Rats, Help with rats Options

[Ozzy]

I live in Thatcham and we have had a massive increase in rats in the last seven days or so.

I am convinced it co-incides with roadworks being undertaken in the area, particularly on Floral Way. They've moved indoors into our house now and i'm not happy about it. We've lived there for 10 years and never had a problem and then all of a sudden we are inundated with them. It's a huge problem and with a 5 month old in the house it is a big worry for me.

I just rang West Berks Council and they said they can't do anything if they are in all our houses now. Is that right? I get the impression they just can't be bothered to do anything!

Does anyone know what to do, with particular reference to the Council's responsibilities? I've put traps down in my attic as a start but that will only stop it temporarily.
Thanks

[Bloggo]

I live in Thatcham and we have had a massive increase in rats in the last seven days or so.

I am convinced it co-incides with roadworks being undertaken in the area, particularly on Floral Way. They've moved indoors into our house now and i'm not happy about it. We've lived there for 10 years and never had a problem and then all of a sudden we are inundated with them. It's a huge problem and with a 5 month old in the house it is a big worry for me.

I just rang West Berks Council and they said they can't do anything if they are in all our houses now. Is that right? I get the impression they just can't be bothered to do anything!

Does anyone know what to do, with particular reference to the Council's responsibilities? I've put traps down in my attic as a start but that will only stop it temporarily.
Thanks

I don't know what the Council's responsibility is but can I suggest that you don't put bait down if they are in the house as they will take it and go off and die somewhere in the house and stink the place out. Keep with the traps and try to find where they are coming in and block it.
An air gun is good if you see them in the garden.

[Ozzy]

I don't know what the Council's responsibility is but can I suggest that you don't put bait down if they are in the house as they will take it and go off and die somewhere in the house and stink the place out. Keep with the traps and try to find where they are coming in and block it.
An air gun is good if you see them in the garden.

Thanks Bloggo.

We had a good look around yesterday and can't see any obvious entry points to the house. It's fairly modern so there are no clear external holes. I just can't see how/where they are getting in. Little blighters!

As you say I'm going to steer away from the bait for the time being.

Any tips from those who have experienced it would be great. Also thought i should check in case anyone in Thatcham has seen an increase and whether the council do need to act.

[Bloggo]

Thanks Bloggo.

We had a good look around yesterday and can't see any obvious entry points to the house. It's fairly modern so there are no clear external holes. I just can't see how/where they are getting in. Little blighters!

As you say I'm going to steer away from the bait for the time being.

Any tips from those who have experienced it would be great. Also thought i should check in case anyone in Thatcham has seen an increase and whether the council do need to act.

No problem.
Peanut butter is a great bait for the traps. Rats love it.

[user23]

Just a guess but I suspect it's not their responsibility to deal with rats on private property.

It's also coincided with the coldest weather in November I can remember for years, so perhaps that has something to do with it too?

[Rachel]

[quote name='Ozzy' date='Nov 29 2010, 01:28 PM' post='28614']
Thanks Bloggo.

We had a good look around yesterday and can't see any obvious entry points to the house. It's fairly modern so there are no clear external holes. I just can't see how/where they are getting in. Little blighters!

As you say I'm going to steer away from the bait for the time being.

Any tips from those who have experienced it would be great. Also thought i should check in case anyone in Thatcham has seen an increase and whether the council do need to act.
[/quote

Not an expert, but a friend had a rat infestation after she'd had building done. They apparently hadn't blocked off the sewer sufficiently (she was told rats will knaw through just about anything, including their own limbs if trapped) & the rats came through & set up home under a floating floor. By night, the found their way into the house & fed. A pest control company supplied her with sticky pads which were fixed where the rats ran, then as they stuck to them they would scream trying to escape, alerting her partner who then shot them with an air gun. It took a few weeks, but it worked, along with the builders coming back to fix the cause.
Ref where they're coming in...rats will run up a wall cavity, up the outside of a house & under the eaves; particularly in cold weather or if ill, they're virtually impossible to stop. Anyone who's lived in a thatched house will know the sound of running rat feet-it sounds more like a child running than a rodent! Also, some chemicals cause the rat to feel excessively thirsty, so once they've eaten the bait they seek water, hopefully somewhere outside your home so that they go away & die without you ever smelling them or finding a body, so don't be afraid of using that sort. Better to act quickly before they breed...don't wait for the council or it might be a long job Good luck!

[HJD]

Did you try the Environmental Health Department. If they will not help then Rentokil is your next best option. With regard to the rats sudden appearance, have you or a neighbour started keeping chicken recently by any chance, because that sometimes attracts them.

[GMR]

I had the same problem and the council sent somebody out and they put down rat poison. The problem is now solved.

[Exhausted]

I had the same problem and the council sent somebody out and they put down rat poison. The problem is now solved.

You must live in a council house as WBC do not help people who live in private accomodation and will point you in the direction of a contractor for which the owner has to pay. Why there is a rule for one and not the other I have no idea. Seems a little unfair to me.

[Iommi]

You must live in a council house as WBC do not help people who live in private accomodation and will point you in the direction of a contractor for which the owner has to pay. Why there is a rule for one and not the other I have no idea. Seems a little unfair to me.

According to these stories, that isn't necessarily true about tenants>

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...?articleID=7306
http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...?articleID=7129
http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...?articleID=6686

[GMR]

According to these stories, that isn't necessarily true about tenants>

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...?articleID=7306
http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...?articleID=7129
http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...?articleID=6686

One of the stories said: "When will Sovereign help us?" They do, and did for me and other tenants concerning rat problems.

[GMR]

You must live in a council house as WBC do not help people who live in private accomodation and will point you in the direction of a contractor for which the owner has to pay. Why there is a rule for one and not the other I have no idea. Seems a little unfair to me.

I agree with all your points.

Actually I did say something wrong in my original post; I contacted Sovereign, who then contacted WBC.

[Iommi]

One of the stories said: "When will Sovereign help us?" They do, and did for me and other tenants concerning rat problems.

When did you have rat problems? It seems responsibility comes down to land owners. Although residents can play their part by being careful with refuse.

[GMR]

When did you have rat problems? It seems responsibility comes down to land owners. Although residents can play their part by being careful with refuse.

A couple of months ago.

[Jayjay]

Not on the same scale, but we have two mice who have taken up residence under the shed. Purchased a sonic deterant today. It makes a noise only they can hear and that they hate so pack up their bags and leave home. It also works on rats according to the blurb. I will let you know if it works.

[Bloggo]

Not on the same scale, but we have two mice who have taken up residence under the shed. Purchased a sonic deterant today. It makes a noise only they can hear and that they hate so pack up their bags and leave home. It also works on rats according to the blurb. I will let you know if it works.

Jayjay, please let me know if this gadget and what it is works after acouple of weeks as I have mice in my loft and although I keep trapping them they don't stop coming. If it works I'll get one.
Thanks

[Ozzy]

The little critters were up there again last night. I was waiting for the traps to go but they must have managed to avoid it somehow! I might move them about now.

The problem I have got is that we live in a row of four terraced houses so the entry point could be one of any four of us and then they just rattle around through our houses over the attic spaces. My biggest worry is the fire hazard they can cause. I've already got one wire chewed and obviously exposed wires up in the attic is not good. Even worse is that any fire would affect all four houses.

Somehow I need to get all the other neighbours to take some responsibility, otherwise my efforts are largely wasted.

And if we don't get a handle on it now, the breeding numbers are huge! The females come into season every 27 days or so and can produce a litter of 10-12. Two rats can suddenly turn into 1000 over the space of a year! Wow.

I read about the sonic gadgets but heard they were not that effective - but let us know if they work. Equally there are big glue traps but apparently if the rats get stuck to the glue they will just gnaw their legs off to escape. How desperate is that?

[massifheed]

Jayjay, please let me know if this gadget and what it is works after acouple of weeks as I have mice in my loft and although I keep trapping them they don't stop coming. If it works I'll get one.
Thanks

They can be quite effective, but they have limitations. The main one being that the sound deterrant doesnt travel through walls or other objects. So if you have rodents in the loft, and you plug one of the devices in downstairs then it will probably do little to help. The same applies elsewhere so, if you plug one in behind a sofa, dont expect it to do much. They need to be in open space. Other than that they work well. You can get them from places like B & Q and Homebase. You may also find that Wilkinson sell them too.

[Bloggo]

They can be quite effective, but they have limitations. The main one being that the sound deterrant doesnt travel through walls or other objects. So if you have rodents in the loft, and you plug one of the devices in downstairs then it will probably do little to help. The same applies elsewhere so, if you plug one in behind a sofa, dont expect it to do much. They need to be in open space. Other than that they work well. You can get them from places like B & Q and Homebase. You may also find that Wilkinson sell them too.

Thanks for the update. I was thinking about a battery operated device for the loft which is totally open but no power socket.

[Brad]

There`s a rat in me kitchen what am I gonna do?There`s a rat in me kitchen what am I gonna go?I`m gonna fix that rat thats what I`m gonna do,I`m gonna fix that rat.

?But on a serious note- snap traps are best, glue pads are not that effective and cruel. zap traps only kill smaller rats. Other than that you might need to get a pro in.