Rats and Wheat -Stuffed door stops... Warning.

[oakleaffy]

Just a 'heads up'.
In the heatwave I had back door open for several nights...{posted elsewhere about it} and a rat had accessed my upstairs, foregone the kitchen, where back door is.
It had gorged itself on wheat from a ''Voyage'' National Trust gift shop door stop..
These doorstops are lavender scented.

I put down Brodifacoum, and the rat appears to have gone...and no smell of dead rat either.

However......In the Hardware shop yesterday, I noticed a large new display of rat baits.

The assistant {whom I know to speak to} said these had been a spike in rats entering homes, probably because of heatwave and open doors..

I mentioned the Door stop, and she said ''Oh my goodness....Same thing happened to us! A rat ate the kid's bedroom door wheat doorstops.

It seems as if these things attract vermin .

The rat ate cherry pits it had taken from a bin, and also taken a chocolate wrapper, but the only available food was the Wheat in the door stop.

It really shook me up..And in each case, the rat had gone upstairs.. ugh.

I have ''rat proof'' house normally, the open door and odiferous wheat was an attractant.

This is the wheat filled doorstop to be wary of: jasmineandlilah.co.uk/hedgerow-lavender-scented-door-stop.html

Wheat is food and it's right there on the floor. Obviously it will attract rodents who are in the house...

You should also be careful because Easter eggs seem to attract rodents. I had few under cupboard and mice eat them.

Erm...

I don't think wheat doorstops are attracting rats from far and wide, like a ratty magnet.

I do think if you suspect there is a rat in your home or an actual rat colony in/around your home, it is a smart idea to put away all potential food stuffs which might include wheat filled whatever (also, boxes of the potato starch packing pieces, things in plastic bottles like ketchup, any stored dried foods in packets you might have stashed in another room.....)

Don't think theres any need to be specially 'wary' of wheat filled doorstops though...

So rat is attracted to food and eats it

Yeah this isn’t unknown

[quote oakleaffy]This is the wheat filled doorstop to be wary of: jasmineandlilah.co.uk/hedgerow-lavender-scented-door-stop.html[/quote]
I assume that the woman in the hardware shop has the exact same doorstop then and that this is the only wheat filled doorstop that rats like. I can't think of any other reason why you have singled this company out.

Also, no one has a rat proof house, I guarantee that.

In a heatwave rats will come in looking for water, so I'd be wary of your sinks, baths, toilet, plumbing etc as well...

I think being 'wary' of leaving your back door wide open all night is probably the moral of this story OP.

Flies, mice, spiders, foxes, other peoples cats, stray dogs and uninvited human beings all enjoy easy the access to a house left wide open all night - with or without lavender scented wheat doorstops :)

Is it common for people to leave their back door open at night time?

I could just never imagine doing this, I wouldn't be able to sleep!

Our back door was permanently open overnight for about three years as one of the dogs was not capable of asking to go out, or holding it (for reasons of ancientness, not lack of training).

We did have the odd rat sneak in for a drink, only to get chased out or occasionally killed for their trouble.

Now we are down a dog and don't need to leave the door open, I wouldn't entertain doing it!

Of course rats are attracted to wheat it doesn't matter if it's in a doorstop or a sack or a box or just on the floor. Obviously a rodent will be attracted to a food source.

Are you their competitor, OP?😁

It’s likely if your near a city/in the suburbs that it’s the rats moving out looking for food.
Here lockdown made the rats move from the inner city into the suburbs.

Rats can also squeeze themselves through any hole larger than their own head.

@WiddlinDiddlin

Erm...

I don't think wheat doorstops are attracting rats from far and wide, like a ratty magnet.

I do think if you suspect there is a rat in your home or an actual rat colony in/around your home, it is a smart idea to put away all potential food stuffs which might include wheat filled whatever (also, boxes of the potato starch packing pieces, things in plastic bottles like ketchup, any stored dried foods in packets you might have stashed in another room.....)

Don't think theres any need to be specially 'wary' of wheat filled doorstops though...

Definitely was a one off.. {Thank Goodness} Have bait weighed out and none has been touched apart from the tray I put next to where the wheat doorstop was.

The outside of the house is rat proof, and none in the loft-

I think it went for the wheat/cherry pits as that was all that was about.

Drains are in good order, and covered.

..I did lay a 'trap' to test....{some bran flakes} and they haven'y been eaten.

All food is kept in cupboards, I had them all out, and nothing has been touched.

I think he went for the wheat as nothing else to eat...

I'd never have a wheat doorstop again.. I had it several years without incident.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Are you their competitor, OP?😁

LOL! 😂 Good one!

No...The ones eaten by the Hardware shop woman were animal shaped ones.

We live in suburbs...and I think rats {who are pretty brainy and resourceful} are coming into suburban gardens..Bird seed, chickens.. {A neighbour keeps chickens}

Have been googling lots about rats since , and they are so intelligent..
And I didn't realise what good climbers they are.
I thought ''How did he get upstairs?'' and now I know...They jump !

Tbh you shouldn't name a company like this. So if I were you I ask for deletion

I Wish people wouldn't poison rats it has such an awful effect on other wildlife they're prey animals so get eaten by predators who then die an agonising death because of the poison.

@WiddlinDiddlin

Our back door was permanently open overnight for about three years as one of the dogs was not capable of asking to go out, or holding it (for reasons of ancientness, not lack of training).

We did have the odd rat sneak in for a drink, only to get chased out or occasionally killed for their trouble.

Now we are down a dog and don't need to leave the door open, I wouldn't entertain doing it!

Oh bless the old dog.... We had two dogs, and never had a mouse while they were about.. ..Let alone a rat

I found next doors cat in my bedroom one night after leaving door open...
That happened a couple of times when we had dogs...
They were very quiet., but once, when I was in bathroom, there was a baying and a commotion....and a cat followed by two hounds shot past the door..Luckily cat was ok, dog with dew claws wasn't - she'd ripped one cornering a hairpin bend in the hall...

Watch out for rice filled 'beanbags' etc. No foodstuff should be out of your kitchen cupboard. Those gingerbread house things people put on display at Christmas freak me right out too.

They're incredibly intelligent OP I keep them as pets and they're easily as clever as most dogs and very food orientated but also surprisingly incredibly affectionate and loving, sweet to their cage mates and humans. Lab rats are well known to show compassion to other rats even when they don't get rewarded for it including saving treats for rats that are trapped that they then free.

@Twigletfairy

Is it common for people to leave their back door open at night time?

I could just never imagine doing this, I wouldn't be able to sleep!

The heat/humidity was so unbearable.... Fairly 'secure' enclosed back garden...with high fences, but won't be doing it again.

My mum is anal about never leaving the back door (from kitchen to garden) open but she’s right, opportunistic mice/rats are attracted by open doors and we know a few people who had this problem. One family lives near an alleyway where people delimited rubbish and their home was full of rats that came in through back door.

@WiddlinDiddlin, we leave our back door open for the very same reason - ancient dog.

We had a rat in the house in the depths of winter though, when we were keeping it closed.

Food attracts rats shocker!

Whilst we are on the subject I would also like to do my bit for public health and issue my own warning...........

Chocolate is like crack to mice.

You have been warned

@LEELULUMPKIN

Food attracts rats shocker!

Whilst we are on the subject I would also like to do my bit for public health and issue my own warning...........

Chocolate is like crack to mice.

You have been warned

Especially marmite easter eggs!