PhilipL
Established Member
Small s. Does that make a difference to the rats?There are no states in Canada. Provinces and Territories only. America has the states.
Our biggest rats infest the government.
Pete
Dealing with rats in subfloor void
- Thread starter sammy.se
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I don't think they give a S*** or even s***
Homeless Squirrel
Established Member
Find holes then block with wire wool coarse best, broken glass(They can't chew that)and a mix of 3-1 sharp sand and cement.make sure damp round hole before filling that way cement mix bonds to hole.
What part of London you in?
Check drain holes/covers as they push covers up/out!
Someone had them get up outside into roof then run through roof void into other places through gaps even though meant to be fireproofed!
"Rats darn things!!"
Amazing how they can thread needles with their little paws.
Can they do socks one wonders.
Spiders spin, some birds weave, nits nit, nit nurses groom? What is the name for what a nit nurse does / did? Do they still exist?
french TV runs a lot of advertising every year at " le rentrè" ( back to school time, beginning of the autumn term, end of the summer holidays / vacation ) for anti nit shampoo.
Rats can cook well too..if the cartoon is true.
Amazing how they can thread needles with their little paws.
Can they do socks one wonders.
Spiders spin, some birds weave, nits nit, nit nurses groom? What is the name for what a nit nurse does / did? Do they still exist?
french TV runs a lot of advertising every year at " le rentrè" ( back to school time, beginning of the autumn term, end of the summer holidays / vacation ) for anti nit shampoo.
Rats can cook well too..if the cartoon is true.
Last edited:
llangatwgnedd
Established Member
I think the only answer is to rip the floor up and lay concrete.
I wish I had done that! I recently rebuilt the joists and floor in one room on the ground floor. I should have filled it all when I had the chance
I completely agree with those who say block all entry points with wire mesh etc. Do not underestimate how small a hole they can get through.
I once heard "crackling" at a 13 Amp socket and thinking it was a loose wire, proceeded to remove the faceplate and found an electrocuted mouse. It was a metal backbox and with two cables and rubber grommet the gap was tiny (plastered block cavity wall). I know this was a mouse but I am still aware of how small a hole they will get through.I do agree that there does not need to be a food source, they will find that elsewhere.
I once heard "crackling" at a 13 Amp socket and thinking it was a loose wire, proceeded to remove the faceplate and found an electrocuted mouse. It was a metal backbox and with two cables and rubber grommet the gap was tiny (plastered block cavity wall). I know this was a mouse but I am still aware of how small a hole they will get through.I do agree that there does not need to be a food source, they will find that elsewhere.
Homeless Squirrel
Established Member
Has it got anything to do with previous matter with stinky water/drainage issues with neighbour
As per your previous thread: Advice needed: foul water seeping from neighbour's house into my subfloor get in touch with your insurance company.
Qwercus
Established Member
Both rats and mice can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps. Apparently they can compress their ribcages somehow, basically anywhere their head can get through - their bodies will follow.
What you need is a pet black rat snake, they are not venomous but will consume a fair number of your rats, they are known for keeping rodents at bay.
They are great tunnellers.
I had some making tunnels from the Virgin Media ducting under the public pavement under my front wall and into my garden. I kept filling the holes with a mixture of Postcrete and broken glass.
They even chewed a hole through the pavement tarmac at least twice.
Eventually they disappeared.
Now I have some either living or transiting under the back garden decking. Caught them on my new motion detector wildlife camera.
Will consider traps.
Had mouse problems in the house before. Coming through a gap in the wall where a waste pipe exits. Filled it it with wire wool.
Tried various traps
Traditional ones are best. Glue traps are even better if you are ok to dispatch them yourself.
I had some making tunnels from the Virgin Media ducting under the public pavement under my front wall and into my garden. I kept filling the holes with a mixture of Postcrete and broken glass.
They even chewed a hole through the pavement tarmac at least twice.
Eventually they disappeared.
Now I have some either living or transiting under the back garden decking. Caught them on my new motion detector wildlife camera.
Will consider traps.
Had mouse problems in the house before. Coming through a gap in the wall where a waste pipe exits. Filled it it with wire wool.
Tried various traps
Traditional ones are best. Glue traps are even better if you are ok to dispatch them yourself.
I bought some taps, hopefully arriving today. I will block up around the water and gas mains, and inspect for tunnels and holes in the sub floor. I hope I find the entry point!
I have a pet kitten so I need to be careful what traps I use. I also bought poison... need to be very careful.
At this point I don't mind looking for a dead rat body, if it means I get it before it breeds!
I have a pet kitten so I need to be careful what traps I use. I also bought poison... need to be very careful.
At this point I don't mind looking for a dead rat body, if it means I get it before it breeds!
At our previous house we had chickens which were a big draw for the rats. I made a bait box with an open front and placed it near the chicken house. It was about 25m from a caravan we had stored in the garden. I rigged up a camera with motion detect on the bait box which alerted me when we had visitors. I then took a comfortable seat in the caravan and enjoyed an evening’s entertainment popping the rats with my air rifle. All very civilised.
Update: 3 caught, maybe 4 (couldn't reach last trap, I think they moved it)
Poison eaten.
I see signs of them running up the gas mains under the floor, going to check the gas mains entry point when more floor boards come up
I'll get the little Sh...ts!
Poison eaten.
I see signs of them running up the gas mains under the floor, going to check the gas mains entry point when more floor boards come up
I'll get the little Sh...ts!
Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
I thought you had the "little Sh...ts!" to deal with before? 
Pete
Pete
So, 1 week after a massive chemical and physical clear out of the subfloor (see my other thread/ saga), there are no new rat droppings, thankfully.
I found 3 potential entry points: one was the ingress point of drain water from the neighbour's property and two were along side the mains gas and electricity entries. Both clocked with steel wool and cement.
I'm keeping rat traps and poison down there and will inspect every couple of weeks.
I bought some mesh to cover the air vents as another precaution which I need to add.
For future reference, the larger powerful taps I used were these ones
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35458681...eiadCiQRxa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Thanks everyone for your help. Here's to never seeing another rat or dropping ever again!
I found 3 potential entry points: one was the ingress point of drain water from the neighbour's property and two were along side the mains gas and electricity entries. Both clocked with steel wool and cement.
I'm keeping rat traps and poison down there and will inspect every couple of weeks.
I bought some mesh to cover the air vents as another precaution which I need to add.
For future reference, the larger powerful taps I used were these ones
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35458681...eiadCiQRxa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Thanks everyone for your help. Here's to never seeing another rat or dropping ever again!
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