Getting rid of rats/mice (merged threads)

Leif

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

Daily Mail.
Honestly

"Baby" mice, perhaps ... not rats though. Not a chance

You seem to be the master of sarcasm, but short on reading skills. As I said, I find it hard to believe mice can get through such a small hole, but it is often repeated. Here's another source:

http://www.mousetraps.org.uk/Mouse-Traps/mousecontrol.aspx

This one is from the University of Arizona:

http://ag.arizona.edu/urbanipm/buglist/mousemanagement.pdf

And another:

http://www.pestcontrol-at-home.com/Mice.html

An American government source:

http://www.cdc.gov/features/rodents/index.html

And here is Rentokil:

http://www.rentokil.com/mice/

Bradford Council:

http://www.bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/the_environment/environmental_health/pest_control/house_mice

What was that you were saying again? Sorry, can you speak up, I didn't hear you.

UsernameAlreadyExists

Have you owned mice or rats?
I have, both.

UsernameAlreadyExists

10p piece, perhaps. but not a biro!
EDIT: Also, yes ... rat phobia is not unusual. good luck.

Rovver125

If you forget about the fact that wild rats carry and transmit weils disease or leptospirosis, they are truly incredible survivalists!

A recent university study highlighted the fact that upto 70% of wild rats are now thought to have developed immunity to standard poisons, possibly as a result of poor pest control techniques.

I can quite believe this. As someone who works in the waste water industry, I know that rats thrive in sewers and laying poison is not guaranteed to be effective. As a previous poster has already mentioned, rats live in colonies and breed at an astonishing rate, meaning where there is one there is guaranteed to be many more.

OP, no amount of extra flushing, chemicals etc is guaranteed to stop a rat re-appearing. Whilst it is not common in my experience for them to come up through the toilet, I'm sure it can happen. They are amazing swimmers and jumpers and both rats and mice can squeeze through tiny gaps.

The only guaranteed way to stop a repeat incident, is to fit a non-return valve. If the toilet feeds straight into a manhole/inspection chamber outside, this can be fitted on the inlet to the chamber.

I have also had pet rats, five big fat males at one point and they make brilliant pets! I've never understood people getting their kids hamsters or gerbils, which tend to be difficult to handle and often bite. Rats are generally quite placid (males more so then females) and after owning a total of nine over the last few years, I have never been bitten by one!

lostinrates

Kiran wrote: »

Isn't that the title of a UB40 song? lol

Serious answer, one of the plug in sonic reppelers may work. The success level appears to depend on which unit you buy but thats about all you can do if its coming up the toilet bend

We have used sonic deterrents for over a year now it's no success. My neighbours are convinced they work.....but as I can see their farmyard from some of my windows I know they do not.:o

I don't think it matters what size hole they can fit through tbh, ours came up through the concrete floor of the milking parlour where there were NO holes before they made one.

adouglasmhor

The_Black_Sheep wrote: »

They can't.

Neither can a mouse.

A mouse can get though a hole the size of a 2p a young rat can get through a hole in mesh 1" by 1".

Mankysteve

Russe11 wrote: »

Don't be so stupid, a mouse maybe, a rat never.

Indeed I can ensure you that they can not

cyclonebri1

The_Black_Sheep wrote: »

They can't.

Neither can a mouse.

Mice can get through a weldmesh of 1" x 1/2", they can't get through 1/2" sq, but they can't get out when the !!!!!!s have scoffed all the rabbit food:D

Rats need a gap of about 3/4" plus, problem is if it ain't big enough they will make it big enough, even concrete as I found when one of the things gnawed its way under a door cill into my garage.

I haven't read all this topic but I'd have gone for 1 of the sulphuric acid drain cleaners/unblockers from a plumbers merchant.

Biggest issue would be finding where it's getting into the sewer it may be as simple as a cracked or even missing inspection cover but not even necessarily on the same property.

spannerzone

The clue about a mouse getting through a 6mm hole is that as the Daily Mail states:

Any openings in your home that are wider than 6mm (a quarter of an inch) and you're in trouble: through a combination of squeezing and nibbling, the mice could well be moving in.


So a 6mm hole means they can get their teeth in and start gnawing to make the hole bigger......I am happy to proven wrong though and would love to see a 6mm diameter hole and a regular mouse getting through....my pet mice never managed to do that, albeit 6mm square chicken wire and lord knows they gnawed everything to try and escape!

daffodil

Never mind about holes - what about my phobia - its still here, imagining a rat as a squirrel doesnt work although it did seem like a good idea and I am very grateful for it.

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