Rats

[Flacko 1,755]

Ok lads I’ve got to ask the ones who do this for a living, one of my daughters has bought a house been in since beginning of year she’s got a rat or 2 ? In the loft anyway they got a pest man out Saturday he checked under bath put poison down no droppings then in loft found some droppings she’s £150 for 3 visits 1 a week I asked if he checked round house for holes in property she said no any way she thinks she found hole where SVP pot & bath waste go in  a hole in masonry above kitchen window height should I seal it up or what

[Ratmanwan3 86]

Can you get a picture of the hole ?

[DIDO.1 22,851]

21 hours ago, Flacko said:

Ok lads I’ve got to ask the ones who do this for a living, one of my daughters has bought a house been in since beginning of year she’s got a rat or 2 ? In the loft anyway they got a pest man out Saturday he checked under bath put poison down no droppings then in loft found some droppings she’s £150 for 3 visits 1 a week I asked if he checked round house for holes in property she said no any way she thinks she found hole where SVP pot & bath waste go in  a hole in masonry above kitchen window height should I seal it up or what

If rats are in a loft they are going up cavities. 49 times of of 50 this is a sewer issue. (or gully pots). 

Garden rats need food and calories in exchange for effort. So they don't often climb to height repeatedly just to play in a loft. Sewer rats do as they have food and water on tap. One thing they don't have is dry bedding, hence the willingness to play in lofts and cavities. 

1 rat can do anything, climb behind a pipe, along roofs etc. Numerous rats don't. 

Rats are either getting through an obvious hole, a sewer or drain fault or from neighbours cavities. They don't drop from helicopters. 

Holes are obvious if rats are entering regularly to move to feed and water. Think of those paths you see on farms leading to regular holes. 

Check outside walls, then lift manholes. But bait in there to confirm activity and see if it stops noises in loft. 

[Flacko 1,755]

Thanks mate

[DIDO.1 22,851]

@Flacko@Flacko

Here are the photos of the black cats I promised. 

I use bakers dog biscuits. 

The important part is the freebies. Scatter some around if you want. Get em taking those and the trigger take is more positive. 

You asked about making it more sensitive. It's triggered by a lifting motion. It shouldn't need to be more sensitive. Work on getting the confidence by the extra freebies. If you want you can push a bit of bait under the bait on the trigger, this is the only way to make it more sensitive but it's not needed really. I've lifted the bait a bit in the photo by pushing a bit under the trigger bait

[Flacko 1,755]

Don’t know how to put them on mate I’ve got a small camera I use to check on some jobs when doing extensions I going to try that @Ratmanwan3

[Flacko 1,755]

Nice one DIDO.1 why didn’t I work that one out

[Ratmanwan3 86]

Everything dido said is spot on. If you do 100 rat jobs in houses a good 90 of them are faults with the drains but you still need to rule out the easy first and that's looking for holes on the perimeter of the property, faultswith the brickwork ect.

[Flacko 1,755]

There is a hole similar to that mate but it’s at first floor height but there is a drain pipe going up to it with a hopper pot to pick up sink bath waste

[DIDO.1 22,851]

15 minutes ago, Flacko said:

There is a hole similar to that mate but it’s at first floor height but there is a drain pipe going up to it with a hopper pot to pick up sink bath waste

Personally I'd say not. Possible but not likely. Why would it waste time getting up a drain pipe regularly. 

 

[Flacko 1,755]

Yes mate thought it might be a long shot I reckon they traveling cavity or joists from house to house thanks for replies lads I hope we can sort it soon as she has two young kids & a fella who’s about as much use as a ashtray on a motorbike 

[Ken's Deputy 4,460]

11 minutes ago, Flacko said:

 I reckon they travelling cavity or joists from house to house.

Terraced property?

[Ratmanwan3 86]

The hole in the wall was an entry point on the first floor. They were going up the inside of the drain pipe, along the waste pipe and in. Look at the smear mark on the conduit. 

[Flacko 1,755]

Not terraced but end of block of four Ken’s Deputy

[Deker 3,478]

should I seal it up or what 

 

I always prefer to solve the problem first then do the proofing.

No point filling a hole first, the rodent will simply try to get in somewhere else.