Surveyor found loads of rodent traps in the garden

[LikeASoulWithoutAMind]

The report says "it is quite a long time since we have seen quite so many rodent traps in a garden"

Now what? We can obviously ask the vendor about them but not sure we should trust their response.

Is it worth arranging a visit from pest control? Anything else we can do?

Traps mean they have addressed the problem I would think? Are they cheap bought ones or proper standard ones from a pest company with proper poison in?

For all you know they saw one mouse and the owner had a phobia so put out loads traps! Just ask them then check with the neighbours. If they say old problem and neighbours agree no problem.

Could be someone on the street has a big problem but not treating it and all the neighbours can do is set traps.

I would at least ask the vendor. I would want to know what type of rodents and if the traps were put down by a professional company or the owners themselves.

It would probably put me off the property if the garden was a rat run, but then I have a big rat phobia.

I worked in a place with a serious mouse infestation and it was a long, and very expensive process to get rid of them.

Ha, love the surveyor's dry understatement!

In our homebuyer's report it had gems like "In 30 years of residential surveying I have never seen a plumbing arrangement quite like it. I would suggest the vendors keep drainage rods handy at all times and limit the upstairs bathroom to 'light use only'"

Yes Origami I think our surveyor is a bit of a character - it's quite an amusing report.

Dh thinks like akire - the vendor probably just being belt and braces. Good idea to speak to the neighbours. Interesting way to meet them though!

Good questions poulet thank you.

I'm more worried about it, as like you say if someone else is the source of the problem and isn't dealing with it then that could be a right pain in the arse. Hmm.

A few questions would spring to mind. What do the neighbouring gardens look like? Are there compost heaps nearby? Railway tracks at the end of the garden? A nature trail nearby?

If the vendor is genuinely very scared of rodents (as I am) you would probably expect to see all gaps into the house blocked up. Could be purely precautionary methods.

Run like the wind. Invariably will be drainage problems....unless you want to deal with that then I'd say get out while you still can (bitter experience).

I would absolutely ask the vendors and get to the bottom of it.
When we started renovating current house almost every single room had some sort of past rodent evidence - traps, nests, runs. And there was clearly a big issue in the past - my surveyor didn't think to mention the attic space heaving with past droppings.
And having sorted all that out I now have a rat issue coming from my neighbours so I would really try and work out where the problem comes from because believe me they can cause havoc.

I can't see how a large amount of rodent traps could ever be explained away. Unless they only mean 3, and the garden backs on to a railway.

How many are we talking about? Your OP makes me imagine a garden strewn with them, but I'm assuming you never noticed them when you viewed?

Our old neighbours were dirty bastards who openly admitted to me that they had experienced mice running across the bed WHILST THEY WERE IN IT! They had a problem that spread to our house and even after a complete renovation we couldn't keep on top of it. We moved in the end.

I'd avoid.

If there are traps I'd be really worried that the underlying reason hasn't been addressed. We had rats in the garden of an earlier property. Rentokill came, rats gone and traps gone in a few weeks. And then, in contrast, in this flat, they were behind the walls. The problem recurred until various bits of the plumbing and building were investigated and eventually open entries to the drains were found (argh! ). The second was really stressful and awful until we found the right cause. I have heard horrendous stories since from other people. I would run and run and run.

The issue for me here is that whilst they have to answer your specific questions, you won't be able to make an assessment for yourselves as to the extent of the problem until you are in the property. And if it's really bad, by that point it will be too late.

Thanks for all your thoughts. You're right basin we never noticed any traps when we viewed so I assume they are tucked away in flowerbeds or something? Need to call the surveyor tomorrow and find out how many there were in total.

There's no evidence of any in the house as far as I know. The garden backs onto other naice residential properties' gardens. Miles to the nearest railway line but there are fields out to the front on the other side of the (fairly busy) road.

Current owners have been there for 17 years and haven't seemed in a massive rush to move.

Need to speak to the surveyor next and see what he thinks - he only mentioned this in passing in his report, not as a major issue. He's very experienced and knows the area like the back of his hand.

Where is the main sewer for the locality - does it run across the gardens of this row if houses?

We had a minor rodent problem last year and it really was a nightmare. It took ages to trace the source of the problem and that was only because a friend of a friend was a pest controller and made loads of effort. I would run a mile. If there's nothing obvious like a neighbour who keeps chickens then it might be drain problems which are very hard to solve by yourself.

I'm sure the Property Information Form asks a specific question about rodents. What did they answer?

We are having rat problems in the neighborhood - its a street of period properties and have been told its to do with the drains filling with water with the heavy rain. It drives the rats above ground, it has happened twice here in the three yrs we have been in the road - it has conceded with very high rain levels.

There are rats almost everywhere . Is there any building work going on close by? You often get increased sitings when there is.

I'd suggest getting a full drain survey. I always get one when I buy a new house. Better safe than sorry.

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We had rats due to nearby building works disturbing them

Sorry posted too soon! We also had crap neighbours (different house) who wouldn't let pest control deal with their issue of a borders paradise!!

View the neighbours and ask questions

Thanks for all your thoughts - this is so useful. There are some new houses being built fairly nearby - wonder if that's the cause? It was an empty field before. The building work is v nearly finished (and there's no room to build any more so no further phases planned) so could that mean it might be a temporary problem?

Haven't got the docs from solicitor yet so will obviously check that. And discuss drain survey with surveyor.

I would have thought the new builds are the cause so I don't see it as too much of an issue.

I routinely bait around my house as I can't stand rats but I haven't got a specific rat problem. Maybe the house owners are similarly paranoid cautious.

I think a drain survey is always a good idea though.

Bait boxes would be on rat runs so flush with the fence/walls/under foliage so not surprised you didn't notice them.

IMHO drain survey is the most important thing to do with any house purchase but get recommendations. I've had two done in a week, first didn't pick up horrendous rat related issue, second did....