Appreciate some advice please...
Wasn't sure which forum to post this in so feel free to suggest a better alternative.
Basically, I'm struggling to suggest a permanent solution to my mother-in-law who has a rat-in-the-loft problem and could do with some help. I live too far away to get 'hands on' so I'm trying to provide advice at a distance, which is proving frustrating.
My MIL has the occasional rat visiting her bungalow loft, evidently. When she hears scratching noises coming from the loft space (as she's heard on a few occasions), she calls the local council who send out pest control. They confirmed that a rat (or rats) visit(s) her loft by entering from the outside.
On the first callout, pest control put down poison in the loft and blocked a gap near the eaves (maybe just under the eaves? - it's unclear to me) with balls of aluminium foil. A few months later the rat noises returned so she called out pest control again. Again, they confirmed that rats had re-visited her loft and again, placed poison and said rats were entering via another gap/hole which they blocked, I'm told, with a bundle of wire wool.
Sounds like a temporary solution to me. Makes me wonder how many more gaps/holes/vents (or whatever) there are for rats to enter through? I think a permanent solution is required. I suggested that a tradesperson conducts a survey and quotes for doing whatever work needs to be done to make the loft space secure from wandering rodents.
My question is: what tradesperson would conduct such a survey and carry out the necessary remedial work?
Wasn't sure which forum to post this in so feel free to suggest a better alternative.
Basically, I'm struggling to suggest a permanent solution to my mother-in-law who has a rat-in-the-loft problem and could do with some help. I live too far away to get 'hands on' so I'm trying to provide advice at a distance, which is proving frustrating.
My MIL has the occasional rat visiting her bungalow loft, evidently. When she hears scratching noises coming from the loft space (as she's heard on a few occasions), she calls the local council who send out pest control. They confirmed that a rat (or rats) visit(s) her loft by entering from the outside.
On the first callout, pest control put down poison in the loft and blocked a gap near the eaves (maybe just under the eaves? - it's unclear to me) with balls of aluminium foil. A few months later the rat noises returned so she called out pest control again. Again, they confirmed that rats had re-visited her loft and again, placed poison and said rats were entering via another gap/hole which they blocked, I'm told, with a bundle of wire wool.
Sounds like a temporary solution to me. Makes me wonder how many more gaps/holes/vents (or whatever) there are for rats to enter through? I think a permanent solution is required. I suggested that a tradesperson conducts a survey and quotes for doing whatever work needs to be done to make the loft space secure from wandering rodents.
My question is: what tradesperson would conduct such a survey and carry out the necessary remedial work?