Rat In The Apartment

[jeebusjones]

I just had a rather interesting experience. Apparently a nasty brown rat had taken up residence in my apartment, near to the kitchen sink. I'd caught glimpses of it a few times before, but had mistook it for a big gecko. Only today did my girlfriend insist that she'd seen a rat, so I investigated a bit more.

After poking around with a broom, I was startled to see the little disease-bag come darting out towards me. He took cover behind the TV stand, and we thought we'd lost him. After scowering the apartment from floor to ceiling, darting from room to room, we were again startled to see the rat stranded on top of the 2 meter tall TV stand.

Called the building maintenance people, they wanted nothing to do with it. So I got on a chair, started pounding the top of the stand with a broom, and the little bugger jumped off the top. He then belted through the open balcony door, and nearly jumped off the 21st floor.

He's now trapped on my balcony waiting for the morning when I'll get a trap. Suprisingly, the cat proved rather useless through the whole ordeal.

So, now I have a few concerns. That little bugger had been hanging around for who knows how long, probably nibbling our food and touching utensils and plates and other things. What sort of illnesses are liable to be spread by rats in Thailand? Should I be off to see a doctor the first thing in the morning? Or is it nothing to worry about?

Anyone else had a similar experience?

[JimmyTheMook]

Download UB40's

Rat In Me Kitchen

[marginline]

Are you sure there's just the one rat? I was once told for every rat you see, there are at least half-a-dozen you do not.

[AlexLah]

Buy a shotgun, shoot and kill it.

Leave it somewhere in your appartment for a few days.

If you have any other rats in your house they will leave after smelling the dead one.

If you still see others, shoot them as well.

Alex

[jeebusjones]

Are you sure there's just the one rat? I was once told for every rat you see, there are at least half-a-dozen you do not.

I don't doubt that there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of rats living else where in the building, it's a pretty big place. But I don't think there are any more in my apartment.

It did seem to be just a baby, because it was pretty small for a rat. That's a bit worrisome, because from what I know rats don't just have one baby at a time. I suspect the rat was a stow-away in an old fridge that I was holding for a friend of mine for a few days.

Now I'm wondering, because last week I was pretty sick for a day with what I thought to be "food poisoning." Any chance that could have had something to do with the rat?

[mcgriffith]

No similar experience here, but I have 2 simple solutions:

1) go to Tops or Foodland or where ever and buy a mousetrap or 2 and keep them primed with bait under your sink

You can get the gluetrap type if you are not adept with spring-loaded devices.

2) as for the mouse/rat on your balcony, you mentioned 21st floor. A broom and dustpan (the semi-enclosed kind) should solve the issue. That's a long way down....

I have to laugh a little bit about your dilemma. You BKK people are perhaps a bit more urbanised. Here in Chiang Mai people post regularly about King cobras, banded kraits, and various types of LARGE constrictor snakes in their gardens, on their porches, etc.

Nobody posts about rats here BECAUSE THE LARGE DANGEROUS VENEMOUS SNAKES HERE eat all the rats....

Count your blessings the worst thing you have to worry about is a small brown furry critter.....

Edited June 3, 2007 by mcgriffith

[Tony Clifton]

A small rat darted in tonight while we were watching a movie. Happens every few months.

Open all outside doors and use bug spray too chase them out from behind furniture or hideouts. Works really well.

Cage 'em the next day.

[jeebusjones]

Nobody posts about rats here BECAUSE THE LARGE DANGEROUS VENEMOUS SNAKES HERE eat all the rats....

Count your blessings the worst thing you have to worry about is a small brown furry critter.....

That's an excellent point.

[soundman]

Invite the building maintenance staff over & offer them a free dinner!!

Soundman.

[Etrigan]

You seriously need to carefully inspect all electrical wiring as the buggers wear down their incissors by biting into the rubber insulation. Turn the fuse box off first though!

[brianinbangkok]

Well he could of course buy a pet Python ?

Now that would keep the rats away

[Jet Gorgon]

Cat always works. That rat poison is crap. You can get leptospirosis (Weil's disease) from rat urine, common on can tops as rats pee all over them in warehouses (maybe that's why all Thais drink from straws, never directly from can or bottle tops).

[corkscrew]

There is a device that you plug into a wall socket; it emmits a noise that humans can not here but it drives away rodents.

[soundman]

Well he could of course buy a pet Python ?

Now that would keep the rats away

I wanted to buy a pet python (2000B for 1.5m long) but the wife gave me an ultimatum I couldn't ignore...

Soundman.

[brianinbangkok]

Well he could of course buy a pet Python ?

Now that would keep the rats away

I wanted to buy a pet python (2000B for 1.5m long) but the wife gave me an ultimatum I couldn't ignore...

Soundman.

And what was the ultimatum then ?

[soundman]

Well he could of course buy a pet Python ?

Now that would keep the rats away

I wanted to buy a pet python (2000B for 1.5m long) but the wife gave me an ultimatum I couldn't ignore...

Soundman.

And what was the ultimatum then ?

Her or the python - the python almost won!!!

Soundman.