Got a bit of a rat problem.
Some rats are living in the small roofspace (8 feet x 3 feet x 4 feet
approx) above my kitchen which juts out from the main house. They're also
heard in the main attic, and in the wall cavity of both houses.
The local council only provides an advisory service and say the house (and
adjoining neighbour's house) has had a long history of rats, and cant offer
any further advice.
I've got 4 B&Q rat traps in the main attic, and 9 of them in the small
kitchen attic - most baited with chocolate and chocolate biscuits. I check
the roofspaces every fortnight and no traps have been touched. There's some
poison up there too, B&Q rat killer stuff, but it hasnt been eaten.

In the small roofspace above the kitchen, I can see tunnels in the
insulation where they're living and any time I poke my head up there I hear
them scurrying away into the tunnels.

Had a drain specialist out who put cameras down the drains, but came up with
no sources of entry. Found a possible point of entry and have blocked it up,
so there may be no way for them to get out. In any case, i'd like them to
leave in a rat trap so I can be sure they're dead and out, and dont cause a
stink in an inaccessible place.

I've had a cat for a year now. I've let it have a sniff around in the main
attic and even brushed it up there to get its hairs around to put the rats
off settling there. Doesnt seem to have had any effect.

Considering getting protective equipment and pulling all the insulation down
from above the kitchen, unless any of you can give me any advice. I imagine
they may attack when I start dismantling their "home".

Any advice?

thanks,
Mark.

Mark wrote:


> Considering getting protective equipment and pulling all the
> insulation down from above the kitchen, unless any of you can give me
> any advice. I imagine they may attack when I start dismantling their
> "home".
>
> Any advice?


can't imagine the council saying it's not a (their) problem, we have had
them in at work re ants, and they've sprayed and allsorts, eventhough,
technically ants are not a health hazard, rats on the other hand
certainly are. not that hta'ts any immeadiate help to you i know but
really i think the council should be more concerned/help.
for instance quick google show that sailibery offer no charge rat
control services for domestic living;
http://www.salisbury.gov.uk/living/p...ol/charges.asp

sammi

"Mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:3WRZb.25$ta.1@newsfe1-win:

>
> Got a bit of a rat problem.
> Some rats are living in the small roofspace (8 feet x 3 feet x 4 feet
> approx) above my kitchen which juts out from the main house. They're
> also heard in the main attic, and in the wall cavity of both houses.
> The local council only provides an advisory service and say the house
> (and adjoining neighbour's house) has had a long history of rats, and
> cant offer any further advice.
> I've got 4 B&Q rat traps in the main attic, and 9 of them in the small
> kitchen attic - most baited with chocolate and chocolate biscuits. I
> check the roofspaces every fortnight and no traps have been touched.
> There's some poison up there too, B&Q rat killer stuff, but it hasnt
> been eaten.
>
> Any advice?
>

They are neophobic for a start, also look for signs on the ground outside -
sort of "mini-troughs" in soil, holes in fencing with greasy edges,
undergrowth with tunnels through it. If they're not eating the food you
provide (i.e. on the traps and in the bait trays) ask yourself whose food
they are eating and how are they getting it? They're not going to eat what
you provide if they're getting their fill elsewhere

--
john

"Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what
they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand." -
Putt's Law

On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 23:39:25 -0000, "Mark"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I've had a cat for a year now. I've let it have a sniff around in the main
>attic and even brushed it up there to get its hairs around to put the rats
>off settling there. Doesnt seem to have had any effect.

Put your cat on a diet. It might develop a taste for fresh rat

Only kidding. I wonder if it would be worth putting one of those
ultrasonic devices up there - nothing to lose except the £15 purchase
price and if it works it would be a cheap option:

http://www.maplin.co.uk

Search for "pest repellent".

PoP

-----

My published email address probably won't work. If
you need to contact me please submit your comments
via the web form at http://www.anyoldtripe.co.uk

I apologise for the additional effort, however the
level of unsolicited email I receive makes it
impossible to advertise my real email address!

"PoP" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message

> >I've had a cat for a year now. I've let it have a sniff around in the
main
> >attic and even brushed it up there to get its hairs around to put the
rats
> >off settling there. Doesnt seem to have had any effect.
>
> Put your cat on a diet. It might develop a taste for fresh rat
> Only kidding. I wonder if it would be worth putting one of those
> ultrasonic devices up there - nothing to lose except the £15 purchase
> price and if it works it would be a cheap option:
> http://www.maplin.co.uk
>
> Search for "pest repellent".
> PoP

Already thought of that idea: bought one from B&Q last week and when I took
it home, the small print instructions inside said that it would not work
through objects such as walls or windows. I assume it wont work through the
plasterboard or insulation, so I took it back. Anyway, from what I read on
here, not many people claim they work.
Mark.

"sam ende" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
> can't imagine the council saying it's not a (their) problem, we have had
> them in at work re ants, and they've sprayed and allsorts, eventhough,
> technically ants are not a health hazard, rats on the other hand
> certainly are. not that hta'ts any immeadiate help to you i know but
> really i think the council should be more concerned/help.
> for instance quick google show that sailibery offer no charge rat
> control services for domestic living;
> http://www.salisbury.gov.uk/living/p...ol/charges.asp
>
> sammi


Lucky you!
My local council,
http://www.castlereagh.gov.uk/faq/FAQS3.htm They only give out free advice.

In article <3WRZb.25$ta.1@newsfe1-win>, Mark <markas.REMOVE.shaw@hotmail
..com> writes
>
>Got a bit of a rat problem.
>Some rats are living in the small roofspace (8 feet x 3 feet x 4 feet
>approx) above my kitchen which juts out from the main house. They're also
>heard in the main attic, and in the wall cavity of both houses.
>The local council only provides an advisory service and say the house (and
>adjoining neighbour's house) has had a long history of rats, and cant offer
>any further advice.

Bet they would if their chief executive lived there:-(

>I've got 4 B&Q rat traps in the main attic, and 9 of them in the small
>kitchen attic - most baited with chocolate and chocolate biscuits. I check
>the roofspaces every fortnight and no traps have been touched. There's some
>poison up there too, B&Q rat killer stuff, but it hasnt been eaten.

So just where are they getting their daily bread?.
>
>In the small roofspace above the kitchen, I can see tunnels in the
>insulation where they're living and any time I poke my head up there I hear
>them scurrying away into the tunnels.
>
>Had a drain specialist out who put cameras down the drains, but came up with
>no sources of entry. Found a possible point of entry and have blocked it up,
>so there may be no way for them to get out. In any case, i'd like them to
>leave in a rat trap so I can be sure they're dead and out, and dont cause a
>stink in an inaccessible place.
>

Well the stink will fade after a while.

>I've had a cat for a year now. I've let it have a sniff around in the main
>attic and even brushed it up there to get its hairs around to put the rats
>off settling there. Doesnt seem to have had any effect.

Starve cat and leave in roofspace for a day or so;-).

In a recent survey 99.999% of domestic cats were obese....
>
>Considering getting protective equipment and pulling all the insulation down
>from above the kitchen, unless any of you can give me any advice. I imagine
>they may attack when I start dismantling their "home".

Have you tried asking the local pest control services in the private
sector?..

--
Tony Sayer

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 09:57:09 -0000, "Mark"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Already thought of that idea: bought one from B&Q last week and when I took
>it home, the small print instructions inside said that it would not work
>through objects such as walls or windows. I assume it wont work through the
>plasterboard or insulation, so I took it back. Anyway, from what I read on
>here, not many people claim they work.

High frequency won't penetrate boards or walls, unless it is delivered
at significant power. The idea would be to put it directly where the
varmints run.

As for whether they work or not I can't comment. But given the
circumstances I would be inclined to give it a go - after all, you can
always try it out for a couple of days then take it back to B&Q if it
changes nothing! And if it did work then you've got a cheap solution!

PoP

-----

My published email address probably won't work. If
you need to contact me please submit your comments
via the web form at http://www.anyoldtripe.co.uk

I apologise for the additional effort, however the
level of unsolicited email I receive makes it
impossible to advertise my real email address!

It sounds to me like you need the services of a professional pest
control man (or woman). - not very DIY I know.

I had one round last year.
- I had rats in a ceiling.

He used some blocks of poison, which I believe are only available to
professionals.
- I think the manufacturer is sorex. - http://www.sorex.com/

We managed to keep my rat out by blocking it's entry point.

Apparently rats love the blocks he put down, and if one was still
around it would definitely taken it.
- he told me he recently put 12 quite large blocks down in a farm with
a rat problem - they ate the lot.

Interestingly he used wire to fix the block to the ceiling joist, that
way the rat couldn't run off with it to it's hidy hole and it meant
that he could examine it to see how much had been taken.

Also, he told me that by law, all traps must be checked every 24
hours. A trap may not instantly kill, and may cause unneccesary
suffering.

By the way, you do want to get rid of them - for some reason they love
to chew mains wiring.

Regards,

Chris.

Hi,

Block up any possible points of entry with newspaper to find out where
they're getting in.

cheers,
Pete.

On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 23:39:25 -0000, "Mark"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>Got a bit of a rat problem.
>Some rats are living in the small roofspace (8 feet x 3 feet x 4 feet
>approx) above my kitchen which juts out from the main house. They're also
>heard in the main attic, and in the wall cavity of both houses.
>The local council only provides an advisory service and say the house (and
>adjoining neighbour's house) has had a long history of rats, and cant offer
>any further advice.
>I've got 4 B&Q rat traps in the main attic, and 9 of them in the small
>kitchen attic - most baited with chocolate and chocolate biscuits. I check
>the roofspaces every fortnight and no traps have been touched. There's some
>poison up there too, B&Q rat killer stuff, but it hasnt been eaten.
>
>In the small roofspace above the kitchen, I can see tunnels in the
>insulation where they're living and any time I poke my head up there I hear
>them scurrying away into the tunnels.
>
>Had a drain specialist out who put cameras down the drains, but came up with
>no sources of entry. Found a possible point of entry and have blocked it up,
>so there may be no way for them to get out. In any case, i'd like them to
>leave in a rat trap so I can be sure they're dead and out, and dont cause a
>stink in an inaccessible place.
>
>I've had a cat for a year now. I've let it have a sniff around in the main
>attic and even brushed it up there to get its hairs around to put the rats
>off settling there. Doesnt seem to have had any effect.
>
>Considering getting protective equipment and pulling all the insulation down
>from above the kitchen, unless any of you can give me any advice. I imagine
>they may attack when I start dismantling their "home".
>
>Any advice?
>
>thanks,
>Mark.
>