Completed, moved in , found serious rat infestation

Dave_the_Ginger_Cat

Assuming your location is correct, your local council appear to offer a decent service for £50.

http://www.swindon.gov.uk/ep/ep-environmentalhealth/ep-environmentalhealth-pest/Pages/ep-environmentalhealth-pest-rats.aspx

Google is a great source of info, and you might get a quicker answer than posting to the board, though there are usually people with practical experience here

RupertTheCat

My local council came out for free when we encountered some rats as well, so if I were you I would give them a ring.

No-one has mentioned the obvious solution - get a cat! My cats sorted out the neighbours rat problem very efficiently. One of our cats staggered in one night with 2 rats in his mouth which was quite impressive.

We had some rats in the roof the cats couldn't get at so we did get pest control in. They put poison down, the rats vanished, never to be heard of again. Haven't seen a rat in about 5 years now (much to my cats annoyance)

holly_hobby

How utterly dreadful ... they are my absolute worst nightmare !!!

Ahem ... moving to practical assistance ....

There is no legal requirement for the vendors to have disclosed the issue.

A basic survey (for the lenders benefit) would not uncover the issue (given that the vendors would have made sure any visible damage was covered), and in my experience the surveyor will simply open the loft hatch, pop their head in, and thats it.

However, if there is such significant occupation, as others have said, once he popped that lift, phew he'd know about it ..... if he didn't inspect the loft, and there was free access to it, then he hasn't fully conducted the survey.

The issue, if only a basic survey was paid for, is that it would be the lender whom pursues this matter as the survey was for their benefit not yours (which is why if affordable, always go for a least a homebuyers).

If you had anything other than a basic, ie homebuyers or FS - then you have full recourse to pursue him yourself - although I dont think there is a specific questioning re vermin examination, its a grey area from what I understand.

Anyhoo, that doesn't solve the immediate issues you have ..... as stated several times already, your local authority may offer financial assistance with regards vermin control.

Another solution, which I use myself as we inherited a little mouse problem that wasn't disclosed (although the owner having 2 cats should have alerted me !), is a little contraption that you plug into the wall. It omits a high frequency sound (only rodents and crawlies can hear, and it doesn't affect my doggie), which also travels and takes the sound along the electrical circut into which its plugged.

I use a couple, with 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs, although we only had a issue downstairs, and I bought them on line. They are apparently the same used by the MOD and councils in their paper/archieve stores, and since having them then I haven't had any issues at all (touches wood quickly !).

Unfortunately, I can't have a cat as my hubby is allergic to them, but if that isn't your case, then as suggested get a cat or 2 to help with the eviction process !!

Having a couple of mice was bad enough, and we never heard them, just found a bit of evidence in the cupboard under the stairs (where their access hole was), but the thought of hearing them above your head and in the wall, when in bed .... well you're a braver soldier than I, I'd have decampted to my Mums until the coast was clear .... but then I'm a jelly baby when it comes to things that go bump in the night !!

Hope this helps ....

Holly xxx

bouicca21

Oh Holly can you tell me what the gizmo was? I have mice. The landlord tried to block their access with wire wool, but they've now managed to wriggle through it. Hate the things. I wish someone offered a RentaJackRussell service.

But to the gizmo - the back of a kitchen cupboard is where they are coming in (cheap job, brick wall only plastered where visbile, lots of gaps between wall and floorboards) there are no sockets at floor level. I could put a gizmo on an extension lead but how far does the signal travel and can it travel through cupboards?

PasturesNew

Dukesy wrote: »

..... everyone buying a house should, inspect the loft yourselves?

You'd not get me into a loft...... scarey/dark places.

holly_hobby

bouicca21 wrote: »

Oh Holly can you tell me what the gizmo was? I have mice. The landlord tried to block their access with wire wool, but they've now managed to wriggle through it. Hate the things. I wish someone offered a RentaJackRussell service.

But to the gizmo - the back of a kitchen cupboard is where they are coming in (cheap job, brick wall only plastered where visbile, lots of gaps between wall and floorboards) there are no sockets at floor level. I could put a gizmo on an extension lead but how far does the signal travel and can it travel through cupboards?

Here is the one I bought .... I bought it a few yrs ago now and they now have a much wider selection ..... it worked for me but can't gte results for everyone .... (I have it on a constant random pattern, its silent to us (and doggies), and also has its own little night light !)
http://www.primrose.co.uk/budget-rat-and-mouse-repeller-whole-house-p-4418.html?cPath=24_25&src=list_img


As I say I had a mouse issue (little field mice, but still annoying) - but this seemed to do the trick. Althgough if you have nesting going on, Mummy mouse won't leave the litter until their ready(so you may have a couple of weeks to put up with them) - but at that point they should all run for the hills .... hopefullly.

I tried the sonic route as I personally don't believe poision is either humane (once I knew how it actually works ), or the long term answer. Not to mention they will go off to die, and then you have to deal with the smell of decaying corpses and locating them, so prevention is now def my chosen method.

Obv blocking up the access points you know of, with the deep crack filling foam will also help once you know they've stopped visiting (otherwise they'll be trapped indoors !), just to belt and brace the issue.

IF, you wanted to also use traps, humane or not (and I pass no judgement, its completely your choice) they LOVE chocolate or peanut butter, so using this as bait on the trap tends to get better results than cheese.

Where to place it, will if you know where they are coming in from and its behind a solid object, I would def place it right in its path.

If they have actually gotten into your cupboards, you must discard anything open, or not protected in tins, and wash what you are keeping and the inside the cupboards, with disinfectant/bleach, this is becuase they (as do rats) pee as they walk (disgusting I know). This pee is a trail/message for them, but if ingested by ourselves can cause all kinds of serious issues - even death (which is why I also NEVER EVER drink pop from a can, or open a tin without disinfecting the lid - as you have no idea where its been stored and if its been exposed to rodent activity).

Hope this helps .... and I haven't given anyone any nightmares :eek: !!!

Love

Holly xxx

eddddy

Mezza1979 wrote: »

Think i shall be having my solictor write a letter to them asking them to stump up half of the costs.

Hi Mezza

Just another perspective on this. As others have said, it sounds like you have no real basis to claim the money, and more importantly, this is likely to constitute as a "dispute" with the previous owner.

When you come to sell the property (perhaps in many years time), the standard Property Information Form will probably ask the question:

"Have there been or are there any disputes or complaints regarding this property or a property nearby? If yes, please give details"

If you get into a dispute with the previous owner, you will have to answer something like:

"Yes - there was a dispute over paying the cost of dealing with a rat infestation"

Mention of a rat infestation may scare off future prospective buyers (even though the infestation will be long gone).

If you just pay to get it sorted (and the mess cleaned up), it will probably not need to be mentioned when you sell - as there are no relevant questions on a standard Property Information Form (as you have discovered!!!).

olly300

holly_hobby wrote: »

The issue, if only a basic survey was paid for, is that it would be the lender whom pursues this matter as the survey was for their benefit not yours (which is why if affordable, always go for a least a homebuyers).

If you had anything other than a basic, ie homebuyers or FS - then you have full recourse to pursue him yourself - although I dont think there is a specific questioning re vermin examination, its a grey area from what I understand.

With a Homebuyers they do not have to look into the loft if they cannot gain easy access.

With a Full Structure survey they have to look into the loft so if the vendor refuses them the first time they have to come back. If the vendor blocks it they have to move obstructions.

So if you have a Homebuyers it should state clearly that they could not look in the loft because the hatch had a padlock on or whatever reason they couldn't look in the loft. If it doesn't state the reason why they couldn't go into the loft then you can sue them for compensation.

holly_hobby

olly300 wrote: »

With a Homebuyers they do not have to look into the loft if they cannot gain easy access.

With a Full Structure survey they have to look into the loft so if the vendor refuses them the first time they have to come back. If the vendor blocks it they have to move obstructions.

So if you have a Homebuyers it should state clearly that they could not look in the loft because the hatch had a padlock on or whatever reason they couldn't look in the loft.

Refer ...

holly_hobby wrote: »

However, if there is such significant occupation, as others have said, once he popped that lift, phew he'd know about it ..... if he didn't inspect the loft, and there was free access to it, then he hasn't fully conducted the survey.

If you had anything other than a basic, ie homebuyers or FS - then you have full recourse to pursue him yourself - although I dont think there is a specific questioning re vermin examination, its a grey area from what I understand.

Holly

olly300

Actually with a Homebuyers report the survey is fully conducted as long as the surveyor states why s/he can't look into a particular area on the report.

Your claiming the surveyor is negligent if they had free access and didn't look but the negligence is also if they couldn't look and didn't state why.

This is why they are useless for all houses unless it's reasonably new. Flats are different.

I suspect the reason why the OP hasn't posted again on this thread is because they had a basic valuation survey.