NDN Rat Infestation

[fairydustandpixies]

Not sure if property is the right place to post but here goes...

My 86yr old neighbour has had a growing rat infestation since October last year (we are terraced NDNs in 200yr old houses). She's told me that they're in her cupboards, eating through packets, leaving droppings everywhere. She doesn't know where they're coming in.

I've seen several in her garden from my kitchen window.

She has five middle aged children, dozens of grandchildren, all local and who see her regularly. So far, one of her sons has put some rat poison down and that's it.

Here is the problem - the rats aren't in my house but I hear them gnawing on the party wall, the noise wakes me up at night. This afternoon I've heard loud squeaking as if from a nest under the floor (again, not my floor but I've put my ear on the floor next to our party wall, I have laminate floor so easy to hear through). They are definitely not in my house...yet! I can't put poison or traps down in my house as I have a dog. I have just ordered a plug in sound deterrent gadget which has great reviews at getting rid of rats so I'm hoping that might help.

Our local council doesn't have environmental health for domestic homes, only restaurants and the like. I've called them and they just directed me to private pest controllers. But they're not in my home so I'm rather helpless.

Does anyone have any ideas other than the electronic deterrent that I've ordered to get rid of the rats? I've tried to help my neighbour by making suggestions to get rid of them but she won't pay for a pest control company, I've just lost my job so I can't get one in for her, I feel her very large family are letting her down, it's just terrible. It worries me because she can't hear them so they could be scurrying over her bed at night as she sleeps downstairs in the room I hear the squeaking and gnawing from.

Any suggestions would be so very welcome (and yes, I have considered a flame thrower, LTB and a bull dozer, haha!).
Thank you in advance!

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@sunshineand thank you, hope I've tagged you correctly!

Hurry up tomorrow when I can put all of your suggestions into action.

The biscuits I've dotted about all over my house haven't been touched (thank goodness) but I can hear gnawing sounds as I write. They are definitely under the floor but only the ground floor. I'm paranoid about every sound now, it doesn't help that it's so windy here.

Just to add. Don’t be put off and told either it’s not safeguarding or not LA responsibility.

It’s section 14 of the Care Act that places statutory responsibility on local authority to protect vulnerable adults.
The definition of safeguarding is to protect from harm or abuse. Whilst she might not be suffering abuse, she is at risk of harm and the LA is accountable for that.
If she died as a result of a rat bite (heaven forbid) then there is an argument to be considered that the LA would be in part culpable because they knew and failed to act to protect a vulnerable person.

@cherrypavlova again, thank you. When I phoned some weeks ago the council were very dismissive but I shall call again armed with this information.

She could very easily be bitten by a rat, they're in her cupboards and in the room she sleeps in. The neighbour her other side is very elderly too (although I've never spoken with her) so it could become a massive problem.

The electronic gadget arrives tomorrow but I shall be on the phone long before the postman arrives... thanks for your advice.

Ring social services she's at risk rats carry weil's disease which can be fatal and there is a fire risk with the chewing through electric cables and speak to your local councillor.

Haven't read the ft but surely this is an environmental health issue. Your neighbour has no right not to act. I called eh when a house my son rented as a student had a pigeon infestation and eh took action. The council can enforce action and put a charge to recover costs when the house is eventually sold ( I think!)

Thanks for your replies.

I'm getting on to social services tomorrow first thing.

It's a privately owned home, there is no landlord, it's not rented. The council have stated that they do not have an environmental health department other than for public premises such as care homes, restaurants, what have you. They've told me to call a private pest control firm but it's not my house.

We discovered rats in our garden when we were renovating our house, they were coming from the house behind, we told the homeowners but they couldn’t have cared less. We tried bait etc and it didn’t work but I then discovered a tip on the internet of blocking the holes they were digging underneath the fence with wire wool as they cant chew through it, that’s worked like a dream! Not seen a rat in over 18 months now

Yes, wire wool on all potential entry points is a good tip

You’ve had great advice, OP. Is there any water in either of your gardens - ponds etc?

Another tip: don't feed the birds and tell your neighbours not to as well.

Foxes, we now have that many rats the foxes cant keep up, more litter than ever fast food waste people feeding birds foxes etc.
Food is the Key as long as they can get it they will stay around.
It needs to be like a military operation, everyone has to not feed the birds, tidy gardens and check drains etc. Block any access to the houses, and poison / trap any in the house its not nice but has to be done as they spread disease and once the food is cut off they will try to get in to other houses, then the best results are Terrier Teams to deal with the outside talk to local Farmers they will know of one locally who will get rid in a day its not nice to see but very effective.
Many Pest control people post on here
www.airgunbbs.com
So might be worth asking for advice, I would also talk to social services about the lady as it will soon be a health issue.
Problem with using poison is if they die in the house it will stink for weeks, traps are best inside, once the house is rat proof poison outside, it's worth taking to all the nearby houses as it needs group effort.

Thank you all.

I spoke with adult social services today, they referred me to environmental health.

Spoke with environmental health (again), they said they'll look into it and get back in touch.

Will contact MP tomorrow.

Spent two hours with neighbour this afternoon, reminiscing through her photos. She said she can hear the rats gnawing too, they're chewing through her doors, she has lots of damage. I've told her that I will not let this rest and I'll keep chasing especially as she sleeps in the room where I can hear the most activity.

The electronic sonic deterrent arrived today and I've plugged that in my side of the wall. I've ordered one for her for her side.

No ponds, no open water, we live on the edge of a 'county town' which is ancient and very small. No foxes either that I've seen.

old house we use to have was near to a blessed pub that kept Vietnamese pigs (??WHY??) We got some of those Big Cheese rat traps that you have green blocks with - these seem to work far better than the seed ones - put one of those in your attic & see if the bait disappears (because bait is in a box your dog & cat wont get at them - get several & place them next door - forget whose house it is - (by the way our local authority doesn't provide rat poisoning either - I pointed out to them that I spotted a dead one outside a local shop they told me to ring the shops Head Office!

The chances are there’s a break in drainage pipe between the main sewer and her property. She needs someone to fit a rat none return valve (£20 from screwfix) into each of the drains (we had three sewerage/waste water pipes and one rainwater pipe from the gutters, so a valve in each of those pipes was needed) they can be fitted through an inspection chamber.

@Mumwon eeeek!

No pigs nearby though, or any type of fowl or livestock. No open water, no streams, no pubs or takeaways or any waste ground locally.

Our terrace is 200yrs old, no cavity walls, the rats can't reach the lofts short of climbing the stairs internally (my loft has been converted into a room in any case and is on a different level to NDN's loft as her house was built a few years after mine but still attached to mine IYSWIM).

I guess it's a case of waiting for the council, seeing what the MP says and wondering if the electronic deterrent thing works in the meantime.

I just feel so terrible that my poor neighbour is sleeping in the room where the rats are active.

@Doyouwantanothercuppa that's very interesting! Thank you. She's put Brillo pads over all possible entry points so that could well be a very good point, especially as our houses are so old. Could well be clay sewer pipes underneath the floor which have broken?

I don't think this is going to be a quick fix...

Spent two hours with neighbour this afternoon, reminiscing through her photos.
Did you spend two hours in the rat house?

Sounds promising that EH are 'going to look into it'. I thought it would be a straight no initially. Keep us posted. Will be a good record so anyone else who has this issue in future can have an action plan.

@Sunshineand I did indeed. I wanted to get a better idea of what's going on and how I can help. It was great getting to know her better too, and about her huge family!

I saw damage to carpets and doors, she knows they're in there. She admitted one leapt at her from a cupboard and she's seen them scuttling in the kitchen when she needs the bathroom in the night (downstairs bathroom is off her kitchen). She said she's terrified. I've promised her I'll do everything I can because she absolutely should not have to live like this.

So...I'll carry on updating as and when I have more news. I don't hold out any hope with EH tbh as they refused to help before but all I can do is keep escalating, MP and so on. I'm more frustrated than ever that her family aren't helping her when she does all she can for them. She was so proud showing off decades of family photos.

Anyway, watch this space...

You sound so lovely. I think I’d go back to social services and say she’s at risk and are they refusing to visit to assess her safety? Ask for name of person you are speaking to. Then email the chair and CEO. You can work out their email addresses quite easily if you have their names.
Say they need to deal with EH not you.
Suggest you will contact Ombudsman and are considering the local and national press.
It places an amount of hassle on you but that’s probably better than rats.

I think eh have an obligation to help when it is a serious health threatening infestation. If your neighbour can't or won't pay they can put a charge against the house to recuperate the cost from her estate when she eventually dies. You sound like a really kind neighbour.

Where are you op? If anywhere around s/ Manchester, Cheshire or stoke area I can really recommend the guy I used. He basically doesn't stop until every last one is gone. I know I said my job was expensive but to be fair his part wasn't the expensive bit.

those sonic deterrents worked for me although it sounds like you have a much larger infestation

Thank you @CherryPavlova. SS have said as she's not on their 'list' they can't help but I'm confused because NDN said she had a carer for a short while. (WHERE ARE HER FLIPPING FAMILY??!!!) I called again earlier today as EH haven't got back to me (no surprise...) stressing my concerns for her health and have made a note of the name of the lady who I spoke with (who was lovely but absolutely no help!).

I'm not letting this go! I'm escalating today.

@troppibambini nowhere near you, unfortunately. I'm in the UK but on an island in the Solent...!

@robert1982 yep, the deterrent has definitely worked - I no longer hear them on the ground floor next door but I can now hear them in the empty room on the first floor in NDN's house adjoining my bedroom!! The one I ordered for her should arrive today and I think I'll order some more for my house!

Biscuits I've left around my house (out of dog reach!) are still untouched.

Rat infestation is my absolute worst fear.
How that poor woman is living with them in her house is awful. I would not be able to sleep and would be driven mad.
Maybe go to the local paper as well. They love stories like this and usually gets the council/social care moving faster.