Getting rid of rodents

AmyTa

I've got some types of rodents in the ceiling. As they're loud I'm thinking rats, but they could be mice.

My issue is ttwo things, firstly they aren't accessible. They're in the ceiling space, and I hear them scraping, running and playing with wires all the time, but mostly at night.

My 2nd problem is that as I rent in the UK, and the landlords are refusing to help as it's an old building itd probably cost a bit considering they've let it get in poor condition. I feel like I don't have a leg to stand on given costs going up etc. I did reach out to citizens advice, but they weren't helpful with what I could do about this. 

Anyone got any ideas of things that could work? I've looked into ultrasonic but most devices say they can't penetrate walls. 

daveyjp

Local council environmental health department will have both pest control advice and private sector rented housing departments.

AmyTa

daveyjp said:

Local council environmental health department will have both pest control advice and private sector rented housing departments.

Thanks for your response. The only thing I can find out on my local councils site is paid for pest identification, followed by paid treatment. I doubt I could afford to service the whole flat block (as we all have this problem of hearing them in the walls). 

FreeBear

Are you sure it is rats/mice ?

Starlings used to nest under the eaves of my roof, and the scrabbling around was easily mistaken for vermin.

AmyTa

FreeBear said:

Are you sure it is rats/mice ?

Starlings used to nest under the eaves of my roof, and the scrabbling around was easily mistaken for vermin.

I'm pretty sure it's rodents, because I can hear their little feet running around a lot, particularly in the wee hours. They also play with the wiring.

chrisw

I had similar and I'm pretty sure mine were rats. I bought a box of rat poison sachets from Asda and sprinkled them around up there. I felt a bit bad about it but they were causing damage and I was concerned about a fire if they chewed through the wiring.

The sachets have been eaten and I haven't heard them since. I was a bit worried I might end up with a loft full of dead rats but there's no sign of any bodies either.

Plasticman

Your best option is to look around the outside of the property and see whether you can identify how they're getting in. Holes where pipes have been removed, broken air bricks etc. They don't need a very big gap! Is the building detached?

They might be getting in under the ground (broken sewer pipe etc) in which case it's much more of a challenge. They'll often enter the wall cavity and climb up to the loft space and you'll hear them on the ceiling. Do you have access to the loft to look for droppings? A cheap video camera up there (triggered by movement) will help you confirm that it's rats. 

Poison is the last resort. They'll probably die in your loft space or walls and they don't smell good!!!! 

AmyTa

Plasticman said:

Your best option is to look around the outside of the property and see whether you can identify how they're getting in. Holes where pipes have been removed, broken air bricks etc. They don't need a very big gap! Is the building detached?

They might be getting in under the ground (broken sewer pipe etc) in which case it's much more of a challenge. They'll often enter the wall cavity and climb up to the loft space and you'll hear them on the ceiling. Do you have access to the loft to look for droppings? A cheap video camera up there (triggered by movement) will help you confirm that it's rats. 

Poison is the last resort. They'll probably die in your loft space or walls and they don't smell good!!!! 

As I've said I live in a flat block, but it's a conversion of a building. There are an unlimited number of ways they could get in, as the landlord has let the building become rundown.

However there's nowhere I can see to leave poison for them, because it's a flat block there's no access. 

All I have are sound recordings of them playing tag during the night, hence why I'm awake now. 

Maxson

The rodents mush be getting in and out somehow. If you can identify some possible entrances for rodents, place a wildlife camera nearby to identify the problem and then place a rat trap or mouse trap by their front door once you're certain that's where they are getting in and what they are. Hope it's just mice as rats are harder to kill. Ideally after that all possible mouse sized (pencil diameter or larger) holes should be filled or blocked. If the landlord doesn't care just do it yourself. A can of expanding foam is cheap.

goldfinches

Let's all be thankful we don't live next door to this person. Vegan who failed to deal with mouse infestation and fed them instead is fined by court (msn.com)