a rat in the house!

[John MCParticipant @johnmc39344]

Had bother with mice a few years ago. The cat didn't seem interested. Humane traps caught the little b*****s, I freed them 100ft from the house but they came back, the wife was convinced they were the same ones! Tried "the Little nipper" (other brands available). The trap "fired", the bait disappeared but no mouse. Reluctantly tried poison, end of problem. I have never found a body or detected a smell.

John

[IanTParticipant @iant]

I've had generations of mice living in my outside workshop for many years – despite the ultrasonic thingy in the roof that's supposed to keep them away… Every now and then I discover the latest victim of old age on the floor somewhere and he/she gets a decent burial in the back garden. I'm kind of resigned to them now – keep things covered anyway but do get bursts of white spots on things from time to time….

Also had mice in the house a few years back and couldn't figure out how they were getting in – then discovered (at ground level) where the builder had failed to fill in one of the scaffolding 'slots' at ground level – and once into the cavity they could get into the service areas… Cemented in the slot (which was very narrow < 1/2" ) and problem went away..

Neil's solution seems effective but I'm not sure Herself would like that mess on her carpet!

Regards,

IanT

Edited By IanT on 25/09/2017 18:34:19

[Bob StevensonParticipant @bobstevenson13909]

Thank you all so much for the posts both useful and amusing……..it really helped becasue we have had a knackering day fighting this problem and have at least another day tomorrow when we will have to move a bloody great victorian piano which is herselfs pride and joy, to get at a family of black rats…….they don't seem at all bothered or inclined to move!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by IanT on 25/09/2017 18:33:56:

Neil's solution seems effective but I'm not sure Herself would like that mess on her carpet!

That was caused by me treading on it in the dark with bare feet

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

These dogs seem pretty efficient **LINK**

Mike

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I found that Rolo's cut in half and skewered on the pin were very good on mouse traps, the little beggars have to give it a good pull to get it off. As for rats, find out where they are getting in and plug the holes, they can get through very small holes indeed, then poison, or a terrier. If they are under your floorboards it can get a bit risky and expensive as they eat the insulation off mains wiring

[Dinosaur EngineerParticipant @dinosaurengineer]

An old remedy for mice & rats is slices of lemon . Apparently they don't like the smell and will keep clear of the odour.

[Dean da SilvaParticipant @deandasilva59410]

Keeps out mice, rats, raccoons, doves, salesmen, burglars, unpleasant inlaws, etc.

This creature is a fine investment to tend to your pest abatement needs- if having a 10 stone American Bulldog/Pitbull hybrid is your fancy.

Really calm, really sweet, really dumb. Eats a lot.

Edited By Dean da Silva on 26/09/2017 01:39:59

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

We found traces of rats after the old Airy houses were pulled down at the end of our street.
Poison bait killed a few but generally just moved the problem on.
Then we got Milo, the Patterdale terrier, he likes a good rat and is small enough to get under the shed
Haven't seen a single one since.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Regarding Rats and wiring, I got called out to a Farm and shown bare wires running along a beam. The rats had eaten all the insulation off the wires and were crapping red, blue, yellow and green. This was 3 phase wiring for farm machinery.

I replaced it all with armoured cabling and was quite surprised later to see that the Rats had stripped the black sheathing leaving the armoured wire bare. Surmised that they were attracted by the frequency of the mains to it.

Rat night was on a Friday and we usually culled between 50 – 75 in a session. Mostly using .22 shot shell.

The chicken farm nearby was just as bad. They even ate through the concrete bases of the machine shed.

The Piggery was also infested and the brood sows would eat any rat shot in the sty.

Clive

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

During WW2 on one of the Radar stations Dad was on(Barra I think), they had a rat problem, the rats came in one end of their Nissan hut, and out the other, snacking on the way. All openings were then filled with concrete, the rats soon moved that, the holes were refilled with glass mixed in the concrete, same thing happened. The cure was move the hut, and the rats didn't annoy them any more, they just kept to the path they had used for centuries.

Ian S C

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Many years ago we returned home from our annual family holiday at East Runton and as usual I had to crouch down in the pantry and feed the electric meter with two bob bits to get the lights to come on. I could not help noticing that a solitary spud was in the otherwise empty plastic laundry basket on the floor underneath a wall mounted ceramic air brick. The tater had fresh gouge marks on it – just like those a rat would make. Then I noticed a rat sized hole in the air brick and another (exit?) hole in the side of the laundry basket.

I never did find that intruder. To stop it happening again I nailed a square biscuit tin lid over the air brick.

Moving on three years I learnt plumbing from a friend and installed solid fuel central heating. After months of hard labour I was ready to fire up the boiler for the first time. All went well until 30 minutes later when the fire slowly died. I have to admit that the penny did not drop for at least two days. B****y rats!!!!

Rik (Mind the gap!!)

 

Edited By Rik Shaw on 26/09/2017 10:14:54

[Robert Knox 1Participant @robertknox1]

Buy a shotgun mate! A good dose of buckshot solves most rat problems if you don't mind the noise and a few bits flying about . Very satisfying !

[larry PhelanParticipant @larryphelan54019]

Rats took a fancy to the wiring in the machine shop in my last job and stripped the wires clean ! Result,an Almighty bang one morning and the whole place stopped . Took them weeks to replace the lot with different cable.Cables seem to attract them for some reason,although I dont have rat problems [I have two hunting dogs ] but I do have mice in my workshop and can,t get rid of them. The dogs seem to think mice are beneath them. So traps.

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

One of our three cats (the female) is a prolific hunter, usually get two or three small furry creatures a week, but on a good day she will bring home 3 or 4. Will quite often bring the things into the house and let them go at which point we will have two cats chasing them round the house. She also catches rabbits, brings them in through the cat flap and lets them go in the house or workshop. Other times she just eats them and leaves an ear or bit of a tail. She has even caught and eaten squirrels. Regularly also I'm afraid reduces the local bird population.

I remember an old cat of mine who used to catch rabbits climbing a 6 ft wooden fence to get on the garage roof with a fully grown rabbit in her mouth. It was an amazing site, the weight of the rabbit kept her head almost bent to her hind legs but she still made it onto the roof. Another time she manage to get one through a downstairs transom window and started to eat it in the middle of my parents bed, whilst they were asleep in the bed.

Last year we tried to take a mouse of our two year old male cat, we gave up in the end after we both had our hands lacerated by very sharp claws. He did not want to let go.

Regardless of the reduction in the local animal populace I would not be without the cats.

Colin

[Adrian GilesParticipant @adriangiles39248]

When I was young, our old house cat Smudge, used to catch rats, mice, snakes and rabbits, and eat them under my parents bed! This involved climbing up the old pear tree growing up the end of the house, jumping four foot to the landing window sill, then climbing in and then under the bed. Many times mum & dad would be woken by the sound of crunching bones!

[Phil WhitleyParticipant @philwhitley94135]

Rat poison kills rats by dehydration, rats urinate constantly, so if you give them a diuretic, they die of dehydration. That is why most rat poisons are only dangerous to rodents. The reason they will chew cables is that they think they are pipes with water in them! I have seen many farm buildings with a black alkathene pipe which has been knawed just enough to let out a very fine jet of water, and with constant drinking they can resist the effects of the poison. They seem to know that if they create a large leak, someone comes along and fixes it. Rats hate: Lack of cover, remove all undergrowth, woodpiles, sweep up, dispose of any clutter and rubbish. Get rid of any food or water sources. Rats hate strong smells. Spray any areas where you see droppings or urine with Jeyes fluid solution, spray behind and under sheds and any inaccessible areas where they might be nesting. Cut of their food supply and make life unpleasant for them, and they will move on. Block holes in masonry with whole glass bottles if they are big enough, or broken glass, then point in with strong mortar and protect with metal sheet on both sides till the mortar is rock hard. cover any ventilators with small heavy gauge wire mesh, beware, if the incentive is great enough (chickens and eggs or chickenfeed) they will chew through fine wire like chicken wire! on wodden buildings repair all holes with metal sheet. keep all animal feed in steel bins. If there is nothing to eat, they won't stay long!

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Many years ago now, newly married, my wife and I were eating lunch when we saw a rat walking across the patio. I had a 410 shotgun, bit of a toy really. so cartridge in and went after ratty. At point blank range blasted him – hollow in soil and rat blown up about a foot. But he carried on walking. Another cartridge, another blast, and another same result. When at the third time of asking ratty continued to walk after being blown sky high I decided it was costing too much in cartridges and fetched a spade. It didn't survive being chopped by a spade!

Another time, went out at dusk and a rat ran off and hid behind a small pile of bricks. Called cat over, showed her where ratty had disappeared and left her to it. Next morning there was ratty, laid out by the back door, brown bread, cat had earned her keep for another day.

Last New Year we had mice coming in our French house. Bought a couple of traps – little nipper types – and over about 10 days caught 7 mice, usually in pairs. Traps worked a treat. Chucked dead mice over the fence into a field – they were always gone by next day so someone was having a feed. Never had mice before, but we always had a cat before, sadly she had passed away aged 16+ years the previous winter.

Edited By ChrisH on 26/09/2017 20:31:58

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