something moving under upstairs floorboards

[lou1221]

More of a word.

For the last two weeks we have heard (4 times) movement in the ceiling/floor board space. It is def not mice, the noise is too heavy for mice, there is no poo and it doesn't smell. We got the boards up at the weekend, put traps down, had a good look and there are no signs.

This morning I'm with the kids in the lounge and we all heard it, running and flapping sounds. Could it be a bird? How on earth could it have got between the floorboards?

I've contacted the council, pest control won't do anything if it's not visible.

Rats or not, if you're lifting the boards out some rat poison down anyway. May or may not solve your problem but should solve a rat problem.

A few sounds yesterday evening, was out most of yest and today. I've convinced myself it's rats, they must be going through the houses, and that is why the sound isn't there all the time. We've found no poo or nest, just keep hearing movement.

I remembered last night, that I used to be woken up by scratching sounds directly above bedroom window, I always thought it was birds on the roof, but now I'm not so sure.

Have you asked the neighbors op?
It’s one of those things that no one mentions but when we asked everyone was having some kind of sign.

When you set the traps make sure that you wear gloves so that you don't transfer your human smell to them. bait using something like fruit cake or peanut butter on bread. you need the highest fat content you can find as this will draw them to the trap. you could also try sprinkling talcum powder on the floor or the bit where you hear them and see if you get any foot prints or poo left to help with identification.

go to a local pest controller they will know what they are doing. you don't have to prove anything like finding a nest or droppings to get them in - not good ones anyway.

My, very brave son, has just pulled up floorboards, after we heard an almighty racket. One trap peanut butter eaten but not tripped, the other trap has caught one. I'm fairly sure it's a baby rat, length of tail, size of back feet, urgh!

I've put poison down, wore gloves, hub can dispose of body. Arghhh

Unless you find out how they're getting in the problem won't go away. Do you have any idea how it might be?

Rats. Birds. Squirrels. Bats

Dirty things!

Just spoken to ndn but 1, she's heard noise in the last two weeks. Looks as though going through the houses. Will ring the council in the morning.

Yep possibly rats. They may evade the traps for a while but persevere or move them. The space may not be totally open so moving then to a different spot could do the trick.

I had a mouse under an upstairs floorboard and it was surprisingly loud.

I feel for you that would be my worst nightmare.

I feel sick at the thought of them, luckily my dh and son are super brave. My immediate ndn has also heard thrm

Phew, dh has just got home, he says it is def a mouse and not a baby rat. Even though I don't like mice, this is much more easier to cope with than rats.

There was a MNer yesterday who couldn't find her DDs hamster. Could this be the beautiful collision of two threads..?

If you find a rat there is never just one, they live in groups in nests. You will still need to get an exterminator out.

Same for mice.

Could be a snake. They're heavier than you think and make different noises than those you imagine. The way they slither can sound like running.

I had this where there was a tiny hole to outside at the floorboard level where some birds came in and nested. You could see them flying in and out which would explain why you don’t hear it all the time.

Definitely mice, two of my kids were screaming at the top of the stairs, there it was, just sitting there, I managed to kill it, but it was a lot smaller than the one caught in the trap.

A snake!?! Jeez, that's not funny, although it would have its lunch ready and waiting for it.

Phew. Glad no rats. Or snakes!

For any baiting to be successful you would need to simultaneously bait in all the houses on the terrace/run. Mice can get through incredibly small holes. if you get a piece of paper and pierce it with a pencil all the way through this is the size of hole that they can get through.

once you have exterminated them then a way to deter them is to spray your loft area a couple of times in the autumn and a couple of times in the spring with really really cheap aftershave (think brut but cheaper!) this mask the smell made and helps to repel them a bit.

Remove bath panels if you have them and bait under your bath.
They are always under the bath!

Where are the mice getting their food from? Food in cupboards, bins, neighbouring properties, food left outside for animals and bird tables could all be keeping them alive and if you don't deal with it you could get another infestation.

Size. I am dealing with it, traps, poison down. I killed one yesterday that I found on the stairs. There is no evidence that they have got into food containers, etc. Pet food not got at. Bins are wheely bins and not accessible, we don't feed the birds or have outside animals. I've advised neighbours about them, and hopefully they'll do their bit as well. More traps and poison will be put down in varying places at the weekend when dh is home and we have wire wool to block little holes. At the moment I don't have the cash to bring in pest control, so hopefully what I'm doing will be good enough.

Could be birds xx