Best sealant to prevent rats in loft?

blackstar

We have rats (for sure) and maybe a squirrel that has visited once that are in our loft.
The council had environmental health lest control out who laid baits etc.
They advised I have a roofer or similar to check for entry points in the roof and on the outside of the building and seal up any entry points.
This is not something I can do so looking a professional company to do this.
However please can others advise the most effective sealants to cover up holes? Proofing (what type), sealant, rodent-proofing paste etc? Need something that's going to last for years and not something that only last a year.
So need to ensure who ever seals up entry points uses the very best materials etc?

There's no infestation yet just started to get a few visitors in last few days up there.

Only caught on camera the rats and no squirrels but suspect maybe a squirrel too as it was during the day and very nosiey and the way a box was ripped into looks like a squirrel.

eddddy

If you plug gaps with 'standard' sealant - there's a risk that the rats and squirrels will gnaw through it.  To stop that, you can mix it with steel wool. And/or mix steel wool into a mortar mix. (The rodents won't like gnawing on bits of steel wool.)

I think you can also get sealants with steel shavings already mixed in.

But some of the gaps in the roof might be designed for ventilation, so shouldn't be blocked. You can put steel wool in those gaps (and secure it to stop it falling out), and/or steel mesh across those gaps.

You can get specific steel wool for rodent control, which is sharp and unpleasant.

 

blackstar

Had a guy out from a pest control company and he said its almost impossible to proof up the roof as just so many possible entry points. As there's areas where there's open flooring with insulation showing etc. Trouble is I'm in a 6 house terraced and the rats are just running freely along the neighbours lofts. 

All the 6 neighbours have rat droppings in the lofts.

Can I also ask this question. 

How can I proof off this hole (behind toilet brush) as the previous owners cut a hole though the plastic so you can access the stopcock and that round bit of plastic just comes out and then back in. 

But as it's an entry point from within the walls and pipes and outside I want to proof it off but somehow allow for me to still access it if I need to use the stopcock. 

Please can some people give me some ideas? Thanks

moneysaver1978

Depending on the dimensions and your DIY skills but you could use something like this to properly close this.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

blackstar said:

Please can some people give me some ideas? Thanks

Duct tape?