Rat / mouse got into our kitchen from outside. Suspect the builder is at fault. New house. Please advise

[hmcAsWas]

So I found a packet of pasta with a big hole chewed in it in the cupboard (cupboard pictured, now cleared of food). The other photo is outside our kitchen window directly behind the cupboard concerned.

It seems that the builder has failed to block something off adequately? Please advise me re how I should complain to him and what I should ask him to do

Thanks

(in a bit of a state - hate idea of rat / mice infestation)

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Bumping for active conversations

I know from bitter experience how horrible and upsetting this is.

I'd suggest you get some wire wool and fill the gaps in ASAP, particularly the one in your cupboard. They can't chew through wire wool. You may also want to speak to your council's pest control department to get some poison/traps down.

Also, speak to the builder and ask them to inspect and rectify the hole outside.

Hope this helps.

Yeah,just shove wire wool in any gaps and lay some traps/ poison. Mice can get in anywhere really, not necessarily the builder's fault. It's a prime time to get them coming in after the builders have been in as the noise disturbs them.

Thank you witchinghours

Where do I get wire wool - is it from somewhere like B&Q?

Thanks also Dame - again, do you get traps and poison from places like B&Q?

Yes

Thanks - I'm going this afternoon!!!

I don't think you can realistically blame the builder for that.

I just wanted to say that ours are gone now I have blocked up a hole in the wall of our house with two stainless steel scouring pads.

Don't forget if you are buying poison to leave outside, it is illegal to poison other animals with it. In practice, this means you need a proper bait box.

Have you tried calling the council? Many of them offer free visits from a pest control company. When I called on behalf of my dad, I was really surprised at what a nice man he was, and how much he obviously loved animals.

I think if this is a brand new house ie builders still on site finishing the estate - then you could pop round and ask them to come back and fill the outside hole with cement (?) after youve shoved wire wool in it. Or at the very least make sure they're not leaving every new house like that!

I'm afraid that I can very much blame the builder SecretSeven - he's a corner cutter (lets say we've had a few snags)

He did send someone over to the fill the hole where the cables and water pipes enter the house (which should have been blocked off) with quick drying cement so lets hope that does it. I have also wired woolled on the other side at the entry point into my cupboard. Fingers crossed