We have [wild] rats in the house, help!

[ratsinhouse]

A week or so before Christmas some rats managed to get into our walls and occasionally in the attic. We set a live trap in the attic but have caught nothing. Knew that work was starting on our house soon so thought that as they were only in the walls and had no way into our actual house that we'd wait a fortnight and see if that drove them out.

Work started on our house last week and the builders found the massive entry that they'd been using to get in. Decided not to block it off as we didn't want to encourage them inside the actual house and we naively thought that the works happening around the house would drive them away as they dislike change. Instead they've now found a way into our makeshift kitchen and we've just spotted one of them after a left over sausage from dinner on the counter.

Now I'm going to need to spend time tomorrow calling out the pest controllers, but I'm not really sure of my options. I'm ethically averse to the sticky traps as they're fucking horrible frankly, also dislike poison which is out regardless due to young kids and a dog.

So that leaves live traps and snap traps? Anything else available? From what I've read, live traps are a death sentence anyway as releasing them into unknown areas leaves them very vulnerable. Snap traps would mean dealing with dead rats which is not ideal but obviously if needs must. Or do the pest controllers do that bit of it?

Do we block the entrance before or after vacating them? How the hell do we get them out of the house if our works are driving them in? The dog has not phased them at all either!

I didn't know that, scary thought! Mine are a bit older, they're infant school age, but that's interesting to know still!

Get someone with a good dog in to get what they can, hoover up absolutely all of the poop and then set many, many snap traps, they avoid new things, so you need to be creative and make sure they go over the traps.

Can anyone recommend some "better" national professional pest control firms? Asking for a friend

Hope you have success OP x

The most important thing is to block them from getting into your house. Any good wildlife control will prioritise that.

Obviously glue traps are going to torture them, my dad also had to kill a mouse once that a snap trap didn’t kill 😧

This company could help if you’d rather not kill them https://humanewildlifesolutions.co.uk/

I would be wary of poison, they can go and die in a place where you cannot see them, and then the next thing is an infestation of flies. Gross. When you have got rid, fill up all possible access points with copper wool, (you can get in on amazon) which will prevent them getting in again.

Worked for a council environmental health, in the days when pest controllers were employed. Clear the areas around the house, so remove over growth as rats run on the same routes and you can sometimes see the routes. Fill holes of potential entry on your property and be vigilent. Wire the top of drain pipes. Ensure any food disposed of is wrapped well, with bins away from the house if possible and no food in compost bins. Also get compost bins as far away from the house as possible if you do want them in your garden - pest controllers call them mobile homes for rats! Pet food - put down and if not eaten removed the bowls asap. No food out and get the professionals in and quickly.