Rat-Gate...

[fliptheswitch]

I'm having problems with rat-gate... again.
I thought I was being dramatic, but there's definitely something there.
I cleared away absolutely everything last night, and swept and bleached the floor. I've been doing this every night, so I could plainly see if any droppings had been left, the next day.
Got up this morning, went into the kitchen. Still no signs of droppings, BUT, the oven glove (which hangs over the oven door handle) was on the floor, and had been chewed!! URGHHHHH!
Also, there were oranges on the floor, which had been in a bowl, on a shelf, quite high up from the ground.
There were also two receipts/giftcards, that I'd put up on top of the shelving unit, which were in the middle of the floor, and had been slightly bitten.

It's like coming down to find an invisible dog has been in the house!

Pest control are coming out Friday afternoon.

I've left traps, but nothing has been caught.

I'm starting to consider the "broken glass in peanut butter" method, that someone suggested.

Any other ideas? Would getting a cat be a bit drastic?

[nannybooby]

Flip , we get mice in our attic (they sound like Micheal Flat Feet up there,then a trap goes off and we jump) but putting poison down is the only thing that really works as they take it back to the nest and give it to the litle ones -they breed pretty quick. When they have taken the poison they will go for water so leave some outside and with luck they wont be under the floor.

[fliptheswitch]

Lol @ Inspector Mouse :D

B00, oh god. Wherever could it be. Perhaps it sloped off outside, and has been picked up by an animal. Ratman said they seriously stink, once they've died, so I'm sure you'd be able to smell him. Poor Roland... :D

[fliptheswitch]

Headbanger... Ha ha ha :D

nanny, hopefully the trap will get him, but thankyou for the advice. Much appreciated :-)

2short, Ewwwwwww!!!! What happened to it?

[B00]

poor Roland my arse! Bloody thing ate more dog food than the dog did!

Hope you catch yours sooner rather than later, gives you the heebie jeebies doesn't it?

[Barmaid]

I had a mouse infestation in my old farmhouse. It was all behind the inglenook in the fabric of the building. When they started dying, the smell was unbelievable. The whole house stank of dead stuff and you walked past the cupboard in the front hall at your peril. But I think I had hundreds of the little blighters, not one.

[mccfluff]

for some reason i don;t suffer with them, can't think why!

[fliptheswitch]

Lol B00. For a moment, I thought that just said "bloody thing ate my dog"!!!

Yep, it sure does give you the heebie jeebies. I have to switch on the light, and wait silently for a few seconds, before I can go in there.
I had a pounding headache late last night, but couldn't face coming downstairs and going into the kitchen, 'cos I knew ratty would be there!

Look out for the picture, which I'll (fingers crossed) be posting in the morn!! :-D

[B00]

Did oyu watch that programme on last night? Had Chris Packham on? It shows mouse infestations at farms in Australia. It was unbelievable. They'd open a door to a barn, and THOUSANDS would pour out, it was horrific.

[fliptheswitch]

Urghhh!

No, I didn't. What side was it on? I'd like to see that... though only AFTER ratty has been caught!

[tamborine]

awww, the lil cuties

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_5RrpfUXg0&feature=related

[B00]

It was on BBC2 at 8 last night- Natures Weirdest Events.

[fliptheswitch]

Tambo, that is disgusting! *STAMP, STAMP, STAMP!!*

Cheers, B00. I'll have a look at that :-)

[coskermike]

Hi, we had a masive problem during the summer, it turned out that they were coming in through the same gap that the cold water pipe was coming in the kitchen, the gap was tiny but big enough. Apparently one of the only things the little bugger cannot chew through is wire wool, (plumbers merchant or diy shops )fill the gaps up with wire wool. we filled all the gaps with wire wool, put traps down to catch the ones that were already in the house and over a period of a few days, problem solved, we found that traditional rat/mouse traps the best and the buggers prefered peanut butter with nuts, not the smooth stuff !! As for the cat idea, at the time we were having about 10 mice/rats a day, all in the kitchen where our FOUR CATS ALL LIVE !!non of the cats caught even one !!
hope that helps

[fliptheswitch]

Thanks for the help! :-)
I laid down another 3 traps last night, all containing peanut butter. Nothing!
He had been out though, as there was more "signs".. though still no droppings, thank god.
I'm giving him one more try with the snap traps, tonight, and then I'm going down the non-humane route of using some glue boards.
I know they're pretty sick, but I can't carry on like this. The kitchen is in lockdown! I'm having to go to my parents' for dinner, cos I can't face going in there!

[B00]

I feel for you Flip. I took to reaching round the corner, putting the light on, then stamping loudly before I went into my kitchen. I even attempted to make the dog go in there before me, useless ratting dog that she is, always refused!

[fliptheswitch]

Hahaha... that's exactly what I've been doing!
I also sing, LOUDLY. That'll keep him away :D

[nannybooby]

any news yet on Ratty? Never mind a cat a yorkie might be the answer my Tiggs is an ace mice / ratter.