Rats or Squirrels. Ouch.

[Ferdinand]

Hmm. May have a problem.

 

I am hearing scurrying noises above my kitchen ceiling. It has a bedroom above that.

 

Concerned about possibility of rats or squirrels.

 

The only obvious entry point I can see is the flappy paddle external vent from the cooker hood, which seems to be rather open. And a few weeks ago my neighbour gleefully brought a rat round in his trap to show me that he had caught in his lift.

 

I do have a rat / squirrel trap inherited from dad, but I probably need to get an air pistol to kill anything I might catch - been wiffling about that one for a couple of years.

 

How does one proceed? Especially given that winter will drive any pests to seek shelter.

 

I have not detected anything not sealed behind the ceiling.

 

Do I put one of those metal mesh vent covers over the top of the plastic ventilation outlet, or will that risk making pests die inside? Or do I clear all detritous from around that part of the garden first?

 

All comments welcome. Happy to post pics.

 

Ferdinand 

[saveasteading]

  On 20/11/2022 at 17:30, Ferdinand said:

metal mesh vent covers

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You will put one on at some stage I imagine, so might as well be now.

Can you contrive one with an outwards flap?

[ProDave]

More likely just cute little mice. They can sound a lot larger scurrying over a plasterboard ceiling.  It is almost impossible to keep them out of anything other than an air tight passive house.  *

 

If you have a standard cooker hood vented through the wall and it has been installed with plastic flexible vent pipe, they have probably entered the vent, chewed through the flimsy plastic pipe and entered the cavity and got in from there.  If not already, that should be more substantial flexible aluminium pipe.

 

Just put some rat poison down if you can find somewhere from above where you can drop it down into the ceiling void, or pop a downlight fitting out and put some in through there.

 

* We have one in the house right now.  Only the second time in 5 years and the point of entry has again been a slightly open velux roof window.  SWMBO did not believe that is how he got in until I showed her the mouse droppings on the vanity unit under the window.

[Jilly]

I would say, unfortunately you need to trap it asap before it gets too cosy and brings its family too. I think I would do this before sealing up, as if something gets accidentally trapped in the pipes and dies it could stink and block the vent. Once the culprit is identified then mesh up would be my take on it. 

 

Be wary of poison if you have pets as secondary poisonings are quite common, by ingesting the slowed down mouse/rat etc. 

 

Please don't use a glue trap, they are the most horrendous inhumane things I've ever seen. 

Edited November 20, 2022 by Jilly

[PeterW]

Bait blocks through a few downlights and then look for the entry. The kitchen vent would be a start but would also check any eaves vents too

[Radian]

Agree it may just be a mouse. They're so small they can get in through the tiniest of holes. Think the size of a hole you could get your little finger in. Consequently there's not much you can do to keep mice out but poisoning them inside the house is just awful if they crawl away and rot. A humane trap baited with peanut butter or Nutella will round them up (check daily) then a drive a few miles to a supermarket car-park or similar to let them out. We always go to the one that has an Owl sanctuary on route.

[ProDave]

  On 20/11/2022 at 18:04, Radian said:

Agree it may just be a mouse. They're so small they can get in through the tiniest of holes. Think the size of a hole you could get your little finger in.

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They can get through the holes in a standard air brick.

[saveasteading]

  On 20/11/2022 at 18:04, Radian said:

the tiniest of holes

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Pencil size. We had pet mice that the cage contained, but wild mice got through and.......no I don't want to remember the rest.

[SteamyTea]

Poison, there is a reason it is used around food places.

[Radian]

  On 20/11/2022 at 18:52, SteamyTea said:

Poison, there is a reason it is used around food places.

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We're talking about vermin, not emmets.

[SteamyTea]

  On 20/11/2022 at 19:20, Radian said:

We're talking about vermin, not emmets.

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From the local rag.

 

Retiring Visit Cornwall boss Malcolm Bell says the future of tourism is to attract 'friends' not 'effing emmets'

[Russdl]

Agree it’s probably a mouse, but look on the bright side, if it is a rat then you won’t have mice because the rats will eat them.
 

As already said, mice can get through tiny holes, I watched one go through a gap after scaling a brick wall and I couldn’t get my little finger in the gap it went through, quite astonishing.
 

(I’d vote for poison. In the past I used humane traps but that gets tedious after a while). 

[Susie]

I use goodnature brand A24 Automatic Rat- And Micetrap With Trap Counter, it also kills squirrels when placed higher but need to cover the gadget with the metal cover or they by pass it and eat the plastic to get at the bait. 
 

it’s instant death for them without poison, a small gas canister triggers a humane death. Not cheap but very effective and the gas canisters are relatively cheap to replace. 

[Ferdinand]

  On 20/11/2022 at 17:50, PeterW said:

Bait blocks through a few downlights and then look for the entry. The kitchen vent would be a start but would also check any eaves vents too

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Would I not want a repellent to drive them out, rather than bait blocks?

 

Or is the idea to stop them chewing cables by diversion?

Cheers

 

F

[ProDave]

You want to dispatch them as soon as possible by whatever means.

 

I have seen the result of them chewing plastic water pipes and plastic bits on the underside of a dishwasher.

[saveasteading]

Killing a creature is not a happy thought. But if not that one you will have many more.

[Ferdinand]

A further question.

 

Does this look like a Roland entrance hole, in the soffit. It is just about 1 inch across. It is neatly gnawed by the look of it. May need to remove gutter to get at it properly. No noises at present.

 

How do I block this, and prevent another one being chewed? 

 

The photo us at approx the right angle.

 

It is behind a gutter which had hedgehog in it (currently removed for a clean), so I wonder if the brush gave a bit of shelter.

 

Ferdinand

 

[ToughButterCup]

Put baited traps down. M/T for 2 weeks (they're neophobic) then bait and check fortnightly. 

 

Get a ratter of a cat: day rate £100 a day.

[IGP]

We’ve had mice recently and a few years ago, I use one of these baited with peanut butter. Highly effective. 
 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-plastic-metal-battery-powered-mouse-killer/45407

[Temp]

+1  Mouse traps baited with peanut butter work very well for us. 

 

Just don't double dip the spoon if you need to reload them or keep a pot marked "mice only".

[saveasteading]

  On 02/03/2023 at 21:42, IGP said:

baited with peanut butter.

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When I was designated mouser in a shared flat, I found that cooked bacon was the best bait. 

Once was walking out of the kitchen only 10 seconds after carefully setting the trap, when I heard the snap.

 

Humane but gruesome, as opposed to poison, which I use in the attic.

Live traps are only humane if you remember to release the mice promptly.

 

[Onoff]

Mate just bought a house and got a big chunk of money off if he arranged to clear it. Old sheds piled high with stuff.

 

A couple of the neighbours swung by:

 

 

[Russdl]

Holy crap. That first neighbour doesn’t look like he’s planning on being friends. 

[ToughButterCup]

Rats are worthy opponents. They'll give you an evenings good shooting practice if you use an air rifle with an image intensifier. Either that or find yourself somebody with a Patterdale terrier or six...

[SteamyTea]

  On 04/04/2023 at 19:12, ToughButterCup said:

Rats are worthy opponents. They'll give you an evenings good shooting practice if you use an air rifle with an image intensifier. Either that or find yourself somebody with a Patterdale terrier or six...

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Would be easier to take away their food supply, they will soon move away.

 

Always amazes me that farmers leave rat food all over the place.  An oil storage depot would not be allowed the same tardiness.

Guns, of any sort, should be banned.