# Rats (Help/Advice Needed)



## HouseHolderGuy (Apr 10, 2021)

Hi, this is going to be a long read, but I am hoping someone can help me out with some solid advice.



About a year ago, we had two rats in our attic (extension). They had come in as Bee's had decided to create a home. I heard them late at night scratching and trying to get the comb. As such, like any good home owner, I got an exterminator out, and within a week they were all dead, with the suspected entrance whole sealed.



About a month went by and a head a scurrying noise again in the attic. But this Time in the main attic. Again, I got the exterminator out. Over the space of 6 months we must have killed 20 rats in the main attic. The exterminator was at a loss where they were coming from as there was no rat poop in the attic at all. near the end of the 6 months, i found brickwork missing mortar near where the house extension joins the main house. I sealed this with mortar and we left motion camera's up in the main loft. Over a period of 2.5 months, there was nothing picked up by the cameras.



There is no feed in the attic, no water in the attic, there are a couple of boxes, clothes up in the loft, but none have been chewed or ripped up. I did find a few wires had been nibbled, and as such have had them replaced.



I went and got the main sweer pipe, as well as the pipe leading into my house looked at by two surveyors, both came back with no holes / cracks found.



The extension has a cavity wall, but the cavity is not filled. The main house was built in 1989 (UK) and is stone walling, so has no cavity. At no point during the saga, way into the early mornings 2am have I heard any scurrying up any of the walls.



The extension has the cavity wall, the main area has no cavity. The house is essentially a T shape, and it is where the T meets where i seem to have the most activity (new extension joining old house)



We live near a canal so Rats live in the banks, but i've lived here 10 years with no issues before.



So, after 2.5 months of no activity, suddenly in one night 2 traps went off, and over a period of 7 days, I have trapped and killed 6 juvenile and one middle aged rat. I stupidly left the dead rats to one side, and when i went up the 8th day, the bodies had gone (i am aware now they will eat their dead).



When a rat dies (for anyone who doesn't know) they stink of Death, you know when there is a dead rat. Over the next two weeks, i went up to try and find the bodies. There was little to no smell at all in either the main / extension. There was a very faint smell, but not the stench you would expect from 7 dead bodies. Being diligent I again contacted a exterminator.



We have put poison down, 9 traps out, and over the last 2 weeks, have had 0 traps go off, and 0 piles of poison eaten (7 piles). I've put this down to Rats not liking new things, but thought they would have at least tried now.



I have spoken to both my neighbours (live in a terrace), and they say there are no signs of Rats in their attics.



So, given all of the above, can i get peoples thoughts on what to do next? Given the above, i don't think they are in my house, but are using my loft as a throughway to get from A to B, but if that is true are my neighbours lying to me?



Any professional advice would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

In my area, cold in winter, rats and mice will look for a nice warm home for winter. If the house does not provide food and water they will go in and out for that but warm they like.

Rats are also shy and cautious so sounds like you will need to keep baiting and trapping forever given the many from that canal.

As for finding their entrance you might be able to use an infrared camera, over here they rent them or you can buy a low cost home owners model.

I'm a retired energy auditor so have my own high end model and when using a blower door I can spot warm air exit points. Blower door is a big fan that pressurizes the house. Window fans can do a good job. More tips if you go that direction.

I have not done this but there are companies that use a special smoke to fill the house and pressure to force it out so you can find the leaks.

Eventually finding every last access point will be necessary. Note, they are always looking for a way in and sounds like there is a well marked point they are using.

Bud


----------



## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Does the attic have a floor or is it covered with insulation?


----------



## HouseHolderGuy (Apr 10, 2021)

hi both,

The attic Is beams with insulation. You can see where they run the most, and as such, I have put traps on them.

What I havn't mentioned is that to get to the attic, it is a 3 story climb for a rat, there is no smear / rub marks on any of the drain pipes. Which is what is leading me to think it's coming in from another house.

As for the well marked point, yeah, I just cannot seem to find it, but I assume that they can get through any eve of a roof given it is 1 - 2 cm wide?


----------



## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Set up the camera again inside and see if you can find that entry point, neighbours may not be able to hear what you hear.


----------



## SoNic (Feb 14, 2021)

HouseHolderGuy said:


> I assume that they can get through any eve of a roof given it is 1 - 2 cm wide?


I had small mice going in trough a pencil sized hole, and they were traveling inside the wood-studs furred walls.

Get a cat.

When my tom cat was younger, he would climb in the attic, trough the garage shelving and I could hear him running laps above and meowing.
He even brought some "offers" on the garage steps leading to my kitchen - a couple of mice and two small snakes. Once my wife caught him with a snake in his mouth, tail dangling outside - she asked sternly "what did you eat" and he dropped a small garden snake that slithered quickly away.

Now he's older, can't climb as easy but still patrols the garage at night and meows menacingly.


----------



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

One house I worked on had a hole in the low soffit of an A-frame. Someone had nailed a flattened soup can over the hole. Those rats proceeded to chew out a half circle out of that can plus some more of the soffit to continue their activities.

They are persistent and chewing is something they have to do all of the time.
Bud


----------



## jOSE222 (Apr 10, 2021)

Boil 4 eggs, remove just the yolks, mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup borax , mix the 4 yolks with the sugar and borax to a playdoh like paste...place 1 tablespoon on several small plates or bowls, place all around where the rats come in and out and all around the areas they lie to be in. Continue to keep serving dishes full...I promise this will get rid of them! This also kills roaches, mice and almost every pest you can think of. Be patient continue the process..


----------



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Be careful if you have pets


----------



## YaterSpoon (Dec 1, 2016)

What kind of house? Brick, siding, both? Are you attached to your neighbors?

I would look for holes behind gutters, action around the inner plumbing stack, every possible penetration around the foundation, etc.


----------



## SoNic (Feb 14, 2021)

I hate poison. And I hate when people so easily suggest using that, without thinking of consequences.

One of my terrier dogs died poisoned, vomiting bile on our garage floor, while we were away shopping. We had a door flap from garage to the yard, she loved to go in the yard when we were out.
Probably poor dog caught and eat a rat that was poisoned and died or was dying in our yard.

I much rather use glue traps.


----------



## Santa01 (Apr 15, 2021)

I got a cat to catch rats in the yard, of course not all cats catch, but mine brings me prey, you don't even need to contact the service


----------

