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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to not want to visit my mum till she gets her rat problem sorted out?

26 replies

jammydodger · 29/12/2008 19:47

The other day my mother found a rat (deceased) in the drawer underneath her oven. It had probably been cooked to death..(bleurgh). They have had rats living under their floorboards for ages, at least a year, but haven't done anything about it, they don't seem overly bothered. They have laid poison down in various places under the floorboards, but obviously the buggers are still around. This is the first one that's been actually seen though, to my knowledge (though I'm not too sure about that either).

Now my problem is this. I have 2 small children, aged 2 and 4, and don't particuarly want them to be staying in this house until the rats are definitely gone. I don't think it's very hygienic, pleasant, and to make things worse, I have a bit of a rat phobia. Really, really hate them. Mum knows this, but makes light of it - she does however say that some time in the new year she'll get it sorted.

Am I being unreasonable to not go and stay with her (we normally go for a weekend some time after Christmas as we don't spend it with them, they're a couple of hours away)..until the little buggers are out of the picture? I vaguely suggested this to my mother who seemed offended, and I now really can't figure out whether I'm overreacting, or not. My DH hates rats more than I do and is very anti the idea of us going to stay too -
What do you think? I need some MN perspective!
Thanks in advance....

OP posts:

traceybath · 29/12/2008 19:56

I find it very very odd that they haven't sorted the problem out - a simple call to their council and the ratman would be out.

I wouldn't go either as hate hate rats. We've had mice on and off over this winter and lovely alan from the council has been out many times to lay bait etc. However he told me that lots of people he goes to aren't bothered about mice/rats and just regard them as part of life even in their houses!

Tricky though as you don't want to offend her but i personally wouldn't go but may fudge the reason.

silentnightplease · 29/12/2008 20:15

Well if it was me, I wouldn't be within 20 miles of the place! I have serious ratophobia!

YA so NBU.

I'm all for leaving them be if they are in your compost heap (another thread about this a while back) but surely nobody wants them in the house?

(Runs off to wash the bleurgh feeling away and take some valium!)

unfitmother · 29/12/2008 20:17

I couldn't go
YANBU

Shitemum · 29/12/2008 20:20

They are a fire hazard, they could chew through wiring under the floorboards and set fire to the house. This nearly happened to my mum with mice, she could see smoke coming up through the floorboards but thought she was imagining it

She had a mouse plague last summer while we were visiting, it was outrageous.You could leave the kitchen for 20 minutes and when you came back there were droppings on the freshly wiped worksurface!

We are going to live with her next year, if they are still there I'm getting a cat, no argument.

KimiChristmasCake · 29/12/2008 20:25

YANBU

Original poster

jammydodger · 29/12/2008 20:27

Oh, good to know you all think I'm not BU...re the council, I know, I asked her why she didn't just ring the council, and she said, "well, it's not like we've got a major problem is it?" ..

Agree I may make up a reason though, as don't want to particularly offend. But on the other hand, it's so gross, and as you say Shitemum, pretty darn dangerous too. She really should do something. Bleurgh!

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 29/12/2008 20:29

rats and mice carry numerous diseases and they will be coming into the house to get food
they urinate constantly and carry very unpleasant diseases
i wouldn't be happy about young children playing in a house where there were known to be rats or mice living

Original poster

jammydodger · 29/12/2008 20:30

Exactly F and Z. Horrid...

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 29/12/2008 20:31

does this help?

"Rats are of particular public health importance because of their close association with humans, of the many diseases caused by rodents and rats in particular, the most infamous is the plague. This is caused by a bacteria transmitted to man from rats by the rat flea. The most common rodent-borne disease to man today is Weils disease or Leptospirosis. In random tests up to 50% of the population have been identified as carriers of this potentially fatal disease. It is spread by bacterium passed in the rat's urine, which is most commonly transmitted to humans by contact with contaminated water, or moist undergrowth and soil. The excreted organism enters the human body through cuts and abrasions.

Other diseases of practical significance in this country are Salmonellosis caused through contaminated food and drink by rodent excreta or urine. Salmonellosis is a type of food poisoning and symptoms can include acute gastro-enteritis accompanied by headache, fever and vomiting. Parasites carried and transmitted by rodents include ringworm, mites, nematodes, tapeworm, ticks and fleas."

Shitemum · 29/12/2008 20:31

You know that statistically speaking you are never more than 2 metres away fron a rat...

lottiejenkins · 29/12/2008 20:34

Gee thanks Shitemum.......ive just had an involuntary shudder!!

Shoshe · 29/12/2008 20:36

I am 6 inches but they are in a cage

Seriously we had wild rats get in last summer it was a nightmare had to get the Ratman out 4 times before he got rid of them, then they died and stunk the place out.

Original poster

jammydodger · 29/12/2008 20:37

Thanks for that F&Z...I am so not going to stay with them now! I find it weird that she's not that bothered, seeing as she's normally paranoid about fire safety, hygiene, etc, ...it's really odd.
But that's that sorted out. Thanks you lot!

OP posts:

MoccaMint · 29/12/2008 20:37

Do you think she might be worried about animal cruelty or something like that?

Tell your mum you're worried your DC will pick up/play with/eat rat droppings.

Mice/Rats are filthy, they live in sewers fgs! How can she possibly want your DC to have any sort of possible contact with them?

If she still doesn't want to do anything after you tell her that, sorry but imho she's lost her marbles!

Original poster

jammydodger · 29/12/2008 20:38

That's how Mum found the dead rat, Shoshe, there was a smell which she said she thought was brussell sprouts (??), which got stronger over four or five days...imagine that thing being just below your oven for 5 days...while you cooked your mince pies...
[another involuntary shudder here]

OP posts:

Shoshe · 29/12/2008 20:40

We went away on Holiday came back to a kitchen full of bluebottles and a awful smell, it had died in the wall cavity.

Original poster

jammydodger · 29/12/2008 20:40

Oooh that's gross...

OP posts:

Joolyjoolyjoo · 29/12/2008 20:41

I love pet rats, but think YANBU, mainly due to the risk of leptospirosis from wild rats, which is nasty. One of my colleagues had lepto and was seriously ill.

Squiffy · 30/12/2008 10:18

The problem is that even if you get rid of rats they still come back unless you fundamentally alter the environment, so I can kind of understand why your parents have learnt to live with it - if it is something that has happened before.

We live on a farm so are very susceptible to this. It took about 2 months to get rid of a rat infestation we had - and the smell was vile - coming from cavity walls in the bedroom and cailing spaces. We had to have all the windows open in the middle of winter. If it happened again now TBH I would wait until spring to deal with it, because it is simply too cold at the moment. fortunately the farm cats are doing a mighty fine job so we hope not to have another infestation.

Having been through it all I wouldn't personally mind staying somewhere with rats, but I can 100% understand why someone might not want to go until they have gone. Saying that, though, having worked in 5 star hotels as a student I know that nowhere is immune. However luxurious it looks, your fab holiday hotel will probably have rats everywhere

Nekabu · 30/12/2008 11:34

I don't mind rats at all but will not have them in the house for one moment. If you've seen one then there'll be a lot more hanging around. Rats like to pee in water and leptospirosis can be passed to humans, as well as other animals. We had a mucky mare living next door to us in our old place and she had rats. One thought about setting up home with us as her place was getting a bit crowded but the council rat man sorted that out! The next person who bought her house had to have the whole place gutted and I was talking to the builders who asked if I'd seen rats as the whole of the wiring in the kitchen had been chewed to shreds. They said it was sheer luck that the house hadn't caught fire. Your parents need to get rid of them pronto before they get lepto or they have a fire.

MrsMattie · 30/12/2008 11:36

Rats are a public health risk. Your mum really does have a duty to call her local council out. Does she have neighbours? Do they not mind that there is an infestation next door? She should at least be trying to tackle the problem. YANBU.

Upwind · 30/12/2008 11:43

If it was mice, I would say just put up with it but rats carry too many diseases.

Also I can't help but feel utter horror at the thought of rats coming anywhere near my babies!

YANBU, though I would suggest they come visit you to try and keep the peace.

Original poster

jammydodger · 30/12/2008 15:51

Thanks for all your responses...the road they live in seems to have a bit of a rat probelm, actually - the next door neighbour to my mum actually caught 22 sewer rats in her kitchen last year (but that was due to previous owners having done a crap DIY plumbing job...), and everyone else in the road that I know has at some point had a rat or two.

Bit weird as they're nice, quite modern detached houses, not old or run-down or anything..

Will definitely not be going now, I'm going to wait till it's sorted. Might hurry her into action before she has a fire or nasty dieseases...

OP posts:

LongDroopyBoobyLady · 30/12/2008 15:55

Go - and take a couple of rat traps with you. We had them in the garage a couple of years back, they were after the guinea pig food, we laid 4 traps and seem (touch wood) to be rid of them.

Notreallycutoutforthis · 30/12/2008 15:59

Eew eew eew... YANBU and I wouldn't want my DC around the pretty blue rat pellets either... eew...

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