Rats!!!

True Romance

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Sure I replied to a thread about mice but buggered if I can find it now? Anyway turns out we have rats coming from next door. In 20 years we've never seen a rat but on Sunday spotted this fella helping himself to the fish food from our pond.

pic from living room
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close up pic

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Yesterday after coming home tooled up and a little patience.

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So I'm guess where theres one there will be more? Anyone have any experience with rats (in garden) and how long/many it took to get rid of them? Got traps and bait on order and so have the neighbours so hopefully we should quickly sort this issue??

Thanks.
 
maybe its over crowded under there ....lol take up a board and they all come flooding out...eek
 
We had them in the garden a few years ago. I just kept putting poison down into the tunnels they'd dug under the fence, with a slab over the top to stop anything else eating it. After a couple of weeks the poison stopped disappearing and the rats were gone.

More recently we were finding food crumbs on the kitchen floor every morning. I suspected a mouse, then found footprints that were definitely not from mice! I put traps down but didn't catch it, then I found that a water pipe behind the washing machine wasn't sealed into the wall properly. It turned out the rat was coming through the neighbours outside wall, then through the cavity into our house. I sealed it up and we didn't see it again - our neighbour however had the rat cut itself on a knife rack and spill blood all over his kitchen, then it chewed a huge hole right in the middle of his leather sofa! He even caught it on movement-activated camera sat on top of his kitchen bin.
 
It was my mouse thread. Now you've got a bigger problem. :)

Depending on where you live, your council may be able to help with rats. Here's the first port of call, by the look of it: Report a pest problem - GOV.UK
 
We had them in the garden a few years ago. I just kept putting poison down into the tunnels they'd dug under the fence, with a slab over the top to stop anything else eating it. After a couple of weeks the poison stopped disappearing and the rats were gone.

More recently we were finding food crumbs on the kitchen floor every morning. I suspected a mouse, then found footprints that were definitely not from mice! I put traps down but didn't catch it, then I found that a water pipe behind the washing machine wasn't sealed into the wall properly. It turned out the rat was coming through the neighbours outside wall, then through the cavity into our house. I sealed it up and we didn't see it again - our neighbour however had the rat cut itself on a knife rack and spill blood all over his kitchen, then it chewed a huge hole right in the middle of his leather sofa! He even caught it on movement-activated camera sat on top of his kitchen bin.

Sounds like a tough critter,I'm glad I don't live down south like you :laugh:
 
We had them in the garden a few years ago. I just kept putting poison down into the tunnels they'd dug under the fence, with a slab over the top to stop anything else eating it. After a couple of weeks the poison stopped disappearing and the rats were gone.

More recently we were finding food crumbs on the kitchen floor every morning. I suspected a mouse, then found footprints that were definitely not from mice! I put traps down but didn't catch it, then I found that a water pipe behind the washing machine wasn't sealed into the wall properly. It turned out the rat was coming through the neighbours outside wall, then through the cavity into our house. I sealed it up and we didn't see it again - our neighbour however had the rat cut itself on a knife rack and spill blood all over his kitchen, then it chewed a huge hole right in the middle of his leather sofa! He even caught it on movement-activated camera sat on top of his kitchen bin.
Sounds like the beginning of a James Herbert novel.....
 
Well as I expected the rats are back. Unfortunately by the time I got downstairs opened the patio door, loaded the rifle and took aim the bugger run off!
 
Well as I expected the rats are back. Unfortunately by the time I got downstairs opened the patio door, loaded the rifle and took aim the bugger run off!

this should yield results...

UqqkBnw.jpg
 
We had a couple of rats last year that our cat took out. Here's the aftermath
 

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Hi,

We have been dealing with a rat infestation for over the last few months & it has been hell - once inside, they breed like crazy & it is extremely difficult to get rid of them. They have done so much damage & have taken over the entire ground floor - into every room - under the floorboards, inside walls etc, gone into conservatory roof etc. They even went upstairs leaving a trail of blood.

Once they die inside, they stench is just simply unbearable - so do not use poison inside - invest in as many different types of traps as you can. They have bitten through solid hardwood doors - made cavities in walls & have dug a channel through a solid exterior wall & concrete floor.

My very elderly & disabled mother was bit twice in her sleep by a big one - I have had to move her out as I am still dealing with the issue.

Ours were coming in through the drains & we are still investigating if they have any other entry points. We got royally screwed over by the first pest controller who mad things worse but the second one seems sort of OK but they know you are desperate & can charge quite a bit for extras - 3 visits for the usual ÂŁ120-ÂŁ150 are simply not enough - we have needed many more than that.

I have just ordered a Drain Non Return Valve to deter them coming in via the drains.

You have to be extremely aggressive if they get in your house as they will breed like crazy once in. Be warned - they are exceptionally smart & extremely cautious so the buggers can frustrate the hell out of you.

Lay as many traps as you possibly can - all with different types of baits to entice them go go to different ones.

That smell - my God - it is so nasty.

Suave.
 
Bloody hell @Suave I really feel for you :(. Thankfully ours only appear to be in the garden but no doubt if not cleared by winter they will try and make there way indoors. Still waiting for the traps to turn up but I'm now armed and waiting for one to show their head.

Did you use your local council pest control or someone else? Ours want ÂŁ75 including one re-visit but not sure if its just worth putting the bait down ourselves?
 
get a master rat that will attack invading rats!
 
Bloody hell @Suave I really feel for you :(. Thankfully ours only appear to be in the garden but no doubt if not cleared by winter they will try and make there way indoors. Still waiting for the traps to turn up but I'm now armed and waiting for one to show their head.

Did you use your local council pest control or someone else? Ours want ÂŁ75 including one re-visit but not sure if its just worth putting the bait down ourselves?


Hi,

Good to know they are in the garden - my advice is to put food at the very back of the garden as far away from the house as possible to get them away from the home. Once they go there, hopefully, they will eat the baited food, die & get eaten by the other rats & you can also trap/shoot the critters.

Now would be a good time to check your drains & seal up as many entry points as you can. None of these fancy compounds work - use steel wool or fine chicken wire mixed in with concrete & shards of glass - that is what I plan to do.

We had used our council in the past a few years ago when there were a fews mice - ÂŁ120 for 3 visits but they only place bait boxes with poison inside the home & do not deal with anything else.

You sound like a experienced guy & tbh, you can do what most Pest controllers have done for us - find entry points & lay bait or traps. Of course they have cameras on flex-tubes but I think you can pick up for about ÂŁ30?

If outside, bait would be OK I guess - try putting oats & raisins in small bowls with lots of plaster of paris, baking soda/bicarbonate of soda. Apparently, this solidifies in their guts so they cannot poo it out & also as they cannot burp or pass gas, it expands inside their guts later on.

On the traps, I have heard tying strips of bacon with peanut butter is suppose to work well. You need to tie the bacon to the sensitive part of the trap otherwise they can lick of peanut butter off & get away - might work, might not - depends on the rat!

I feel so sorry for my mum - she was covered in blood & I cannot have her back in the house until I am sure we have got all the rats.

Suave!
 
I hate rats. They come into our garden from time to time from the nearby farm. Always seems to happen when the farmer is messing around with his buildings. They do seem to like it under decking. Try putting heavy guage metal rabbit fencing attach it to the decking and bury the bottom at least 10 inches into the earth.
 
Hi,

We just now got rid of one too! One of the traps placed under the kitchen sink cabinet managed to nab it - bugger was stinking the place to hell!

Suave!
 
You need a red dot sight on your weapon of choice
Lol
Yes that would help though my aim is pretty good. Still only have round nose pellets which doesn't seem to inflict enough damage. Pointed pellets on order. Just set two traps so we'll have to see how they perform?
 
Lol
Yes that would help though my aim is pretty good. Still only have round nose pellets which doesn't seem to inflict enough damage. Pointed pellets on order. Just set two traps so we'll have to see how they perform?

What about using HE (High Explosive) for best impact ;)
 
If you are putting down poison an old trick is to mix in something sweet, my father was in catering and they mixed poison with the hot chocolate 3 in 1 mix (chocolate, creamer and sugar) which the rats loved.
 
Well lifted a number of boards and no sign of rat activity. No runs, no rat dropping or smell. Did find a hole behind the pond filter that looks like they have been using to gain access from next door. Filled with quick drying concrete. We'll see now if they appear or create another way in??? Traps have been out all day and so far nothing so may be the walking wounded from last night has told his mates to keep clear :D
 

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