Question for anyone who has had rats (and not as a pet!!)

[moonshine]

How long did it take you to get rid of it/them?
Seems we have a ratty intruder (please God let it only be one), so we got the Council pest control in and they put down poison 10 days ago. But the b**s still have not touched it (even though we know they have been where it is).
I have never swept and cleaned so much to make sure that it there is no other food source, and we are really trying to to block off all points of entry.
I am an absolute wuss when it comes to rodents and am constantly on a knife-edge atm (especially when I can hear it gnawing away in our bedroom, even if it is under the floorboards - I hope). It has also 'stolen' pan scourers and a soft ball and tired nesting with them under the cooker .
I want to feel happy in my house again and sleep. Please please tell me they will eat the poison and die soon.

Ted the Rat has been with us now for about a month. We have tried poison, traps and cats. Nothing has worked. Bringing in the big guns next week with a professional firm. Sick of listening to Ted gnaw at all hours of the morning. Makes the rounds of my kitchen as well - rejects the brekkie cereal but made off with my Atkins Chocolate bar (little **er). Will bait the trap with chocolate cake tonight (DH's 50th Bday - FYI, I feel like poo!).

Death to Ted the Rat!!!!!

god this thread is making my skin crawl.yuck!

Poor you moonshine ,you have my sympathy,I'd never beable to relax with a rat in the house.

We have mice in the garage,but they've eaten the poison now so we'll plug up all the holes today.

Hope you catch the bu*&er.

Moonshine, have you any idea where it's coming in and where it goes when it gets in?

My Brother and Sil are having this problem. It was getting in in a hole next to the pipe that runs from the kitchen sink. So it was going in to the cupboard under the sink and chewing cloths etc. It was also opening the door and helping itself to biscuits.
She smoothered the bottom of the cupboard in bleach and left it.
It hasn't been back since so wether the smell put it off or it came in licked the bleach or got it on it's feet and licked it's feet and died we don't know but it certianley has worked.

My dad was also getting them in his garage. He bought a trap, not bearing to kill it. He was told to put rolos in it with a wet cotton wool ball.
He caught the blighter.

HTH

Nbg - a rat who can open a door . Don't know if I want to hear things like that . We've been round our house, sealed up everything we thought was a possible entrance but still cannot work out how the little b**r is getting in. One possibility is that we trapped him inadvertently when we sealed up a hole co-incidentally before we heard him (much prefer a he cos I do not want to consider the possibility that we have a rat baby machine in our house!)

The cotton wool tip is interesting - I shall add that to my list of things to try because I cannot give up on this.

2ManyPimms - have you tried glue traps? We have found somewhere that sells them locally but they don't have any in stock atm. Would be very interested to hear how you get on with the private firm as well. Do you feel like crap because of the rat? Whatever it is, sympathies to you - hope you can enjoy the celebrations anyway.

Maybe we need a Rodent Support Thread for all of us who are cowering under the duvet every night listening to that gnawing and scratching!

Ugh.

DH left the kitchen door open and it migrated down to our bedroom. Called the Council and the chap came around again and after over an hour of chasing the thing around the bedroom, we managed to herd it out the front door. In that hour, we caught it three times, pulled it from the curtains at least 5, lost it in the en suite (where I piled all the rap from the bedroom) and nearly wrung it's neck (it slipped out of his hand).

It is now back. It has destroyed our loaf of bread.

I have to call in the professionals this morning.

This has really gotten me down. Still have the 'flu - so does DS.

Well, I didn't get the professionals in. 35 quid to come and put down traps and 30 quid to come back and check them. I am going to suggest to the landlord that she has someone in once we leave. I hate going into the kitchen at night and listening to the gnawing and scratching sounds. Makes my skin crawl!

Going to try the ultrasonic plug-ins which emit a shrill noise on a rat-based frequency. Should keep the little away for a bit.

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