Rats now flies

vicki2221

Hello. We had a rat infestation in the attic and kitchen over Christmas. We had a pest control come out and set traps and put poison down, as well as block a couple of holes they found. A trap caught one rat and a huge amount of poison was eaten. There is now a bad smell coming from the kitchen cupboards and the upstairs landing, we assume from inside the wall. And today the kitchen is full of flies!! We have 3 visits included with the pest control people so they will come back in a day or 2 but I just wondered if anyone had any advice or experience of this? My husband and I can’t see any actual corpses anywhere. Also the house is listed with 500 year old wattle and daub walls do not sure if we should be making holes in the walls to pull dead rats out. The rats were bad enough but the files everywhere is so grim! And in January too, I didn’t even think flies were around now. Any advice appreciated.

Doozergirl

My only advice would be that poison isn't a good idea in a house because this does happen if they die in an area you can't get to

With traps, you know where they are and can check them. Poison is better for outside.

Given that one smell is coming from under the kitchen cupboards, I guess you've pulled back the kickplates? You may well have to search a bit harder to get rid of the flies. I don't know how many fly life cycles a dead rat can sustain. Bleurgh.

vicki2221

Doozergirl wrote: »

My only advice would be that poison isn't a good idea in a house because this does happen if they die in an area you can't get to

With traps, you know where they are and can I check them. Poison is better for outside.

Given that one smell is coming from under the kitchen cupboards, I guess you've pulled back the kickplates? You may well have to search a bit harder to get rid of the flies. I don't know how many fly life cycles a dead rat can sustain. Bleurgh.

Yes we’ve searched under kick boards, can’t find anything
I wish we’d stuck with traps only, although they did take bait without getting caught on some occasions

tacpot12

As per doozergirl's comment, the fly problem will cease when there are no more dead rat carcasses to be consumed. The flies (and maggots) are doing you a favour as they will pick the carcasses clean, which will be better in the long run.

I realise it is a very unpleasant problem to have, but you probably won't have it for more than a few days. Use fly paper to catch the flies, and swat those you can. Apparently flies have a blind-spot behind them, so if you whack them from behind they don't see the swat coming.

Whitterbod

i had theses in my attic

https://www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk/how-to-control-cluster-flies/

Davesnave

Whitterbod wrote: »

i had theses in my attic

https://www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk/how-to-control-cluster-flies/

People in the countryside often get those, and I've probably a few thousand in the attic as I type this, but they have nothing to do with animal corpses in a house.

It's as others say, you may have to wait till nature takes its course.

ka7e

My house is on the market and we had to suspend viewings due to a dead "something" behind dry lining in my basement. The smell had risen through the floor boards into the kitchen and hall. I purchased ONA gel, and although it took the recommended 3 days, there is now no smell. It's apparently designed to disguise the smell of cannabis cultivation! I have a litre of the Polar gel (slightly minty scent) in the basement and a small Pro block (not so pleasant - vaguely mothballs smell) in the kitchen. A couple of Neutrodol blocks and a scented candle and no decomp smell! The process normally takes 3-5 weeks so I'm pleased we've found a solution.