Wild Rats under my floor!

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hot fox

hot fox

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PLEASE HELP! I have a Pest Control man coming round later, I have my guys in a C&C on the floor in a downstairs room, several metres away from where I can hear rats have invaded under the floor in my living room. I have a wooden hutch which is sitting outside, would it be better to put our Piggles in there, inside, so they are safer? If the rats chewed through the floor, I'm guessing they'd be at risk?
I'm frantic with worry, the problem is I don't want my daughters to know we've got this infestation as they'd be totally freaked out, so how would I explain the Pigs In Hutch?! Maybe best to own up!
Am I being paranoid? Advise please?
Thanks!
 
hey there

I know exactly what you are going through - we had a rat and mice problem a couple years back and it was the most awful time ever grrrr - the rats were inside our walls and also roaming free in the house and we were scared witless for piggies and our own sake - we had the piggies in their cage ona stand and this was moved into the middle of the floor so that it wasn't near anything the rats could have climbed up to get to them

Luckily we caught the rats in time and blocked up every possible hole and crack in the house there was expanding foam being used everywhere :))

we got enviromental health round and not one person admitted they had a rat problem in the same street as us even though we knew of at least two places that had them (we live in the main street in town and it is mostly businesses we have as neighbours) i was really grrrr that other folk did not admit to having a problem as it could have been solved so much quicker.

We set traps every single night and when they were sprung we kept on setting them - best thing to set them with is a refrigerated mars bar as it is harder for rats to get away with hence the trap springs and hey presto one rat down

I know it seems cruel to use traps but the fear that was there while we had the problem was unbearable I couldn't sleep I even abandoned the flat one night with piggies still in it to go to my parents thats how scared I was

Hope you resolve the problem soon x
 
I think it would take a while for the rats to chew through, and you'd hear them. Keep the piggies inside, but perhaps raise them onto a table top. The pest control person will set down bait boxes, and then come back and check them next week for any activity. They come back and check the boxes once a week until there's no more activity.

You need to try and find where they're getting in though, and block it up as soon as the problem has been solved. If you can stomach it, it might help to have a few big traps up against the wall around where they're getting in. Rodents tend to run along the wall to get to where they need to be.

We had a rat problem this summer, a man hole cover had been left up while work was being done a few streets away from us, it was all sorted in a couple of weeks. Just have to sort out a few errant mice now, before my OH sees them and starts chittering about the piggies.
 
We had the same problem a few weeks ago, and I was really scared for the piggies too. We had them in a hutch outside, near to where we knew the rat was getting in, so I was terrified it would get into our cage.
We only knew we had a problem as the rat ate through a corner of our hallway carpet, next to the downstairs toilet door, otherwise we would never have known. We set down a trap, baited with peanut butter, and killed the rat first time. We were lucky as ours seemed to be a single rogue rat, we left the trap down for a further week, with no more hits. We have also put rat poison down under the deck where it got it.
When we checked the outside of the house it was obvious where it had got in. There were 2 massive holes where we had a extension built a few years ago. the builders had to move the gas meter, and didn't bother blocking up the pipe holes. Can't believe we didn't spot them earlier, although the are in a corner of the house with the new gas mater up next to them. They are now blocked up.
Really hope you get it sorted, horrible problem to have. I would def put your piggies in the hutch inside, for your own peace of mind if nothing else.
 
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Hi,
I had rats in my garden last winter/spring. I read somewhere that they HATE the smell of peppermint so I got loads of peppermint essence, diluted it and sprayed all round the garden several times over a few days.
One of my dogs caught a rat one day - she let it go when I screamed at her and it pulled itself away (looked like she had either broken its back or its back legs) squeeling. I dont know if it was this act that scared them away or the peppermint but I've never seen one since.
I wonder if you put some peppermint essence around the cage/hutch if that 'may' help ? I would keep them inside where you can keep an eye on them - if possible in a raised cage or bring the hutch in ?
Good luck,
x
 
oh dear i am not surpised that you are scared, i know i would be:)>>>
 
Thanks all, the scurrying has stopped for a while, but they were having a party under the floorboards earlier. Kind of feel mean, but if my Piggles got attacked I'm be beside myself! I am trying to arrange for the council Pest Control man to come round plus a private chap. My husband has an idea where they are getting in, I think we'll bring the hutch inside and put our chaps in there, until I know it's safe for them to be out again. Luckily the hutch is a decent size, and I'm glad we've still got it!
Am so grateful for your replies. We are a clean family, this was one of my dreads on moving here, our tenants had rats a few months ago. We've only been here since July, the joys of country living I guess?!
Everything is going wrong at the moment, so at least I know we're not the only ones to have experiences with Little Unwelcome Rodent Visitors. :-(
Thanks again X
 
we have a mouse problem:( outside we have killed 2 on traps but seen another 2 since, they are horrid scare me to death, few yrs back we had then in the house, the first time i noticed we had them in the house one ran up my curtain i was so scared we killed 7 in 1 day from in the house, and paid £70 for some one put poison down, we also found where they were coming in and blocked it up..

tell you kids the hutch is in has you feel they are too cold in the c&c so have brought the hutch in as its warmer from them..

my sister had 2 rats under her floor boards this year, they cooked some sausages and put poison in them and the next day the sauages went and they never heard the rats again so take it they died x
 
Hello everyone, the rat/s are plaguing us! My husband and I have had about 3 hours sleep, got up at 4.00 am, I heard it running across the ceiling above our heads. God, it's just a complete nightmare. I can hear him running around above my head now, so he must be in the gap in between the layers, I had the council rat man and a private chap come out yesterday, but I'm so frantic now I feel like moving out! B-( I have the hutch ready to put our Piggles in, although the experts thought they'd be OK in the room they're in with the door shut, there's still a chance the rat could chew through the skirting board, and as I'm out all day today, I'd rather know they were safer than so vulnerable in just a C&C> I hope this is a short term issue. Otherwise, I could go insane very soon! Thanks for all your comments. X x
 
my sister said she could hear the rats they had, what does it sound like? do they screech? or it is scratching? or chewing noises? or all?malletheadmallethead@)@)
 
I haven't heard any gnawing, thankfully, but I have heard footprints and scuttling. No screeching so we're hoping he's on his own. Had the private chap out again yesterday, he's going to come and lay out much more Special Food today. Feeling guilty now. :-(
Our guys are now enjoying their hutch, as they're used to fleece they're really seem to love so much hay to burrow in! My husband brought some ear plugs home for work yesterday, so I was in happy ignorance last night and slept well. Feeling much brighter today! X x
 
From what I know from programs (if anyones ever seen that London pest control show with the little dog) Rats don't need something to climb up to reach them, they could climb up the metal bars. If you're going to fill holes up, fill with wire wool and expanding foam as it's harder to chew through. Could you move them nearer your bedroom so if something bothers them you'll possibly hear them? My babies are in the hall by my bedroom and last night were so noisy I had to read them a story and then shut my bedroom door haha (they went quiet)

My mom had a mouse problem for years at her last home, I blame the landlord, we had this massive hole in the side of the house, so go check your premitor, even next doors and get any holes filled up (even the smallest). Make sure all guinea pig food is hidden (as this could attract them) and clean up your kitchen floors and where you eat daily to detur them with scraps. Traps are better then poision, you'll end up with rotting dead rats otherwise.
xxxxx
 
Don`t want to scare *, but many yrs ago, we had a rat get in and kill all our babies it was horrible, my dad went mad and killed the rat cos it was still in the shed, not really the rats fault but dad was upset obviously, hope it gets sorted soon.:(
 
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