Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

There's a moose loose aboot the hoose (with diagram)

37 replies

fourquenelles · 30/08/2021 14:32

It's a rat actually

I don't know whether chat is better than housekeeping for this but here goes. I have lived in my small Victorian mid terrace for nearly 5 years with no rodent issues. However over the last week I have found my dog's kibble bags under the stairs chewed and a small nest made from the plastic and kibble. I have also found a (very) few droppings on the mat outside the cupboard. I don't know if its my imagination going haywire but I can also smell pee in the house (not dog pee). The humane trap I have is too small for the beast as I caught sight of it coming out of my kitchen last night and it is definitely a rat not a mouse.

How it got in (and how many family members it has) is a bit of a mystery but I keep my back door open most of the day for the dogs; next door neighbour 1 is moving so there has been a lot of upheaval with packing; neighbour 2 has been doing some building work in their front room; I live by a main road with lots of food shops. Quite frankly I am surprised that I haven't had rodents before now.

I have contacted a pest control company but as its the Bank Holiday they can't do anything until tomorrow or later in the week.

So lovely MNers any ideas on how I can McGuyver a trap keep my sanity until the pest people come?

My two stupid dogs are worse than useless btw prefering to snooze and then have the occasional yap bark at the understairs cupboard door.

Diagram as I know you lot love them.

There's a moose loose aboot the hoose (with diagram)
OP posts:
YetAnotherSpartacus · 30/08/2021 14:36

Don't feed the dogs so that they get the hint?

Fantastic diagram! 10/10!

Floralnomad · 30/08/2021 14:36

Get a bigger trap from a DIY store today and put it in the cupboard baited with peanut butter . Change it every time you hear it snap , might catch them all if you are lucky .

Gatekeeper · 30/08/2021 14:37
Gatekeeper · 30/08/2021 14:45

thank you OP ...me and dh are now doing highland reel type dancing

RuthTopp · 30/08/2021 14:48

Your dogs look awfully thin , perhaps they could make a meal of it / them !

AreYouReally · 30/08/2021 14:53

Can we have a photo of the dogs so we can properly assess the situation?

Unforgettablefire · 30/08/2021 14:54

I had two male pet rats and kept their cage at the back of my dining room under the window, and as male rats have a musky smell I had the window open a bit 🤦🏻‍♀️
A wild rat moved in and was living behind my fireplace, getting in and out through a tiny hole.
It got at the back of my cooker, chewed the cables and the cooker blew up so keep a close check on any wiring as they love to chew it.
If it’s made a nest I hope it’s not a female having babies.

AreYouReally · 30/08/2021 14:54

Also, what breed are you dogs, because the rat is almost as big.?

Original poster
fourquenelles · 30/08/2021 14:56

Thanks Floranomad for a sensible suggestion Grin unfortunately I can't get to a DIY shop today

Gatekeeper you are welcome re the ear worm Hoots mon indeed

RuthTopp I know it goes with the breed but YetAnotherSpartacus may have an idea there. The boys do eat for GB so maybe a fast would encourage them to hunt like the hunting dogs they are supposed to be! Thanks re the diagram Smile

OP posts:
HerRoyalRisesAgain · 30/08/2021 14:59

My pet mouse loves chocolate, so maybe try and lure it out with chocolate when you manage to get some humane traps?

reachedtheendofmytether · 30/08/2021 15:00

Can you get your hands on a plug in thing that emits a sound to repel them? (My brain is on BH today so my words aren't working). Unless you have hamsters or rodents you actually choose to live with that is - in which case ignore me.

It's kept the rats away from my mums attic after she had one up there.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/08/2021 15:02

My first port of call would be getting all food into plastic containers.

(When we had a rat, the pest control man found their tunnel they used to get into my house... they came in under the wall!!

Unforgettablefire · 30/08/2021 15:05

If they can tunnel through walls they’ll make short work of plastic containers. The one I had ate half of my cooker cable.

Chloemol · 30/08/2021 15:09

Brilliant diagram.

Make sure all food is in containers. Are you near a diy place? They may have some traps you can put down

Check outside and see if you can see anyway they might be getting in and block it

Original poster
fourquenelles · 30/08/2021 15:12

Tried to post photo of stupid dogs off my phone but it seems to have got lost in the ether. So retrying off laptop.

OP posts:
Original poster
fourquenelles · 30/08/2021 15:16

I have the boys kibble double wrapped in a lidded plastic dustbin now but chewing through cables is a worry

Will look for a plug in and a bigger trap tomorrow (peanut butter and chocolate noted)

There are so many holes in my house that plugging them all up is going to be hard work but I have heard that wire wool is good plugging material?

OP posts:
AreYouReally · 30/08/2021 15:16

Love your dogs! That rat must be enormous!

Original poster
fourquenelles · 30/08/2021 15:27

AreYouReally Massive Grin

OP posts:
Unforgettablefire · 31/08/2021 21:57

Your dogs are gorgeous. For a breed with such a high prey drive they’re very laid back.
The rat is either very stupid or very confident 😄

Original poster
fourquenelles · 01/09/2021 12:42

@Unforgettablefire Thank you they are nearly 12 (brindle) and 6 years old so the sofa is much more attractive to them. You were right about chewed cables as the photo shows. Rat catcher thinks it's a juvenile so bait boxes down and electrician booked and bank account empty

There's a moose loose aboot the hoose (with diagram)
OP posts:
Unforgettablefire · 01/09/2021 15:50

Bless you, keep checking those wires everywhere, they tend to do the damage at night when you’re asleep and they have the run of the house.
I felt awful getting pest control out as I don’t dislike them, but I had no choice in the end.

My mother was sitting in her living room one night watching tv, and a mouse ran along her skirting board. She got pest control out and moved house!!

Boredmotherofone · 02/09/2021 00:19

@Unforgettablefire

Bless you, keep checking those wires everywhere, they tend to do the damage at night when you’re asleep and they have the run of the house. I felt awful getting pest control out as I don’t dislike them, but I had no choice in the end.

My mother was sitting in her living room one night watching tv, and a mouse ran along her skirting board. She got pest control out and moved house!!

😹😹😹😹😹😹 Just watching Corrie and a little Mouse casually scuttles past! 🤣 🐭
Boredmotherofone · 02/09/2021 00:26

Re:the diagram OP, is it to scale?! As that Ratus appears to have an exceptionally large penis GrinGrinGrin

TempNameChangexx · 02/09/2021 00:51

Having seen the photos of your dogs, I'm even more impressed by your diagram !
You got them exactly right !! Grin

LoveMySituation · 02/09/2021 01:01

I have the same problem at the moment. It's in a cupboard on my top floor. I can hear it chomping away. Despite having had rats as pets, I'm freaking out about opening cupbourd door in case it runs out. Apparently the smell of mint and bleach(not together!) will make them pack their little suitcases and depart, so I've got some supplies of both, and am bracing myself for the mission tomorrow. They also hate aluminium foil and yes, wire wool is about the only thing they can't chew through

Swipe left for the next trending thread