Open soil pipe after toilet removal and concerns about rats

[Ratrisk]

We have recently moved . Our downstairs toilet was slowly sinking in to the floor. We had everything stripped out ready for damp proof treatment but the builders have left the soil pipe completely open. The floorboards (which were damp and rotten) have been taken out as well.

My mum has stressed me out by googling it. AI reckons that it’s a massive risk for rat infestation and we need to get the soil pipe capped with a metal cap, protect under the floorboards with wire wool, and put a rat blocker in the sewer.

Is it really that bad?!

I assume it is fairly short term until the next worker comes in?
If so, personally I would just put something like a small plate over the top of the pipe with a heavy tin or two on top to stop anything (including smell) coming up the pipe.

Thanks. Will be a while before the new toilet is in because of the damp treatment having to dry out or something. I’ll try to block it meanwhile.

We had this for a week or so whilst we renovated our house. No issues apart from it smelling awful.

Didn't the builders put a temporary cap on it? As a downstairs loo ins't there a danger of some of upstairs waste coming to that open end (depends on the pie routing).

I've put a plastic bag over the end with an elastic bag to prevent smells when we had an upstairs loo changed.

It’s two different sets of builders unfortunately - the bathroom fitters stripped out (they’ve just done our bathroom) and the damp proof people are now working in there.

We’ve put in a bung ourselves so hopefully that will do the trick.