Taking out Kitchen unit, but temporarily supporting sink

[dirkdale]

Hi

I've got an unwelcome visitor that's hiding behind my kitchen units where the sink/taps are. I can hear it at night sometimes, and I've set the camera up to record overnight and managed to identify as a small hairy creature, with pointed nose and a tail almost as long as it's body.

My main question is, the only way I can get to the back of the wall is to remove the kitchen units with the sink. Is there a way I can support the sink, whilst dismantling the unit itself, because once I have identified and treated the hole were this creature is coming in, I can them put the units back.

Hope anyone can help

Dirk

 

[joe-90]

Get onto your local council and they will send a rat catcher round. Block one hole and he'll find another.

 

[regsmyth]

I think you need to have a better plan than dismantling your sink unit.
Is it a rat or a mouse?
Why is it there? (Food supply normally).
Is it coming in from outside or next door? Under the floor or through the floor?
Presumably it can get out from behind the sink and into your kitchen to find scraps etc? And it probably has a nice stockpile now, so it'll not want to move.
Wouldn't you be better off trying to stop it getting out from behind the sink, then it's food supply will stop and it might just go elsewhere.

 

[dirkdale]

Wouldn't you be better off trying to stop it getting out from behind the sink, then it's food supply will stop and it might just go elsewhere.

The kitchen units go all along one side of the wall up to the back door, there is a gap between the units and the wall I'm presuming it can get through, then on the opposite side I have moved the oven/hob away from the wall and there's another gap.

I have bleached the vinyl flooring, and disinfected the worktops. To the best of my knowledge there can't be much open food source in the kitchen, so unless it's bringing food in and just seeking shelter. I can't see what other reason there would be for the rodent to seek squatters rights under my kitchen units.

Would you recommend taking the skirting board panelling away from the bottom of the units. That would at least allow me to show the pesky rodent that I am aware of it's presence and might scare it off?

 

[regsmyth]

I think you have to put in a bit of effort to close off the gaps properly and permanently (no scrunched up newspaper or bits of card/plastic). It will eat all the spiders, woodlice, crumbs it can find every night, and will survive quite happily.
It will also eat your electric cables, so don't hang about.
You should be able to catch it with a mousetrap, then seal all the gaps, then you won't get a new one coming in to replace it.

Leave bait on the trap, but the trap not set. The mouse will become very careless, and once taking the food regularly, set it. See if you can get that on your camera!

I fear taking the plinth off and giving it the evil eye just won't work.

 

[Nige F]

Wouldn't you be better off trying to stop it getting out from behind the sink, then it's food supply will stop and it might just go elsewhere.

Would you recommend taking the skirting board panelling away from the bottom of the units. That would at least allow me to show the pesky rodent that I am aware of it's presence and might scare it off?

it might if you were a cat