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As per the subject...
I can hear it scratching away behind the plinth under the cupboards. I need to take the plinth off, get rid of the rat and fill the hole it got in through. But, I don't want it jumping out at me when I pull the plinth off. Any ideas better than a big net round the base of the cupboards and protective clothing?
I can hear it scratching away behind the plinth under the cupboards. I need to take the plinth off, get rid of the rat and fill the hole it got in through. But, I don't want it jumping out at me when I pull the plinth off. Any ideas better than a big net round the base of the cupboards and protective clothing?
In reply to Hooo:
I'd be tempted to render it unable to do any jumping out at me before removing the plinth. Like with something tasty to but bad for rats.
Alternatively you could write a crappy pseudo-reggae song about it and move to another house with the proceeds.
I'd be tempted to render it unable to do any jumping out at me before removing the plinth. Like with something tasty to but bad for rats.
Alternatively you could write a crappy pseudo-reggae song about it and move to another house with the proceeds.
1
In reply to Hooo:
Make the atmosphere 'unpleasant' under the cupboard forcing the rat to vacate through the hole it entered.
I'd guess there's something in your cleaning cupboard that would work.
Make the atmosphere 'unpleasant' under the cupboard forcing the rat to vacate through the hole it entered.
I'd guess there's something in your cleaning cupboard that would work.
In reply to Hooo: Are you certain it's a rat? Mice can make a lot of scratchy noises, and you will need to be prepared to deal with something smaller: and to look for and deal with a hole in the wall that might be surprisingly small too.
I'd probably go for a trap, myself. Poison works but then you may have some fun finding the smelly, decaying remains.
T.
I'd probably go for a trap, myself. Poison works but then you may have some fun finding the smelly, decaying remains.
T.
In reply to Hooo:
Put a bank of sandbags around the outside of your house, put the plug in the sink and leave the taps on when you go to work. However, rats can swim, so you'll need a hungry aquatic carnivore (crocodile?) to eat the rat once it leaves its hidey hole.
Put a bank of sandbags around the outside of your house, put the plug in the sink and leave the taps on when you go to work. However, rats can swim, so you'll need a hungry aquatic carnivore (crocodile?) to eat the rat once it leaves its hidey hole.
1
In reply to Hooo:
You can get sticky boards that they glue themselves to as soon as they touch them. Stick em where they run.
The one I caught was going mental but was stuck and couldn't escape. I got an ice axe and stuck it to the sticky board and dragged it out. It was jumping mental so stuck another board over it to calm it down. Dragged it out the house by a shaking border terrier hiding in the living room and leathered it outside with a plant pot. Dead easy.
You can get sticky boards that they glue themselves to as soon as they touch them. Stick em where they run.
The one I caught was going mental but was stuck and couldn't escape. I got an ice axe and stuck it to the sticky board and dragged it out. It was jumping mental so stuck another board over it to calm it down. Dragged it out the house by a shaking border terrier hiding in the living room and leathered it outside with a plant pot. Dead easy.
In reply to Hooo:
Sounds like a job for ... a Ferret.
Seen one in action once ,and they get the job done.vicious little bastards.
On the other hand
A proper soft tw*t (me ) would catch Mr or Mrs Rat take him/her outside and let him/her go on their way.
Or put it through someone's catflap.
Sounds like a job for ... a Ferret.
Seen one in action once ,and they get the job done.vicious little bastards.
On the other hand
A proper soft tw*t (me ) would catch Mr or Mrs Rat take him/her outside and let him/her go on their way.
Or put it through someone's catflap.
In reply to Pursued by a bear:
*Don't do poison* unless you want a real nightmare. (I speak from personal experience.)
*Don't do poison* unless you want a real nightmare. (I speak from personal experience.)
In reply to John Stainforth:
Sticky boards are what pest control company's use. It is a myth that poison makes them thirsty so they go outside to die.
Sticky boards are what pest control company's use. It is a myth that poison makes them thirsty so they go outside to die.
In reply to Hooo:
The reason I ended up using an ice axe to remove the rat was. The wife handed me an ice axe over the bed saying" That sounds bigger than a mouse" she keeps it under the bed when am away for security..
The reason I ended up using an ice axe to remove the rat was. The wife handed me an ice axe over the bed saying" That sounds bigger than a mouse" she keeps it under the bed when am away for security..
In reply to Hooo:
Had very similar issue. Thought it was a mouse, crept down one night and did the old Jaws film scene... "going to need a bigger trap (boat!)...".
Two days of hand to hand combat later the rat's end came when I located him in a gap behind some plasterboard. The final scene involved a can of spray expanding foam and a 8mm drill bit. It wasnt pretty.....
Had very similar issue. Thought it was a mouse, crept down one night and did the old Jaws film scene... "going to need a bigger trap (boat!)...".
Two days of hand to hand combat later the rat's end came when I located him in a gap behind some plasterboard. The final scene involved a can of spray expanding foam and a 8mm drill bit. It wasnt pretty.....
1
In reply to Hooo:
Some useful ( and some amusing ) replies there, thanks.
I'll probably go with the sticky traps. I'm just worried about how to open the space without it running out at me. I don't fancy chasing it round the kitchen!
Some useful ( and some amusing ) replies there, thanks.
I'll probably go with the sticky traps. I'm just worried about how to open the space without it running out at me. I don't fancy chasing it round the kitchen!
In reply to Wainers44:
I did consider expanding foam, but don't fancy cleaning it all out afterwards.
As for chloroform, great idea but surely it's not legally available?
I did consider expanding foam, but don't fancy cleaning it all out afterwards.
As for chloroform, great idea but surely it's not legally available?
In reply to Hooo:
That's why you need it to not be there when you set the trap.
Fly spray? Loud noises?
Dust and chip extractor?
http://www.recordpower.co.uk/assets/products/product_images/prod_000264_ass...
> Some useful ( and some amusing ) replies there, thanks.
> I'll probably go with the sticky traps. I'm just worried about how to open the space without it running out at me. I don't fancy chasing it round the kitchen!
That's why you need it to not be there when you set the trap.
Fly spray? Loud noises?
Dust and chip extractor?
http://www.recordpower.co.uk/assets/products/product_images/prod_000264_ass...
In reply to cuppatea:
>Dust and chip extractor?
That's not a bad idea. I don't have one, but my Dyson is pretty powerful!
>Dust and chip extractor?
That's not a bad idea. I don't have one, but my Dyson is pretty powerful!
In reply to Hooo:
There's a big difference between rats and mice.
Mice barely chew through HDPE plastic caps.
Rats can chew through concrete air bricks...
I had a rat in the cavity wall of a modern terrace once. It got in to the kitchen by chewing through the concrete air brick. And then through the polyfilla I filled the hole with. They are determined motherfubbers...
Best of luck. You're going to need it...
There's a big difference between rats and mice.
Mice barely chew through HDPE plastic caps.
Rats can chew through concrete air bricks...
I had a rat in the cavity wall of a modern terrace once. It got in to the kitchen by chewing through the concrete air brick. And then through the polyfilla I filled the hole with. They are determined motherfubbers...
Best of luck. You're going to need it...
In reply to fmck:
The poison makes them crazy with thirst as they're dying, but they don't necessarily go outside and will chew everything they can.
The poison makes them crazy with thirst as they're dying, but they don't necessarily go outside and will chew everything they can.
Glue traps are far, far more cruel than a good old-fashioned snap trap, and possibly more cruel than poison.
1
In reply to captain paranoia:
The rats were here before me, it's an ongoing battle. I thought I had all the holes filled, but this one's probably chewed a new one. Anyway, it's gone quiet now so I'm going to open up and shove some sticky traps in.
I've never trapped one before, just blocked the holes, but from what I've read stickies are the way to go. Poison leaves rotting bodies in hidden spaces, and rats are too smart for old-school spring traps.
The rats were here before me, it's an ongoing battle. I thought I had all the holes filled, but this one's probably chewed a new one. Anyway, it's gone quiet now so I'm going to open up and shove some sticky traps in.
I've never trapped one before, just blocked the holes, but from what I've read stickies are the way to go. Poison leaves rotting bodies in hidden spaces, and rats are too smart for old-school spring traps.
In reply to Hooo:
It's a rat, not a velociraptor It'll have scuttled away before you've fully lifted the board away. Pop in a trap, pop the board back on, wash your hands and wait for the snap.
jk
It's a rat, not a velociraptor It'll have scuttled away before you've fully lifted the board away. Pop in a trap, pop the board back on, wash your hands and wait for the snap.
jk
In reply to Hooo:
If you are going to use sticky traps, please check them regularly. It's an extremely stressful way to trap something and a horrible way to die if they aren't dealt with promptly.
> The rats were here before me, it's an ongoing battle. I thought I had all the holes filled, but this one's probably chewed a new one. Anyway, it's gone quiet now so I'm going to open up and shove some sticky traps in.
If you are going to use sticky traps, please check them regularly. It's an extremely stressful way to trap something and a horrible way to die if they aren't dealt with promptly.
In reply to andrewmcleod:
Eh! How can a glue board be more cruel than poisoning it to death or trapping it from triggered wire?
I used poison and was finding dead mice behind skirtings and even in the studwork that I opened up. The snap traps did work when I used toffee for some reason but didn't wipe them out . The most effective we have found is the sticky boards mainly mice but once a rat. I imagine it was the rats first visit because we have never before or after had a problem with them. We usually have a week or so when it gets cold that they come in but there quickly picked up by placing the boards along walls. (Their usual path)
Eh! How can a glue board be more cruel than poisoning it to death or trapping it from triggered wire?
I used poison and was finding dead mice behind skirtings and even in the studwork that I opened up. The snap traps did work when I used toffee for some reason but didn't wipe them out . The most effective we have found is the sticky boards mainly mice but once a rat. I imagine it was the rats first visit because we have never before or after had a problem with them. We usually have a week or so when it gets cold that they come in but there quickly picked up by placing the boards along walls. (Their usual path)
In reply to Hooo:
Some local authorities provide a free pest control service for rats; give your local environmental health department a call.
Some local authorities provide a free pest control service for rats; give your local environmental health department a call.
In reply to Hooo:
There's a dead rat on the ground floor of our office car park that's been there for over 2 weeks now, despite repeated requests to facilities to remove it. It's getting gradualy flatter as it gets run over.
I'd go with traps - we've caught mice the cat brings in using peanut butter as bait, a couple of which were behind the kitchen units and required removing the kick board.
Worth looking for a nest - a guy that used to work for me once phoned up to say he wasn't coming in, as he'd discovered a rats nest chewed into the insulation of his fridge freezer and needed to sort that out!
There's a dead rat on the ground floor of our office car park that's been there for over 2 weeks now, despite repeated requests to facilities to remove it. It's getting gradualy flatter as it gets run over.
I'd go with traps - we've caught mice the cat brings in using peanut butter as bait, a couple of which were behind the kitchen units and required removing the kick board.
Worth looking for a nest - a guy that used to work for me once phoned up to say he wasn't coming in, as he'd discovered a rats nest chewed into the insulation of his fridge freezer and needed to sort that out!
In reply to Hooo:
Don't use poison - rats get very smelly when they're decomposing in the space above next door's kitchen ceiling!
I once began to attack a mouse with a snow shovel, then held off whacking it because the little b***er was hiding behind my rather expensive tent poles. Snapper trappers armed with bits of Snickers worked a treat.
I suspect when you pull the plinth off the rodent won't be there but will have retreated somewhere else.
Don't use poison - rats get very smelly when they're decomposing in the space above next door's kitchen ceiling!
I once began to attack a mouse with a snow shovel, then held off whacking it because the little b***er was hiding behind my rather expensive tent poles. Snapper trappers armed with bits of Snickers worked a treat.
I suspect when you pull the plinth off the rodent won't be there but will have retreated somewhere else.
In reply to fmck:
The snap traps are (usually) instant death. The glue traps don't kill the mice/rats; they die slowly of starvation and/or dehydration. Rodents are known to chew limbs off to escape them. The poison is probably cruel as well, but I don't know as much about it.
http://www.humanepestcontroltips.com/sticky-glue-mouse-traps
There are also electric zapper traps to kill mice/rats, but at the end of the day killing them is usually ineffective at removing a rodent problem. No-one has 'a rat' or 'a mouse' in their house; you either have none or lots (barring the occasional rodent who walks into an open door or something.
The key to dealing with a rodent problem is to rodentproof your house (or at least food areas). You only get rodents where there is a food supply. In Cardiff when I was a student quite a lot of student properties had mice; these were old (1880s) buildings with a selection of dodgy bits of building work. Usually it was the pipes going through walls under sinks; a can of expanding foam seals up the hole around the pipe. You can also stuff wire wool into small crevices that a mouse might enter. It doesn't matter if the mice can get into your walls from outside; if they can't make it to the food, then you shouldn't get a population. Rats are bigger and therefore easier to keep out.
> Eh! How can a glue board be more cruel than poisoning it to death or trapping it from triggered wire?
The snap traps are (usually) instant death. The glue traps don't kill the mice/rats; they die slowly of starvation and/or dehydration. Rodents are known to chew limbs off to escape them. The poison is probably cruel as well, but I don't know as much about it.
http://www.humanepestcontroltips.com/sticky-glue-mouse-traps
There are also electric zapper traps to kill mice/rats, but at the end of the day killing them is usually ineffective at removing a rodent problem. No-one has 'a rat' or 'a mouse' in their house; you either have none or lots (barring the occasional rodent who walks into an open door or something.
The key to dealing with a rodent problem is to rodentproof your house (or at least food areas). You only get rodents where there is a food supply. In Cardiff when I was a student quite a lot of student properties had mice; these were old (1880s) buildings with a selection of dodgy bits of building work. Usually it was the pipes going through walls under sinks; a can of expanding foam seals up the hole around the pipe. You can also stuff wire wool into small crevices that a mouse might enter. It doesn't matter if the mice can get into your walls from outside; if they can't make it to the food, then you shouldn't get a population. Rats are bigger and therefore easier to keep out.
In reply to andrewmcleod:
I'm pretty sure the human domain in our house is secure, I've not seen any sign of them. We do hear them under the floor and in the roof occasionally, usually when the weather gets bad. I don't think they are getting food in our house - there's plenty available from the bird-lover next door. They come in for shelter. The under-cabinet incursion is a worrying development though. This one wasn't shy - I banged on the plinth and he didn't stop scratching. Didn't fancy meeting him face to face!
I'm pretty sure the human domain in our house is secure, I've not seen any sign of them. We do hear them under the floor and in the roof occasionally, usually when the weather gets bad. I don't think they are getting food in our house - there's plenty available from the bird-lover next door. They come in for shelter. The under-cabinet incursion is a worrying development though. This one wasn't shy - I banged on the plinth and he didn't stop scratching. Didn't fancy meeting him face to face!
In reply to andrewmcleod:
Except for the fact that they can chew through concrete air bricks that mice cannot...
Rats are bigger and a much more serious problem, IME.
I've seen it said that if you can get a BIC pen into a hole, a mouse will get through it. I caught a visiting field mouse using a 2l angled PET bottle (baited with chocolate) once, and caught a second such visitor in the same manner a year or so later. When I went to put the lid on to trap it, the mouse shot out of the neck and disappeared under the fireplace. It left of its own accord...
> Rats are bigger and therefore easier to keep out.
Except for the fact that they can chew through concrete air bricks that mice cannot...
Rats are bigger and a much more serious problem, IME.
I've seen it said that if you can get a BIC pen into a hole, a mouse will get through it. I caught a visiting field mouse using a 2l angled PET bottle (baited with chocolate) once, and caught a second such visitor in the same manner a year or so later. When I went to put the lid on to trap it, the mouse shot out of the neck and disappeared under the fireplace. It left of its own accord...
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