Rats in the attic - pest controllers

[Spinney]

Have rats in the attic again - controlled them in the past with poison, but I'm beginning to wonder if I need help to try to block up any entry points (can't see any, but it's an old house and their could be gaps under the eaves). They're only in the attic, not the house, but they're beginning to get a taste for the roof beams, so def. time to make a bigger effort to get rid of the buggers!

My question is - has anyone used Rentokill or any other professional pest controllers? Do they do a better job than just sticking down poison and keeping it topped up?

 

[Yellow Fang]

My best mate is a pest controller. He is very professional about his job.

 

[Saluki]

Next door contacted rentokill, they quoted her £400 plus VAT, which she cannot afford. I am guessing that's quite pricey. I don't know if they will advise on ingress though.
Rats can get though tiny spaces. Is it worth going up in the loft on a bright day and looking for the light? Then sealing the light hole?

Problem with poisoning the things is that they die and pong your loft out.

 

[Spinney]

I've got rid of them with poison before, and never had a smell (the stuff I used said on the container that the rats go away to die elsewhere).
Old house, quite difficult to get down to the eaves to block off any holes, but I might try what you suggest.
I think I wouldn't mind £400 + VAT if it came with a guarantee that it would sort out the problem permanently, but I very much doubt that!

 

[Spinney]

I suspected that 'not Rentokil' might be the answer - after all, they probably have much higher overheads than smaller firms!

 

[Arrowfoot]

Have rats in the attic again - controlled them in the past with poison, but I'm beginning to wonder if I need help to try to block up any entry points (can't see any, but it's an old house and their could be gaps under the eaves). They're only in the attic, not the house, but they're beginning to get a taste for the roof beams, so def. time to make a bigger effort to get rid of the buggers!

My question is - has anyone used Rentokill or any other professional pest controllers? Do they do a better job than just sticking down poison and keeping it topped up?

Very unusual to have rats in the attic but not in the house. Is there a food source close to your property? Even if you block the holes, they will go to another part of the house for shelter as long as the food source is nearby given that it is an old house. Maybe a cat after the work of the pest controller. Rats got better things to do and hang around in a house with a cat.

 

[ANT 666]

Ring your council they still may have pest controlers if they've not been cut.
Failing that your local farm supplies will have the same sort of stuff that pros use, I use it here, good stuff gets rid of the buggers.

 

[Pale Rider]

I have no faith in the ability of a domesticated cat to tackle, or even scare, a rat.

A feral cat would, but in terms of something a bit more Donald Trump, you could shut a terrier in the attic for a few days.

I've seen them tackle rats - they are enthusiastic killers and appear to kill rats literally for fun.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

We had rats in our loft last year. Heard them scurrying around in the wall cavity then found their calling cards in the loft. We put traps down and caught a couple. Humane traps? Nah...

Next door found evidence of rats too and called in a pest controller. He put down some poison and charged her about £100 for his trouble. A rat (or rats) ate the poison and died under OUR house. Cue an infestation of flies that summer (thankfully contained in the conservatory) which was worse than having rats. Still makes my skin crawl to think of it.

 

[bikingdad90]

I was listening to radio two a while back and they were talking about pest control. I seem to remember something about registered controllers can trap pests and then have to dispose of them nicely (shoot) as they cant relocate them.

They said rats in attics were a particular problem as they often come through from neighbouring spaces.

 

[classic33]

Ignore the rat poisons on sale at any DIY store. The rats'll eat it and come back for more.
As said above, a farm supplier will have better stock. They can't afford their best adverts to come back to haunt them.

 

[Spinney]

Very unusual to have rats in the attic but not in the house. Is there a food source close to your property? Even if you block the holes, they will go to another part of the house for shelter as long as the food source is nearby given that it is an old house. Maybe a cat after the work of the pest controller. Rats got better things to do and hang around in a house with a cat.

The garden backs onto a field, and it's a large garden, so I suspect there is plenty of 'natural' food around. I don't think there is access from the loft into the rest of the house (at least, I've never come across any signs of rats anywhere else in the house). Solid floors, which is good!

I did wonder about putting down poison outside as well, as long as it can go somewhere that hedgehogs and birds won't eat it.

Ring your council they still may have pest controlers if they've not been cut.
Failing that your local farm supplies will have the same sort of stuff that pros use, I use it here, good stuff gets rid of the buggers.

Ignore the rat poisons on sale at any DIY store. The rats'll eat it and come back for more.
As said above, a farm supplier will have better stock. They can't afford their best adverts to come back to haunt them.

I'll enquire of the local council. And good tip about farm supplies - there is a place nearby that sells all sorts of horsey stuff, plus sheep drench etc I saw in there! I'll see what nasty stuff they have for rats.

 

[slowmotion]

If Rentokil contractors work as well as their DIY mouse poisons, I would give them a wide berth. I bought three of their poisons to deal with a mouse infestation and they were entirely useless. Maybe their "professional" poisons are better but I wasn't filled with confidence in the company. If you go the contractor route, try a local one, as others have wisely suggested.

EDIT: or the council as TMN has just suggested.

 

[Mrs M]

I have no faith in the ability of a domesticated cat to tackle, or even scare, a rat.

A feral cat would, but in terms of something a bit more Donald Trump, you could shut a terrier in the attic for a few days.

I've seen them tackle rats - they are enthusiastic killers and appear to kill rats literally for fun.

Our cat killed two rats recently.
I must admit I was quite surprised he took them on

 

[Ian H]

This house had rats in the attic when we bought it. We cured it with a combination of poison and a new roof. The new roof was, we think, what finally cured it. That does suggest that blocking all the gaps might do the trick. It might be easier to find them from outside, with a ladder.
For poison, if you're anywhere rural the local farmers' merchants would supply proper stuff.