To think I shouldn't have to wait till Feb 12th...

[LakieLady]

... for the council's pest control officer to come round about our rats!

Early on Sunday morning, I heard some pretty intensive scrabbling sounds, apparently coming from our loft (although we're a semi, and noise travels easily between us and next door, especially upstairs so it could have been from their loft). It went on for about 20 mins.

This morning, I went to grab a banana from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter. There were 4 bananas. Three of them had had big chunks taken off them, and there were bits of shredded banana peel on the worktop. That, coupled with the noise, makes me think we have rats.

I phoned the council today, to ask for the rat man to come round and verify if this was the case, and to see if he could identify where they're getting in and the first appointment isn't until 12th Feb! I realise that Xmas/New Year means the council is shut down for 9 days, but that's still over 7 weeks away!

I can't believe that the wait for something that could be a significant health issue is that long. The council suggested that I get a private pest control bod in, but my neighbour did this and the quote for sorting out her rat problem was over £500.

And I curse my other neighbours, who keep chickens, have a very overgrown garden and leave shedloads of food out for the rats birds.

Aibu, or is this a bit much?

I wouldn’t be happy with that wait either, i personally would go private if you can afford it as annoying as that is just because I would be freaking out. I wonder though if you argued it more would you get seen sooner? I think you can be pretty sure there is a pest issue and the longer it’s left the worse it will get. I wouldn’t be best pleased if it is the neighbours causing it either! Especially if the place is unkept!

You can go out and buy traps today or tomorrow - that's all the council pest control will do. No need to wait weeks.

I can see your frustration but at the end of the day, if they don't have a sooner appointment, they don't have one. I'd ask to be put on a cancellation list and buy some traps and poison in the meantime if I couldn't afford private pest control

Just set some traps, lace them with peanut butter and see what happens.

It could be mice too.

A rat trap is about a tenner online. That is what I would do in the interim.

Traps are your friend. As is a cat or a terrier, could you borrow one?

You've got to deal with this yourself straight away!

If you can't afford to go private then buy traps - not expensive and will do the trick.

My sister gets an invasion every year in October when the farmer cuts the field next to their house and the weather is getting colder. She isn't short of money but after paying out one year and the guy just laying traps she decided paying out was a waste of money and sets the traps every year - and occasionally at other times during the year, when she hears the telltale noise.

Just buy some snap traps.

Try environmental health, they wont fix the problem but they can work out how they're getting in and give you advice