Rats!!! Help needed Asap

mrs_lds

We have an infestation of rats in our walls. Luckily everything is sealed however we could not fathom where they were coming from . Now we realise we live at the bottom of a hill and they are entering our home through the sewers somehow. Are the council liable to put measures in to get rid of these creatures? We have soent a small fortune putting in poison under the floorboards which has been eaten, the are having a party' as i write.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Your local council should offer a subsidised service as they're a Statutory Pest.

prosaver

i would use rat traps too there must be food somewhere as they wouldnt be hanging around, someone might be leaving food out, like my neighbour leaves pet food out for ther dogs and we had mice so I leave mouse poison out all year round.

mrs_lds

We have left traps outside but nothing caught. This is between the walls. We have not seen any but can hear them all come out at night. The house is totally sealed to the outside so it must be the drains.

Pop_Up_Pirate

Last thing you want it poison or a trap because when they DIE in your walls, they STINK like crazy.

Rats can sometimes get in through sewers but not always be able to get out again.
They don't like being in your walls either and they are just trying to survive.

Depending where they are, smash a hole in the wall and let them outside if you can create a pathway for them.

Gloomendoom

Pop_Up_Pirate wrote: »

Last thing you want it poison or a trap because when they DIE in your walls, they STINK like crazy.

Only if you are daft enough to set the traps inside the walls.

OP is there any evidence of them in the attic?

Bossypants

I suppose making friends with them is out of the question? They might just want to help you cook...

On a more serious note, I agree with above. If you are certain that the house is sealed inside and out, then they are probably trapped and trying to escape. You need to figure out a way to let them out and then seal up whatever entry point they came up through. It might be worth getting some professional advice I would say.

barbarawright

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Only if you are daft enough to set the traps inside the walls.

OP is there any evidence of them in the attic?

If they nest in the walls, that's where they will go to die.

Your council will send a professional round though it's likely to cost c£100 unless you're in a council house. You could check the costs and see if you can get it cheaper by going to a pest controller directly

PeacefulWaters

We paid £35 recently for local authority to deal with things.

Home emergency call out on an insurance policy or bank account might do it for free.

Gloomendoom

barbarawright wrote: »

If they nest in the walls, that's where they will go to die.

:huh: How, for goodness sake?

If you use a trap they die instantly with their brains smashed to pieces. Look at the picture I posted above of one that my wife brought down from the attic. (Sorry, it appears to have been removed. A dead rat in a thread about getting getting rid of rats is apparently too much for somebody).

Believe me, they don't go anywhere!

Poison is is another matter and, in my opinion, a cruel and inhumane way of killing anything.

professor~yaffle

mrs_lds wrote: »

We have left traps outside but nothing caught. This is between the walls. We have not seen any but can hear them all come out at night. The house is totally sealed to the outside so it must be the drains.

On lord, it's starting to sound like the Exorcist! I think you should get on to the council asap.