To get my 8 year old to look in the loft as I'm too scared

[exmrs]

Ok I recently exchanged houses with another lady who left the house in a total state
In the mornings I can hear scratching above my bedroom and a squaking noise. On my bedroom ceiling little holes are appearing more and more.
After watching programs where people call the council to sort problems there has been loads about rats being able to get into attics and I have convinced myself either rats or birds are in the attic.
Birds I could deal with but I'm feeling ill thinking the lady beside me did leave things in such a state that rats could have been possible.

I now can't sleep at night thinking a rat is going to drop on my head through one of these holes and I have a phobia of rats.

I'm too scared to look in the loft as I would have a heart attack if something jumped out, plus in very big so can't really get through the loft hole.

Son is 8 and not scared of creatures and he wants to look in the loft ( obv I wouldn't let him walk about up there) but I feel it should really be me looking.

What would other people do as it's just me and my son?

It's probably squirrels.

As the adult in the house, I think you should deal with it or call someone in.

I think eight is a bit young. He might not be scared of whatever might be there, but if it movedsuddenly and startled him he might fall.

I would grovel to a neighbour.

I'd ring the council. We had mice in the loft once and I could hear lots of squawking and scratching :(

Either way it sound like vermin are up there. I'd let my 8yo stick his head up, and call the council to get it sorted.

Squeaking

Throw the boy up there.

Send him up there with thick winter protective layers on and a cricket bat.

Call pest control at your local council - some offer this service for free.

We had a mouse in our attic. The scratching sounded really loud, I was convinced it was a rat, but no, just a noisy mouse.

In your situation I'd call the council and let them sort it.

He won't be able to see properly just poking his head through the hatch anyway. He would need to get up there which as you've already mentioned is definitely not advisable. Even near the loft hatch could be unboarded bits of loft that would cave if he put his weight on them. At eight years' old I think that's too risky.

Do you have a friendly neighbour? Always worth getting to know your neighbours for times like this (and obviously so that you can help them out when they're in a fix too).

The council want over £130 to come out , I'm going to have to get someone to do it as i can't get into the loft.

For people who said squirrels or mice would this cause holes in my ceiling from them scratching or moving about

Yes, the holes would be caused by them running around under the loft boards.

It does need sorting quickly though because (and I don't mean to scare you), when we had squirrels in the loft, one died and tons of maggots fell through a tiny hole in the ceiling

Send him up - can he do the chimney while he's up there?

Worra I will be having nightmares about maggots now as well !

£130?! For just one visit or a set of treatments? DPs company charge around £70 a visit and that's in London so give some local pest control companies a call

He might exaggerate and scare you even more shitless than you already are Wo/man up and do it yourself.

Yep most likely mice but good news theyre more scared of you so they will run and hide as soon as you turn on the light

You need to get it sorted quickly. They could be gnawing through cables and cause a fire hazard.

Another thing, how did they get in? You may have a hole in the roof, and that would need fixing too.

£130 is a lot, but you would need to pay whoever you got out to fix whatever is going on.

Don't send your 8 year old up.

Any extended family member you could call up to investigate?

Yeah - go on......send him up there. It will be interesting to see what he'll tell his teacher on Monday

Yabu don't send up your 8 year old. Ask a neighbour

Can he do my chimney too?

Every neighbourhood had a handyman (or even handywoman) type who will undertake domestic jobs for an hourly rate. You could pay him/her for an hour to look at the loft for you* (most charge between £15 and £20 per hour IME, much cheaper than the £130 your council wants). Then, once you know what you're dealing with, decide whether handyperson or council is the best to deal with it.

*make sure that your handyperson is insured, or that your house insurance covers any accidental damage to your home/ the handyperson