Rats/mice... HELP!!!

[fliptheswitch]

How do you know if you have rats/mice?

I tied a black bag up last night and, as it was late, I left it in the kitchen next to the bin.
I went to move it this morning, and there's a hole in the bottom. It's a large-ish round hole, and not on the seam so it's not a case of the bag splitting. There was a bit of mess just outside the hole, on the floor.
Could this be a mouse/rat? I don't know where on earth one could be coming in, if it is!

I've moved the bin, but I'm scared to even go in there now. Just tried phoning the council, but the pest control people aren't in until Thursday.
Don't really know what to do.

The same thing happened a few weeks ago, but I just put it down to a split in the bag.
I don't leave any food out, or rubbish, it was literally a tied bag next to the bin.
The floor is spotless, as are all the cupboards, so I'm baffled as to why this would be??
There are no other obvious signs, no scratching noises (as mentioned on the Rentokil website) or droppings. Just the ripped bag.

I need some help... urgent!

[B00]

I had a rat in my kitchen some months back, and I know it was a rat, as I saw the damn thing!

I called the councils rat man out, who quite frankly was a waste of £25.00 as all he did was put rat poison down in trays, which you can do yourself for half the price!

I discovered that my rat's "home" was an old gas fire (blocked off from gas) that we never got round to removing and the bugger had set up its next behind it.

It's now deaded (Thank god) but we still can't locate it's body.

I do realise my tale of woe doesn't help you locate your Roland or Mickey, but it wouldn't hurt to get some rat poison put down in corners of your room (no pets have you?)

[EvianBaby]

I wouldn't bother getting pest control out until you know you have a mouse/rat. If you did have one you would probably find droppings everywhere.

It was probably just a split bag. Ours split all the time. They're flippin useless!

[B00]

Nope evian, we didn't have rat droppings "everywhere", we did find them behind the fridge, but they obviously unlooked for and therefore unseen by us until we'd seen our very own Roland prancing round the sodding kitchen.

[EvianBaby]

Everywhere probably was a little of exaguration but if you've not seen any mice or found any poo then I wouldn't bother wasting money on pest control, like you said you could have done the same for cheaper yourself.

[fliptheswitch]

Urgh! B00, I remember having a bit of a chuckle at your rat story... now I'm shuddering at the thought there maybe one here!
I haven't heard or seen anything, but the split in the bag definitely looks asthough it's been "chewed".
A packet had been dragged out and was on the floor next to it. Minging!!
I've been looking on the web, and it says one of the signs are "burrows" in the garden.
Well, there are a few. I noticed them months ago... and made a comment that they must be from moles.

Oh god, I feel sick. Don't even want to go out there now.

I think I'm going to get dressed and go get me some traps! No, no pets. Just children.

No droppings to be seen... yet.

[B00]

I was downright bloody disappointed to be honest Evian with what our rat man did, or in his case didn't do.

Frankly all he did was put two lots of bait down and shone his torch round a bit, confirmed there was a rat floating around (oh really? you don't think the bloody brown thing scampering round my kitchen already told me that?) and left, but that's not before he smashed my coffee canister with his elbows!

[B00]

Can you think of a way it could've got into your kitchen Flip? The rat man checked our walls and said it hadn't burrowed it's way in that way, however I do know we pretty much left our back door open throughout summer and often well into the night too when it was warm, so ours (hopefully) wandered in that way.

We're hoping now that we've acquired a spawn of Satan (otherwise known as a cat), and getting a stable door put on instead of a bog standard kitchen door we've stopped it happening again, as my rat tale (tail? lol) reduced me to tears at the time.

Good luck!

[DTCwordfan]

My mother has plenty - this time of year they come looking for warmth and can get into your attic, under your floorboards etc.. generally they will not harm you. My mother's cat is an excellent ratter though and has nailed several.

The council will just do an inspection and lay down poison designed to nail their kidneys and cause failure. This gets them out of the house as they dehydrate and go looking for water.......and they will lay it in places that are not exposed to kids or your pets.

Nothing to be that worried about - there are more rats in the UK than humans apparently (est 81mln) and I am not talking human rats.

[deggers316]

its says that nobody in the urban world is more than 10 yards from a rat
btw domestic rats (a different specie from the wild rat) make excellent pets,

[Jemisa]

Pull the fridge out, the W/machine, dishwasher, It must be coming from somewhere and before long it will bring its family.
Years ago in our other house we had this prob the Rat catcher put broken glass in any holes he found. (they do not come back)

jem

[B00]

I had one Deggers, a few years ago, Basil he was called, he was great pet. Wild rats on the other hand I couldn't tolerate in my house!

[jd_here]

Would suggest it's more likely to be a mouse than a rat, unless of course, you live in an old house. Get yourself down to B & Q, buy both rat poison and a couple of mouse traps, set them and hope you find the little critter. Good luck.

[B00]

Yes, good idea from Jem, pull the fridge out. We discovered ours was ripping the insulation from the back of ours to make its nest with! That's where the droppings were too.

[EvianBaby]

Broken glass? Jees!

There are other things that work that wouldn't be inflicting quite so much torture.

[fliptheswitch]

Wowzer @ broken glass!

I've just had a good look in the kitchen, and I can't see anywhere where it could have come in. There's no holes anywhere.
The only thing I can think of, is that i do leave the kitchen door open quite a lot, especially when I'm cooking as it gets ridiculously hot, even in December!
I'm starting to wonder if one could have scurried in when it was open. *shudder*

I've moved the dishwasher and washing machine, and there's nothing behind there. I can't move the fridge, cos it's huge, but my dad's coming round in a bit to help me. Oh god, imagine if there's a little rat family living behind it!! *shudder*... again.

I've just read on a pest control website, that you should check behind everything and then, if there's no obvious "gateway", leave out a trap.
So tonight, I'm going to leave out a trap (which my dad is getting from B&Q) with some Peanut Butter on... apparently they like it??
I'll let you know what I find! :-(

Thanks for all the help and advice.

[B00]

Good luck flip, you have my every sympathy, know exactly how you're feeling right now, 'orrible innit?

[DTCwordfan]

tasty supper tomorrow night then, flip?

[tamborine]

Could a cat bring it in. Mouse/rat holes are flooded in the rain & they slip indoors. Poison pellets in lids placed under furniture is easiest. When you smell rotten eggs, that's it dead !

[pusskin]

my next door neighbour said on f/book, that her lovely cat left her a lovely dead mouse not far from the tree on Xmas day. oh poor neighbour lol
Her 3 cats often bring her lovely presents of dead mice !