There's a rat in mi kitchen...

[B00]

No really there is, and I'm totally freaked out.

We have an old fire, never used in there, and I'd noticed the dog snuffling round it extremely interested and jokingly said to Mr Boo "Bet there's a rat behind there". Well it bloody backfired on me, as apparently there is, Mr Boo saw it scuttle back in there when he did a late night forage for food (hubby I mean, not the rat, though no doubt that's what it was doing as well!) I know (well now I do) that it was eating the dog's left over food, so that will be picked up before i go to bed each night, there's nothing else (food wise) it can get to.

Would a humane trap work? About a tenner on Ebay. Reluctant to put poison down as a) im a softy, don't want to actually kill it, and b) scared the dog will eat the poison instead. What do I put in there? The trap I mean? Chocolate?

Mr Boo says that once it's gone, he'll rip the fire out and board up the hole.

Please help me, I shudder each time I think about it :-(

[RATTER15]

I would find the hole where the rat is coming in and out to your kitchen, put the poison in a plastic bag and stuff it into the hole, lots of it. Its a rat, it will find it, even in a plastic bag. in a few days you may notice a few spots of blood on the floor, this will be from the rat bleeding.

If your dog gets hold of the dead or dying rat it will be ok, the new poisons do not permit secondary poisoning.

[China Doll]

Want me to post the cat to you?

Poor boobies... <<< see genuine empathy that, no sarcasm, I feel the same way when some hideous bug enters my place :-/

[B00]

The annoying thing is Helen, I know the dog would have a go- but if the thing doesn't leave from behind the fireplace until it's safe, she can't get to it.

[RATTER15]

I would certainly come and do it for you if you were a bit closer lol.

[B00]

so no need to put food in with the poison then Ratter? Purely fill a bag with poison and stuff it down (somehow??) back of fire?

I'm totally flumoxxed how it got there in first place. I mean how do they get in your house?

[snags]

Tape a piccy of yourself on to the fireplace... you'll never see the rodent again ;-p

Pour some poison behind the fireplace and temporarily block off the immediate area to your dog...

[B00]

I might have to ring Rent a Kill or something, don't think im up to doing this myself, i'm going all wobbly thinking about it, and Mr Boo's a bigger wuss than me.

Dammit, dammit, dammit!

Cheersw space cadet- i think.

[B00]

Ratter? If you're still there? roughly how much is it for someone to come and do it for you?

[Jemisa]

In our other house we had a rat, the pest control people traced where it was cming from (a hole under the sink) they put poisen down the hole then smashed a milk bottle into small pieces & stuffed it down the hole too, then nailed a piece of board over the hole. NO more rats.
They won't clamber over broken glass.
Get your H to pull the old fire out & do that & I don't think there will be any more rats.

jem

[B00]

Jem- there's no way, no how, Mr Boo will pull the fire out whilst the thing is still in there, and frankly I can't blame him (though I will- obviously!)

[RATTER15]

Get a price from your Council first, I used used to charge £45.00 for guaranteed treatment, do not use "Rentokill" they cost a fortune.
There are loads of good companies in the yellow pages. Rats are extremely easy to get rid of with poisons, mice can be a lot more difficult.

The rat poison is usually placed on a wheat base, you do not need to mix it, it comes ready to use.

[B00]

Will talk to hubby tonight about it Ratter, see if he's brave enough to do it himself, which I highly doubt, then i'll phone council in the morning.

I'm assuming it will have got in from elsewhere? I mean there's no way it could have somehow got behind the fireplace otherwise? So do I need to check the rest of the kitchen for holes?

[mccfluff]

im sending you murph

[RATTER15]

Jemisa, I have never heard of a pest controller treating a rat problem in such an unprofessional manner, totally going against all training methods!!!

The biggest problem with blocking up the hole and putting glass down, the rat just may move to another part of the house ignoring the poison, rats hate the disturbance.

[B00]

please do McFluffy, I've now taking to stamping REALLY loudly each time I venture into the kitchen.

[ummmm]

They come up toilets and everything...

[B00]

oh and Ed, if you see this- feel free to shove it in the correct category. I was that busy panicking, i didn't take much notice where I was putting this question- sorry.