Rats-rented accom-is it a problem?

Valli

If they're squirrels (and presumably grey) I believe you cannot release them back into the wild if you trap them because they're not a native animal!

fimonkey

Thanks all for your replies,.. I haven't dealt with this yet,.. busy with other stuff and hate to think of having to find out what's up there and then sentence it to death... I have a unique view - I believe life is sacred regardless of what life it is (yup I even rescue wasps from windows etc) and its about to get very cold outside.... But I have heeded your warnings about fire and looked into contents insurance. |Given the sum total of my own contents is about £1000 and I have this in savings to cover it hardly seems worth it. Will speak with housemates though and see if they fancy a combined policy.

BW and thanks again

BitterAndTwisted

If the place burns down because those blessed squirrels have chomped through the cables, contents insurance will be the least of your worries. And your landlady's. Buddhism is all very well, but you've got to be realistic. I like animals and wildlife too but I wouldn't tolerate tapeworms, head-lice or flipping scabies: I'd poison those critters in the blinking of an eye. Grey squirrels are an alien species and vermin. Just in case, I'd get all important papers safely lodged somewhere else

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Much more likely to be squirrels than rats high up there. They can cause heinous damage but you might get lucky and find they're about to start hibernating, so the roof might not collapse until spring. They need to be trapped but I'm sure I read somewhere that it's not legal to destroy them. I'd have a chat with your landlord so they can look into sorting it, or better, put it in writing.

ETA: From The Telegraph: "Pest controllers say call-outs to deal with squirrels have reached record levels in the past 18 months. "We don't have the exact figures yet, but we are definitely dealing with more squirrel cases than ever before," says Savvas Othon, Rentokil's technical director. "Some people seem to tolerate squirrels in the attic in the way they would never tolerate rats or birds. Squirrels are very destructive creatures." In one recent case a woman left squirrels in her loft, but called in Rentokil when a bird flew in. "We found the squirrels had chewed all the cables and stripped them to the wire. They were sparking - she was lucky the house didn't burn down."



According to the same article it is lawful to trap and shoot them, so why not pop out and buy an air-rifle?

Don't be too sure of this. A house we lived in years ago had rats in the Attick/loft. There is a river near by which had a clean up by the local council. Everybody thought great untill they told us they had disturbed the rats living there, they moved home for the river into the houses and the council had a major problem on their hands getting rid of them, at their cost too. So never assume it is not going to be rats.:o They ate everything that was up there, which i have to say wasn't that much but one thing to note, my brother went up ther to see what the scratching was at night and unfortunately he contracted Wiles disease and was really I'll for a while. So if it is Rats don't go up there without gloves on and throw them away afterwards. They did actually try to get into the house through an air vent in the pantry thankfully they never make it so no rats in the house. My mother was a nervous wreck :eek::rotfl:

Op if it is rats my heart goes out to you.:o

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

_bankrupted wrote: »

If they are squirrels, once caught they have to be destroyed. It is illegal to release them back into the wild.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-389976/Gardener-facing-prosecution--releasing-squirrels-wood.html

thank you , I didn't know that, one of those pieces of info you never really need but interesting all the same

Fire_Fox

fimonkey wrote: »

Thanks all for your replies,.. I haven't dealt with this yet,.. busy with other stuff and hate to think of having to find out what's up there and then sentence it to death... I have a unique view - I believe life is sacred regardless of what life it is (yup I even rescue wasps from windows etc) and its about to get very cold outside.... But I have heeded your warnings about fire and looked into contents insurance. |Given the sum total of my own contents is about £1000 and I have this in savings to cover it hardly seems worth it. Will speak with housemates though and see if they fancy a combined policy.

BW and thanks again

You won't be insured if the fire is a result of failure to maintain the property correctly, or the result of a hazard you were aware of. And if there is a electrical fire, the rat or squirrel is a lot more likely to be killed than you are! Why not buy some wildlife boxes and put them outside the property somewhere or look into what you can leave out as suitable bedding/ overwintering material?

Saving_spree

You not even sure what creatures they are.

Animals are not as disciplined as Human race. They definitely mean damage.

Take action now.

clutton_2

one of the worrying things about Weils disease is that if there are rats in your roof, and if you have a cold water tank up in there, then the rats will get into the tank, and you will all be drinking contaminated water without realising it. Weills disease is very nasty indeed.... please get pest control in as soon as possible.