Rat In House - What To Do?

[*_ash_* 88]

I thought my house was secure, but they find ways in.

 

In my case I noticed when my bin was knocked over in the morning, and it was too random. Thought I had mice maybe. Plugged where I thought they got in, and still got in. I put flour down on the floor before bed, in different places to see how they getting in. Eventually nailed it down, but impossible to plug,. (it's basically entrance to under house)

 

Figured out where they getting in with the flour, tried some traps that were 'humane', still no luck. Bought some snap traps, and 1st day with peanut butter on, caught one! Looked like big mouse! turned out to be small rat. Set it up again, next day caught another. <removed> it now thinking millions of them, but never seen one since. I think probably got in through a very small brick vent thing, probably as babies, and adult didn't get in.

 

Problem solved.

 

That's what I did anyway.

 

I did think before that I've heard scurrying under the floor but couldn't be sure. I'll trust my hearing next time!

 

Like others have said, you want to catch them, not let them die in the house. We had once at work, and despite boss trying every firm in the phonebook, no one could find the source. Was thought to be a bird or rat. Blimey the smell was just unbelievable, and made worse that they installed these fragrance things and mixed together was just unbearable.

 

I personally wouldn't use bait alone, as they may eat it, then go somewhere in the house and die unfound.

 

 

Edited July 24, 2019 by nikki-red

[hauxwell 243]

It was on the news today that a seagull took a miniature chihuahua from the owners back garden in Dover, poor dog.  Someone else said a large seagull tried to fly off with her Jack Russell Terrier who weighed twice as much as the seagull.  I would like to think the seagull had met its match when it tried to fly off with the Terrier if  they can be that vicious.

[*_ash_* 88]

6 minutes ago, hauxwell said:

It was on the news today that a seagull took a miniature chihuahua from the owners back garden in Dover, poor dog.  Someone else said a large seagull tried to fly off with her Jack Russell Terrier who weighed twice as much as the seagull.  I would like to think the seagull had met its match when it tried to fly off with the Terrier if  they can be that vicious.

Seagulls have been mentioned a few times lately as being more aggressive lately.

 

They are probably hearing the 'drill' music of the young's phones

[Guest makapaka]

3 hours ago, L00b said:

 

 

It's not because we disagree on politics and certain other topics (sometimes), that we have to disagree on everything 

 

God knows I'll have got my own 'reprehensible' traits for others on here (I smoke, I drive a big engine'd petrol car, I speed, I swear, etc. and, whilst on about the dog collateral damage, he killed a stray kitten on our property only last weekend (I've lost count of kills in t'wild) before I had a chance to cop on & restrain him: he was doing his job, I'm not going to lose sleep or shed a tear (I did bury the kitten properly)...but we know well how those kind of incidents play with townies : kill rats = good, kill bunny or kitten = bad).

 

Hey, it's a terrier. With the prey drive of a great white. Never harmed a human, but everything else is on the menu, big or small, fluffy, scaly or feathery.

If your dogs going around killing kittens you ought to put a muzzle on it.

 

 

[Pettytom 1]

13 minutes ago, makapaka said:

If your dogs going around killing kittens you ought to put a muzzle on it.

 

 

Cats kill all sorts of wildlife.

 

Maybe they should be muzzled too. And declawed 

[redruby 279]

And back on to the topic of rats................thank you for suggestions, I will use a trap if there are more signs of rat activity. A neighbours cat has also had a wander around the house. Nothing caught but apparently just the scent of a cat will discourage rodents. 

 

[L00b 441]

7 hours ago, makapaka said:

If your dogs going around killing kittens you ought to put a muzzle on it.

 

 

QED

25 minutes ago, redruby said:

And back on to the topic of rats................thank you for suggestions, I will use a trap if there are more signs of rat activity. A neighbours cat has also had a wander around the house. Nothing caught but apparently just the scent of a cat will discourage rodents. 

 

For rats, bacon works better than cheese on traps. No joke.

[hauxwell 243]

1 hour ago, redruby said:

And back on to the topic of rats................thank you for suggestions, I will use a trap if there are more signs of rat activity. A neighbours cat has also had a wander around the house. Nothing caught but apparently just the scent of a cat will discourage rodents. 

 

Is there any rat poison you can buy?  Although I’m not sure how effective this method is and I would imagine you have to be very careful using this sort of thing.

Hope you get rid of the pesky thing.

 

[redruby 279]

1 hour ago, hauxwell said:

Is there any rat poison you can buy?  Although I’m not sure how effective this method is and I would imagine you have to be very careful using this sort of thing.

Hope you get rid of the pesky thing.

 

A pest control company put it down saying that rats will avoid traps if they see one of their own caught in one.  You can buy poison in shops but I don’t think it’s as as powerful as the stuff pest controllers can use. I really hope this is resolved but any tips for n getting rid of them are welcome.

[L00b 441]

2 hours ago, redruby said:

A pest control company put it down saying that rats will avoid traps if they see one of their own caught in one.  You can buy poison in shops but I don’t think it’s as as powerful as the stuff pest controllers can use. I really hope this is resolved but any tips for n getting rid of them are welcome.

Recently (about 4 months ago), public-grade commercial stuff didn't work for us, even though it was sourced from a non-franchise garden store catering to local farmers (so you'd expect tried-and-tested supplies,  not B&Q made-for-a-cost).

 

One or more large-ish rats were coming from the bakery 2 doors down, through the basements, to eat stored apples. Pointless using dog at the time (we're not there long enough to monitor and block exit after they get in). They clearly ate most of the poison, and yet kept coming back for weeks afterwards.

 

Trap with cheese didn't work (chees eaten, trap sprung, no rat). Trap with bacon worked, caught one.

 

Not seen one since and dog can still pick trace, but must be old/faint as he doesn't get as excited as months ago.

Edited July 24, 2019 by L00b

[Padders 2,846]

21 minutes ago, L00b said:

Recently (about 4 months ago), public-grade commercial stuff didn't work for us, even though it was sourced from a non-franchise garden store catering to local farmers (so you'd expect tried-and-tested supplies,  not B&Q made-for-a-cost).

 

One or more large-ish rats were coming from the bakery 2 doors down, through the basements, to eat stored apples. Pointless using dog at the time (we're not there long enough to monitor and block exit after they get in). They clearly ate most of the poison, and yet kept coming back for weeks afterwards.

 

Trap with cheese didn't work (chees eaten, trap sprung, no rat). Trap with bacon worked, caught one.

 

Not seen one since and dog can still pick trace, but must be old/faint as he doesn't get as excited as months ago.

I had the same problem, so stopped up one night to watch..

2 rats came, one held the trap down, while the other pinched the cheese, crafty blighters.

[vwkittie 10]

15 hours ago, ANGELFIRE1 said:

The reason why I have never had a dog other than a Terrier, they, well most, still retain the prey drive of their ancestors.  If any one asks me, "what is it like to own a Terrier" my stock answer is, great little dogs, but if they come across something, if they cannot shag it or eat it, then they damn sure will kill it.

 

Angel1.

Our lurcher, like most lurchers, is the same! Soft as anything with my own two cats, but if you're a stranger cat or a rabbit or rat.... you're in trouble!!!

 

Not so much use for rats in a confined space though as a smaller terrier.  I do think the advantage of a dog over poison is rats can't really develop a resistance to having their back broken, plus they die very quickly with little suffering.