Discussion
Joey Deacon said:
This, get one of these and they die instantly and you can then dispose of them.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-plastic-metal...
Having had the barstewards doing the the same thing I'm going to be a pain and call wrong on the above, if you put out the poison the rats get very thirsty after taking it and leave for a water source before dying....they will leave the property https://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-plastic-metal...
We had a rat in the house last year , so I read up online and ended up getting a heavy duty Roshield trap and baited it with a square of Liquorice Allsorts in the centre pin (as it is known to be a good bait), and a bit of oatmeal sprinkled on the trap around it and outside near to the tap.
Rats are intelligent and are suspicious of anything knew, so the food around the trap is to get them comfortable. The trap was placed where the rat had been seen, but took a month or so before it actually went for it and was killed by the trap. So don't be disheartened if you don't get a catch anytime soon.
Rats live near to food and water, so find out where it is getting those and stop the sources. I went round the garden after it had rained and addressed any areas water pooled and blocked all possible holes into house with wirewool and then concrete over the top (they hate wire wool and any soft mortar they can get through hence the concrete).
Nothing since.
As mentioned, glue traps are also great.But if you do, make sure you get ones designed for rats not weaker mice.
Rats are intelligent and are suspicious of anything knew, so the food around the trap is to get them comfortable. The trap was placed where the rat had been seen, but took a month or so before it actually went for it and was killed by the trap. So don't be disheartened if you don't get a catch anytime soon.
Rats live near to food and water, so find out where it is getting those and stop the sources. I went round the garden after it had rained and addressed any areas water pooled and blocked all possible holes into house with wirewool and then concrete over the top (they hate wire wool and any soft mortar they can get through hence the concrete).
Nothing since.
As mentioned, glue traps are also great.But if you do, make sure you get ones designed for rats not weaker mice.
rallye101 said:
Joey Deacon said:
This, get one of these and they die instantly and you can then dispose of them.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-plastic-metal...
Having had the barstewards doing the the same thing I'm going to be a pain and call wrong on the above, if you put out the poison the rats get very thirsty after taking it and leave for a water source before dying....they will leave the property https://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-plastic-metal...
rallye101 said:
Joey Deacon said:
This, get one of these and they die instantly and you can then dispose of them.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-plastic-metal...
Having had the barstewards doing the the same thing I'm going to be a pain and call wrong on the above, if you put out the poison the rats get very thirsty after taking it and leave for a water source before dying....they will leave the property https://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-plastic-metal...
I saw a program where they used the battery powered killer and sceptical but desperate they bought one. A few days later they were lying in bed, heard a massive squeak and realised it came from the loft. My dad gingerly went into the loft, checked the trap and there was the first dead one.
After some investigation they noticed the air grills on next doors property were rusted away and this was how they were getting in, going under the floor then climbing up the inside of the walls.
The previous owners of the house had only lived there for a year before they sold it so they must have known and hence sold up.
Llandudno said:
K50 DEL said:
pokethepope said:
K50 DEL said:
Ended up with rats in the ceiling void in my place in Dubai, a couple of dozen glue boards placed at random intervals soon did for them.... you knew where they were as the tails would beat on the ceiling for a while as they died, It was then just a simple case of throw the board out and replace.
The boards are hard to find here for some reason(mice get into my garage here in the UK every so often, hence needing them) but I did eventually find them for sale on eBay.
Glue traps are cruel and inhumane. They are also now effectively banned in the UK.The boards are hard to find here for some reason(mice get into my garage here in the UK every so often, hence needing them) but I did eventually find them for sale on eBay.
Edited by pokethepope on Sunday 19th November 12:01
I ordered some glue traps last night. There’s loads of places sell them?
Anyway, the problem remains that I can’t actually access any of the known runs in order to place the traps in the first place.
I shoot rats on farms and horse stables, we owe them a quick death.
I don’t want to alarm you but have you thought about why they are in the loft? They’re not likely to be there for fun. They’ve probably found a source of food. Do you have cameras set up around your kitchen? We had this problem last year. I didn’t believe it was possible but fruit would move a bit etc. The horror when we got a few cheap Tapo cameras and saw one sticking his little nose out at night.
They were getting into the loft via a broken tile I think. Then going down the walls via a soil pipe that is inside the house. The problem here is that it runs to the ground in a corner of the kitchen. The prat who built that part of the house had not boxed it in, so down the side of the pipe they’d go and bingo, they could go under all the kitchen units and there were plenty of gaps to go further in search of food.
They were also coming in from outside, along the outside of the soil pipe and up into the house. We filled all that with concrete and made sure even if they got under the kitchen units, there was no where to go. We put a camera under there and it hasn’t seen anything.
I’m fairly sure they moved out though once their access to food was removed. You can kill as many as you want but access in to the property and removing any food for them are the only long terms ways to deal with them.
They were getting into the loft via a broken tile I think. Then going down the walls via a soil pipe that is inside the house. The problem here is that it runs to the ground in a corner of the kitchen. The prat who built that part of the house had not boxed it in, so down the side of the pipe they’d go and bingo, they could go under all the kitchen units and there were plenty of gaps to go further in search of food.
They were also coming in from outside, along the outside of the soil pipe and up into the house. We filled all that with concrete and made sure even if they got under the kitchen units, there was no where to go. We put a camera under there and it hasn’t seen anything.
I’m fairly sure they moved out though once their access to food was removed. You can kill as many as you want but access in to the property and removing any food for them are the only long terms ways to deal with them.
smifffymoto said:
French poison must be better than UK stuff because I’ve not had a bad result yet.
All poisons aren’t created equal it would seem.
I believe the U.K. retail strength rat poison is quite weak compared to what is commercially available. Certain substances are banned in certain countries.All poisons aren’t created equal it would seem.
Caddyshack said:
I believe the U.K. retail strength rat poison is quite weak compared to what is commercially available. Certain substances are banned in certain countries.
Poison in the UK works perfectly adequately. They are clever animals though and of there are a few of them, you do need to swap poison after a while. It is an old wives tale that they will go look for water. I am sure some do, but it's a lottery. Once you have had one die inside, you won't want it again.
We had rats in the attic in our previous house. They werealso heard going through cavities . Semi detached.
I was the local contact for our factory re infestations. I asked the company’s expert for advice.
Step 1. Block off entry points, no matter how small. B3 thorough. They can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps. Iftheir head fits then they can force through.
Step 2. Don’t leave food around. This includes bird food, pet food, unless in sealed containers ( metal peferable)
Step 3.Traps. Humane preferable baited with peanut butter. Place them near walls not in the centre of the area ( boarded up floor in loft). Rats will be wary of new objects for a while and only cross open areas when confident. Avoid poison if possible as the rats die wherever, decay and stink.
Step 4.Check traps regularly.
I did this in our house and caught a few. Got the neighbour to seal their house as well and the rats were stopped eventually.
Poison works but has problems. Smell from decaying rats plus carrion eaters infest the poison if they die outdoors. The poisons aren’t instant so the rats move about until the effects kick in.
I was the local contact for our factory re infestations. I asked the company’s expert for advice.
Step 1. Block off entry points, no matter how small. B3 thorough. They can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps. Iftheir head fits then they can force through.
Step 2. Don’t leave food around. This includes bird food, pet food, unless in sealed containers ( metal peferable)
Step 3.Traps. Humane preferable baited with peanut butter. Place them near walls not in the centre of the area ( boarded up floor in loft). Rats will be wary of new objects for a while and only cross open areas when confident. Avoid poison if possible as the rats die wherever, decay and stink.
Step 4.Check traps regularly.
I did this in our house and caught a few. Got the neighbour to seal their house as well and the rats were stopped eventually.
Poison works but has problems. Smell from decaying rats plus carrion eaters infest the poison if they die outdoors. The poisons aren’t instant so the rats move about until the effects kick in.
Thanks for all the advice so far. I’ve ordered just about everything that has been suggested. My wife thinks I’m secretly enjoying this.
I’ve spent 5 hours, 25 bin bags and 10 Henry dust bags clearing the area that I saw droppings. Sure enough there was a rat toilet on the far side away from the camera here. I think they’re accessing where the soil pipe exits. Not sure how effective blocking it will be as the cavity is open at the top.
Anyway, camera on so I can see what I’m dealing with.
A Squid Game style assault course awaits!
I’ve spent 5 hours, 25 bin bags and 10 Henry dust bags clearing the area that I saw droppings. Sure enough there was a rat toilet on the far side away from the camera here. I think they’re accessing where the soil pipe exits. Not sure how effective blocking it will be as the cavity is open at the top.
Anyway, camera on so I can see what I’m dealing with.
A Squid Game style assault course awaits!
Caddyshack said:
Think how long that rat is stuck there before it dies. Just because your life is all important doesn’t mean an animal should suffer like that.
I shoot rats on farms and horse stables, we owe them a quick death.
I hear you. I shoot rats on farms and horse stables, we owe them a quick death.
Hopefully motion sensing cameras and me being at home most of the day mean I can get to them reasonably quickly.
Road2Ruin said:
Caddyshack said:
I believe the U.K. retail strength rat poison is quite weak compared to what is commercially available. Certain substances are banned in certain countries.
Poison in the UK works perfectly adequately. They are clever animals though and of there are a few of them, you do need to swap poison after a while. It is an old wives tale that they will go look for water. I am sure some do, but it's a lottery. Once you have had one die inside, you won't want it again.
Caddyshack said:
Llandudno said:
K50 DEL said:
pokethepope said:
K50 DEL said:
Ended up with rats in the ceiling void in my place in Dubai, a couple of dozen glue boards placed at random intervals soon did for them.... you knew where they were as the tails would beat on the ceiling for a while as they died, It was then just a simple case of throw the board out and replace.
The boards are hard to find here for some reason(mice get into my garage here in the UK every so often, hence needing them) but I did eventually find them for sale on eBay.
Glue traps are cruel and inhumane. They are also now effectively banned in the UK.The boards are hard to find here for some reason(mice get into my garage here in the UK every so often, hence needing them) but I did eventually find them for sale on eBay.
Edited by pokethepope on Sunday 19th November 12:01
I ordered some glue traps last night. There’s loads of places sell them?
Anyway, the problem remains that I can’t actually access any of the known runs in order to place the traps in the first place.
I shoot rats on farms and horse stables, we owe them a quick death.
Having had the misfortune of smelling a dead rat in a building, I’d definitely avoid the possibility of one dying somewhere in your house you can’t find. It’s unreal the stench such a small animal can produce.
I think the best option to start with is deterrents. If you’ve got access to a cat, try and cover a few socks in its fur, and leave them in strategic places; this has worked for me before with mice.
Peppermint oil is another smell that’ll likely have them choosing a different location.
I think the best option to start with is deterrents. If you’ve got access to a cat, try and cover a few socks in its fur, and leave them in strategic places; this has worked for me before with mice.
Peppermint oil is another smell that’ll likely have them choosing a different location.
Edited by Dr.Hellno on Monday 20th November 22:55
I killed the one in my greenhouse with a snap trap. Fine, sleek, healthy animal, I did feel a pang of guilt about killing it, but you don’t want them where you grow food. And it went more humanely than if my cat had got it (she killed all those in the compost heap). Still, wouldn’t personally be comfortable setting glue traps.
mooseracer said:
^^ not in my experience. The fugger died indoors and as others have said the smell was unbelievable. Then - yep a fly infestation. If we ever get them again I won't be randomly lobbing poison around. It was horrendous.
Nor mine - awful smell everytime the heating came on and I had to hoover all the flies up from the windows 
The problem is I tried various traps and never caught one (having caught hundreds of mice in the past)
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