes coming tomorrow apparently.

If the rat aint gone by the weekend im taking my little boy and moving to my mum's till its sorted. too stressful if youre rat-phobic like me!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

All this because of rat in the loft? Jeez how we won the war is a mystery!

 

[tony1851]

You shouldn't have set the traps striaght away, as the rats need to get confidence in eating the bait first. All you will have done is warn them off temporarily, then it - or they - will be back eventually.

Impossible to seal up all entry places. If your house has a cavity wall, they can easily get up the cavity, and you won't be able to seal that.

You will get results eventually if you persevere.

 

[geraldthehamster]

All this because of rat in the loft? Jeez how we won the war is a mystery!

I think we used these:

http://www.keeleyhire.co.uk/images/items/full/3672.jpg

Cheers
Richard

 

[AronSearle]

I think pest control is the best option to get rid of these insects and mices etc. They all create nuisance and it is difficult to trap them easily and it is not a diy task at all. You need to call Pest Control New Rochelle team to remove pest completely from house.

Be careful, these people used banned chemicals that are dangerous to human health.