Rats in the loft.
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BoRED S2upid

Original Poster:

20,754 posts

256 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
quotequote all
Well at least they sound like Rats. Rat poison doesn't work, maybe subdues them but they come back after a couple of days so ive moved onto a good old fashioned Tom and Jerry Rat trap. Any suggestions for bait?. Going to set it up tomorrow and see what I catch.

nonegreen

7,803 posts

286 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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more likely to be squirre;s in a loft surely?

BoRED S2upid

Original Poster:

20,754 posts

256 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
quotequote all
Really? why not rats?. Not sure I like the idea of trpping a squirrel.

Emsman

7,112 posts

206 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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Chocolate.


Simple as that.



daveenty

2,372 posts

226 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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Squirrels?

Had them once. Just found out how they got in (loose fascia) and didn't have to do anything apart from fix it as they (two of them) shot out when I ventured up there.

Other than that, can't help, though in with SHOTGUN before someone else smile

cazzer

8,883 posts

264 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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BoRED S2upid said:
Really? why not rats?. Not sure I like the idea of trpping a squirrel.
They're just tree rats.

With good PR

Edited by cazzer on Thursday 5th March 14:28

Busamav

2,954 posts

224 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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We had a single rodent in our loft last year when we had building works going on.

Tried everything in the trap to no avail , chocolate , raisins , peanut butter , the lot.

If you want to get him first time, well second night , go buy some smoked Mackerel they cannot resist it , dont just put it on the trap , put an elastic band around it otherwise they will simply tug the bait off without getting caught , clever animals .

You will need a RAT trap , not a mouse trap , and it should be tied to a fixed point , ours went at midnight , the squealing and bashing around lasted about 10 seconds , but seemed like an hour .

shirt

24,451 posts

217 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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it might be a mouse. the ones i had in my ceiling void sounded like cats the way they stomped and scurried about, bu a doxen dead miceys says otherwise.

chocolate or peanut butter works. i give them snickers or reeces, but anything really. go postal with a mixture of traps along the walls and poison. i put a little bit of hamster food nest to each trap to tempt them over.

then use expanding foam to cover all gaps. with this weather they will come back with each cold spell.

pikey

7,704 posts

300 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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I had a similar problem.

Solution was http://www.ratzapper.com/

Works every time.



Mrs Grumpy

863 posts

205 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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We got a pest controller in for the mice we had under the floorboards and in the garage (having tried other stuff first). He had a good look around everywhere and put some bait down that I don't think the general public can buy. Chocolate smelling / flavoured. Apparently more attractive to them. Bodies sort of mummify so no smell. Put enough down to last a caouple fo years. Only cost around £40 IIRC. Could end up spending that on poison and traps yourself.

threesixty

2,068 posts

219 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
quotequote all
Found any droppings?

Rats in the loft seems highly unlikely, rats live in the ground and want the food in your kitchen. Mice, trapped bird, squirrels are all far more likely culprits.

I'd start off with decent mouse traps and chocolate and see what that turns up.


Squirrels would be fun though, i caught one in rabbit trap once, it went mental trying to escape virtually tearing its self to pieces, when I opened the cage to let it go it went for me and bit my wellington, angry little tts they are.



Sideways Tim

953 posts

202 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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Old fasioned 'take your fingers off' rat traps work a treat, bait it with some fish or meat but don't set it and leave it well alone for a week. Check it and if the bait is gone, re-bait and set it. Old ratty will be dead in a day or so after that. Do it again though, as they're rarely found in ones...

ettore

4,575 posts

268 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
quotequote all
threesixty said:
Found any droppings?

Rats in the loft seems highly unlikely, rats live in the ground and want the food in your kitchen. Mice, trapped bird, squirrels are all far more likely culprits.

I'd start off with decent mouse traps and chocolate and see what that turns up.


Squirrels would be fun though, i caught one in rabbit trap once, it went mental trying to escape virtually tearing its self to pieces, when I opened the cage to let it go it went for me and bit my wellington, angry little tts they are.
Rats quite often get into lofts - they're crafty b@stards.

I'd get the professionals in if I were you, nothing good's ever come from rats in the loft.

threesixty

2,068 posts

219 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
quotequote all
ettore said:
threesixty said:
Found any droppings?

Rats in the loft seems highly unlikely, rats live in the ground and want the food in your kitchen. Mice, trapped bird, squirrels are all far more likely culprits.

I'd start off with decent mouse traps and chocolate and see what that turns up.


Squirrels would be fun though, i caught one in rabbit trap once, it went mental trying to escape virtually tearing its self to pieces, when I opened the cage to let it go it went for me and bit my wellington, angry little tts they are.
Rats quite often get into lofts - they're crafty b@stards.

I'd get the professionals in if I were you, nothing good's ever come from rats in the loft.
They can get anywhere, but its unlikely they're living there or making repeat visits because theres nothing for them there see.

SeeFive

8,353 posts

249 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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The do go in the loft... My brother has the same problem right now.

It started with them outside atracted by a neighbour putting stuff out for the foxes. Then he could hear rats running in the ground floor ceiling void, and an awful smell. When he went into the void thru the light fitting, there was a dead rat in there, maggots and all. So, that room was cleaned, sealed off for a while as the smell cleared, and the poison worked.

It all went quiet for a couple of months, but over the last week, they have returned - this time to the loft. A rat bloke has dropped a poison ball in the loft, but it just sounds like they are playing football up there now. Yesterday, he went downstairs in the morning to find that they had been in his kitchen and raided his bin etc.

I think that you would do well to get the professionals in quickly before too much breeding takes place. I reckon my bro is in for the long haul bu the sound of his situation. It is difficult for him as he has a dog that will eat anything, so any toxins have to be put in a place where the rats can get to them, but the dogs can't.

whitechief

4,431 posts

211 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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I wouldn't be surprised if it was squirrels. If it is rats bait a rat trap with cat food or apples.

Eddh

4,656 posts

208 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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threesixty said:
when I opened the cage to let it go it went for me and bit my wellington, angry little tts they are.
rofl

Tony*T3

20,911 posts

263 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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rats use the loft as a transit space from an entrance to the place you store the food.

fathomfive

10,556 posts

206 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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Sorry, I thought this was a thread about menstruation.

fk me I need coffee.

jayfish

6,795 posts

219 months

Thursday 5th March 2009
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What poison are you using?
I had rats in my flat shortly after moving in, landlord gave me some rat pellets but they didn't work.
Apparently they need to be the exclusive diet for the toxins to build up enough to kill, although they do apparently desicate the body preventing smells and flies etc.
Had a trap down and caught 5 in a week the dirty bds

Switched to some pink died grain stuff that the pest control guy the visits work recommended, trays got emptied for 5 days then nothing.

Oh and i managed to get one into a shoebox so I took it outside for the cats to play with :P
(this was before poisons going down, any after poison were bagged before disposal to prevent cats and birds getting sick as per recommendation on the poison box)

Edited by jayfish on Thursday 5th March 15:59