Anyone with experience of a rat infestation? - advice

[handlemecarefully]

We have rats in the cavity walls and in the loft. We live next to a farm (agricultural not livestock) and have a natural pond at the foot of our garden. Part of the farmers land bordering our property also sometimes gets waterlogged. All factors which I believe influence rats.

We had them last winter - baiting controlled them, and we experienced no problems in summer and the early autumn.

Now the cold weather has arrived they have taken up residence again.

Baiting in itself is not the whole answer. We need to establish how they are gaining access to the property (it's only 3 years old for gods sake - I thought they targetted older houses) and address this. Environmental health are visiting on Friday, but all they did last time was put out some bait (we can do that ourselves and have been!).

Are there companies who would help look for the rat runs and block access?

Should we get the building inspector since this is a new property?

Btw we put our rubbish in a galvanised steel container and take other measures to avoid providing a food supply for the rats.

I'm feeling really anxious and quite despondent about the whole thing...

i had rat(s) under my house (As we live opposite the docks) and the Environmental health came and put 4 blue blocks to kill the rat(s) and they went to search to see how they got in the first place (and we checked the 2 next door neighbours) but we think cos we left the back door open in the summer.. so they ask if we can still see or hear them, call them out again and they'll put more blocks down.

last time the rats got thru the air vent from outside to inside but the air vent wasnt blocked so we put one in and they put the blue blocks in and they stopped.

We had this problem when we first moved in here over 3 years ago (Edwardian property). Environmental health were pretty useless other than putting down bait.

What sorted it in the end was one of those sonic repellant thingies. We bought a cheapish one (£14.99 IIRC) from Homebase which seemed to affect them, but, due to the size of our house (3 floors plus cellar), they just seemed to move floors. So we then bought a more expensive one (about £60) which had a much greater range and that seemed to irritate the b&ggers enough to get rid of them.

I can think of three possible access routes which you could check out yourself quite easily.

1. The loft. Building inspectors are very keen on adequate ventilation for lofts IME this means access for birds and rodents. I would suggest you wire over all sources of day light using small mesh wire (tell the builder's merchants what you want it for and they will make sure you get one small enough.

2. where the water main comes into the house through the floor or a wall. Often accompanied by a hole round the pipe and its amazing how little a gap rodents need. Concrete round this.

3. drainage pipes and ventilation grilles. Check round all these for signs of access.

Failing this,I'd suggest you think about getting in a local one man band pest controller (try your local paper or visit local riding stables etc and ask them who they use). He's likely to be far more use than the council and will have lots of knowledge about rats and their habits. Talk to a couple on the phone and tell them what you want them to do. Hopefully you'll strike the right helpful person. In the country a good pest controller is worth their weight in gold!.

Good luck.

The local council should do something.
If not try rentokil

ring the council again and see what more they can do! as they probably wont come out now if you not heard or seen any rats since friday as if you have, tehn call them and they will put more tabs down and maybe do other thing too

Thank you for all this advice (I have been getting myself quite worked up and upset about the whole thing).

I will ask around for the local rat catching guru since as you say they may provide superior advice to the local council's contractor. Thanks also for the specific advice about where to look at possible access points.

Interested to hear about those sonic repellent things. I had heard about them but wondered if they were effective or just a gimmick. Will definitely purchase a couple now for sure!

Festivefrex - is this one any good?
bas**rd rat repellent

Ours was a PestX, I think. Not the model shown but that one would probably do the job.

Thanks - I'll look up the PestX too

Doh, am I thick or what! I realise now you meant same manufacturer but different model

Message withdrawn

I wish mine were in my stables (if I had any - lol). I'd settle for in the garage instead.

hearing them scratching in the cavity walls etc is unnerving....

ugh
shoot them.
we got rid our ours with poison a couple of years ago.
when I was a child, we had a rat-killing cat.

Borrow a Jack Russell and hear them scream.

They're tough little bastards though, tbh if you live around rural land I think you have to accept them to some degree.

Cats get rid of mice but they ain't 'ard enuf for rats!

Yes I want a dog anyway Mascara and was planning on getting one in the Spring when my youngest is a little older. The rats may influence my choice of dog breed, and I love Jack Russells anyway (I has a JR cross breed as a child).

Cat's no good as live on major A road so would have feline death under the wheels of a lorry

I agree with rural location you have to accept rats to some degree - but in my house is another thing! I could accept some infestation in the garden / garage!

Know what you mean! horrid thought of them in house.