Wibu to just ignore the thing living in my loft?

[DaveyJonesLocker]

I know what the answer is going to be.

I live in a very long terrace of flats. So like terraced houses but upstairs and downstairs split into flats.

I can hear something tapping, running and eating (that tuttutut sound rodents make) I thought I'd just heard it die. It was going about it business, then I heard like struggling, squealed and like a hand along a radiator, then silence for like half an hour. But I can hear it running about again. Sounds like it's having a great time.

There's no ladders to the loft and I've never been up there, I have no idea what's up there and I have OCD. I really don't like the idea of poking my head up there and getting God knows what on me.

With the set up of the flats I just don't see how I can possibly do anything about it. I rent. The landlord has zero interest in doing anything, much legally required stuff being ignored. I can't afford to spend my own money on it. And I'll only be here another 6-9 months so can I just ignore it?

Just heard more squealing and the hand running along a radiator noise, what the hell is that?!

And sounds like someone drawing and knocking on wood.

Its really busy up there, I've never heard anything before. I'm actually concerned there's a person it's that noisy.

If it's rats, you've got a job on your hands, as they're do damned clever. We had them, and they would eat the tempting treat, but manage not to trigger the trap. They also chewed into the water pipe feeding out fridge, so the created a water source for themselves. They were basically partying in the house at night. We had to grate chocolate, and mix fine poison through it, but use a lot more chicory then poison, so they'd eat it.

Hope you get it sorted. Regardless which rodent it is, you'll need to act quickly.

When I was a teenager about 17, a friend lived in a really shabby bed sit. We used to hear the scratchy noises above us all the time and it terrified her. She reported and reported and reported to the landlord who lived in one of the other rooms and he refused to do anything, even when it started to smell on the landing. One night there was a big crash and then screams.... The ratty urine has soaked through the plaster board ceiling from the loft space and a 6 ftx 4 section collapsed in the middle of the land lords room, rats and all. She packed her clothes into bin bags and moved out there and then.

So many typos, must put my glasses on before beginning typing!!

My parents had rats in their roof. The rats climbed up the conifer tree outside and got into the loft from under the eaves. That's probably the bird sound you can hear. You can buy rat poison and put in the loft.

I was/am in same position as you. I heard noises. Housing association not interested in the slightest and I was getting quotes of £130 and above which I couldn't afford. The noise was so intermittent that I was sure it had went away or died then weeks later I would hear it again. It was loud - tapping/scraping, scuttering and one night it was banging on what sounded like metal for hours on end. I also wondered if a person was up there (pest control found a duvet up there) I was getting worried about damage and it could be so loud I really thought it was squirrels so I eventually called the council whom (only after asking) gave me a reduced rate (concession for single parent household). I paid £45 and it turns out theres only 1 - 2 bloody mice up there and pest control think it came from 1 of the flats below me and up through the walls into the loft. Call your council and see if they have a concession rate (if you want to get pest control out)

Phone the council! We’re in the middle of nowhere and often have rats in our attic, councils pest man comes out, lays bait and they’re gone soonish.

Well thank you for that 🤣

@BillyDeanisnotmylover 🤣
We had mice in the attic and it sounded like we had dogs up there. We had loads of them (student grotty flat) it was gross. I hope you get it sorted OP. I became obsessive with trying to work out the noises. We had, falling down behind the wall noise, jumping and thudding above as though playing game of tig noise. No squeaking but they would jump out of radiators and into our bed, which I know you won't want to hear but all the more reason to get it checked out by pest control. Our landlord was shit and ignored the problem, we moved out.
I did chuckle at the "I think I heard it die" sorry for laughing but it reminded me of when I used to guess what the mice were doing by the particular noises.

We have had rodents every year since we lived here, 30+. In the void between floors.
This time we couldn't get rid. I had bought DH a trail camera for Christmas and he put it up there. It wasa rat. I got a very enthusiastic pest controller out who dealt with it. He proudly showed me the body, it was huge...

Report to your landlord. You’re only there for another 6-9 months, and after that time it’s all his problem. If he can’t be arsed sorting it out then it’s his problem when they do damage to his property.

How do you deal with the loir?

My parents have them in their roof in rural France and they are BOLD. They come out onto the covered terrace when we eat and watch us. They are very cute but really noisy at night when you're trying to sleep.

Mind you, their two collies seem to have murdered seen off any baby loir this year.

OP - we once lived in really long terrace of houses and there was a mouse problem. The free pest control guy said there was basically nothing he could do because the mice would just have the run of the terrace. All we could do was stop any holes but of course mice can get through the teeniest of gaps. Maybe I should have bought the house because according to my snooty next door neighbour (also living in the long terrace), they would NEVER have a mouse problem because they had BOUGHT their house whereas we just rented...

Had squirrels in a loft once in a workplace. Then dead squirrel. Then fly infestation.

My parents had a bird get into their attic once. Still no idea how it got in there.
I managed to get it out the window of rhe first floor landing, which was very brave of me indeed. 😄

Chewing of wires/cables is a fire hazard. Best get pest control out.

BillyDeanisnotmylover · Today 13:05
I opened this thread thinking it was going to be about a teenager 🤣

Lol I thought the same, the teenager in my loft can be a bit prickly sometimes.

It’s not your job to actually sort it but you are unreasonable if you don’t tell your landlord. Whether they choose to act or not is their decision but you should be fair and tell them.