Rats In My Ceiling

[sumantkumar]

We have had rats on/off in my ceilng (between first and second floor) for the past year or so. We have trapped them, but more rats find a way in.

The problem is that they must have dropped a huge amount of feces and urine, and now it is starting to stink the house up. Can anyone reccomond a cleaning company/exterminator who would be able to clean this mess up. I think there are some health concerns if there is some prolongued exposure to this type of thing.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[bkkjames]

We have had rats on/off in my ceilng (between first and second floor) for the past year or so. We have trapped them, but more rats find a way in.

The problem is that they must have dropped a huge amount of feces and urine, and now it is starting to stink the house up. Can anyone reccomond a cleaning company/exterminator who would be able to clean this mess up. I think there are some health concerns if there is some prolongued exposure to this type of thing.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Mate, if you rent, move out!!! If you own, invest in cats.

[mrtoad]

We have had rats on/off in my ceilng (between first and second floor) for the past year or so. We have trapped them, but more rats find a way in.

The problem is that they must have dropped a huge amount of feces and urine, and now it is starting to stink the house up. Can anyone reccomond a cleaning company/exterminator who would be able to clean this mess up. I think there are some health concerns if there is some prolongued exposure to this type of thing.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Why have you left it go on for so long?

[sumantkumar]

We have had rats on/off in my ceilng (between first and second floor) for the past year or so. We have trapped them, but more rats find a way in.

The problem is that they must have dropped a huge amount of feces and urine, and now it is starting to stink the house up. Can anyone reccomond a cleaning company/exterminator who would be able to clean this mess up. I think there are some health concerns if there is some prolongued exposure to this type of thing.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Why have you left it go on for so long?

We haven't in the sense, that we keep getting rid of the rats. We really didn't expect the house to start to smell. We own, so we don't really have the option to move out.

[mrtoad]

We have had rats on/off in my ceilng (between first and second floor) for the past year or so. We have trapped them, but more rats find a way in.

The problem is that they must have dropped a huge amount of feces and urine, and now it is starting to stink the house up. Can anyone reccomond a cleaning company/exterminator who would be able to clean this mess up. I think there are some health concerns if there is some prolongued exposure to this type of thing.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Why have you left it go on for so long?

We haven't in the sense, that we keep getting rid of the rats. We really didn't expect the house to start to smell. We own, so we don't really have the option to move out.

Get the exterminator in, if he is good he should also be ab;e to figure out where they are coming in fomr, so you can seal up the entrance point.

[mc2]

A cat, even a kitten will scare the rats enough to make them live elsewhere. They will be all gone or in fearful hiding within 3 days.

[JacknDanny]

We have had rats on/off in my ceilng (between first and second floor) for the past year or so. We have trapped them, but more rats find a way in.

The problem is that they must have dropped a huge amount of feces and urine, and now it is starting to stink the house up. Can anyone reccomond a cleaning company/exterminator who would be able to clean this mess up. I think there are some health concerns if there is some prolongued exposure to this type of thing.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

I had a similar problem a few years ago in a previous house.

I signed up Rentakill. Not cheap but immediately sorted the problem. Sign up for a 1 year contract and they visited every month and are responsible for removing any dead rats that might suddenly appear.

What they told me is that they lay down poison and the rats eat it and then need to drink. They then make their way to the nearest water and die. True or not, I never saw a dead rat, and the problem in the roof was solved almost immediately

[Nampeung]

Disagree Mc2 our cat just enjoyed watching the rats run around the rafters while he was cleaning his paws

[thithi]

feed the dog. mine know how to play with those rats LOL

[aznyron]

Disagree Mc2 our cat just enjoyed watching the rats run around the rafters while he was cleaning his paws

you said he was just cleaning his paws I guess his belly was full :D :D :jerk:

[girlx]

feed the dog. mine know how to play with those rats LOL

my dogs used to love killing rats too.

[Lazy Sod]

We had exactly the same problem and it was driving me nuts. After much trial and error we fixed it 2 years ago and have not had a rat since. You need to find out how the rats are getting in. If you have the house plans take a look at them. The rats are most often running up the pipe shaft which runs from ground level to first floor, and jumping out into the false ceiling on the ground floor. Your sewage pipe from the upstairs toilet normally runs down the shaft, under the house to the septic tank, and then out of the tank to the main sewage pipe in the road where the rats live and breed. When the house was first built the shaft/pipe is naturally sealed by the ground, but as Bangkok sinks the ground moves down and exposes the shaft/pipe. Eventually the rats find a way to run along the outside of the sewage pipe, under the house and into the shaft, and then up to the false ceiling.

1) The pest companies do not try to seal the entrance point, they just lay poison. This will keep them in business but will not solve the problem long term.

2) The sewage pipe often runs in a concrete trench from the house to the road sewer. Open one of the trench covers to and take a look, there should be a pipe around 4" diameter. Buy some wire mesh and try to seal the pipe (this worked for us).

3) If that fails then you may want to consider opening the shaft from the side with a sledgehammer and sealing it. It sounds drastic but it's the only way. You've gotta stop the rats entering in the first place for long term peace of mind.

PS The smell may be a dead rat decomposing. Many Thai's don't like to use poison for that reason, hence the glue traps instead.

Edited December 11, 2008 by Lazy Sod

[girlx]

i had whole extended families of rats living in my ceiling when i lived on koh phangan. i used glue traps to catch them and then threw the traps in a bucket of water to drown them. managed to get about 10 of them, but after that they seemed to smarten up and avoid the glue traps. that's when dogs and cats come in... be careful as rats attract snakes too!

[popmybubble]

Glue traps are one of the most cruel ways to kill an animal, the RSPCA have a petition to get them banned in the UK because of the immense suffering they cause. You need to make sure there is no way rats can enter your premises and make sure you don't have any rubbish with food outside that they will be attracted to. Use humane traps and release the rats about 2 miles away if possible, otherwise they will be straight back.

[girlx]

Glue traps are one of the most cruel ways to kill an animal

that's why i drown them as soon as i catch them. i made the mistake of not at first and totally regretted it. rats scream.

[Mighty Mouse]

Where is the Pied Piper when you need him?

[popmybubble]

Glue traps are one of the most cruel ways to kill an animal

that's why i drown them as soon as i catch them. i made the mistake of not at first and totally regretted it. rats scream.

Rats can swim, so I imagine being stuck to a glue trap and not being able to swim to the surface would be equally horrific. I keep pet rats and I know how intelligent and affectionate they can be and to think of the methods people use to kill them makes me feel sick. If you really must kill them, quickest and most painless way is probably a sharp blow.

[bkkjames]

Glue traps are one of the most cruel ways to kill an animal

that's why i drown them as soon as i catch them. i made the mistake of not at first and totally regretted it. rats scream.

Rats can swim, so I imagine being stuck to a glue trap and not being able to swim to the surface would be equally horrific. I keep pet rats and I know how intelligent and affectionate they can be and to think of the methods people use to kill them makes me feel sick. If you really must kill them, quickest and most painless way is probably a sharp blow.

I have an idea, since you seem to love them so much why don't you volunteer to go to the OP's house and round em up and take them home.

[popmybubble]

Glue traps are one of the most cruel ways to kill an animal

that's why i drown them as soon as i catch them. i made the mistake of not at first and totally regretted it. rats scream.

Rats can swim, so I imagine being stuck to a glue trap and not being able to swim to the surface would be equally horrific. I keep pet rats and I know how intelligent and affectionate they can be and to think of the methods people use to kill them makes me feel sick. If you really must kill them, quickest and most painless way is probably a sharp blow.

I have an idea, since you seem to love them so much why don't you volunteer to go to the OP's house and round em up and take them home.

How old are you again?

[huggybear]

Glue traps are one of the most cruel ways to kill an animal, the RSPCA have a petition to get them banned in the UK because of the immense suffering they cause. You need to make sure there is no way rats can enter your premises and make sure you don't have any rubbish with food outside that they will be attracted to. Use humane traps and release the rats about 2 miles away if possible, otherwise they will be straight back.

unbelievable..................they are disgusting rats, and it's not like the world doesn't have enough of them.

Shouldn't you be more concerned with the children of Darfur? Orphans in Thailand?

Geez to go PETA on people about rats, now I've heard it all............

Edited December 12, 2008 by huggybear

[girlx]

How old are you again?

well he has a point- i love animals too, believe me, but rats cause a lot of problems in the wild. it's not possible to round them up and take them away, and if you manage to get all of them they will likely come right back anyway. i don't want the diseases they spread or the snakes they attract, they also do a lot of damage to electric wires and other things, leave foul smelling urine etc... drowning them is quick, it takes less than a minute. i hate to do it but if it is between me (and my dogs) and a family of rats, i am gonna win. i would have to hit them on the head just right to kill them and that seems more barbaric to me than drowning.

p.s. you should see how my dogs killed them

Edited December 12, 2008 by girlx

[bkkjames]

How old are you again?

well he has a point- i love animals too, believe me, but rats cause a lot of problems in the wild. it's not possible to round them up and take them away, and if you manage to get all of them they will likely come right back anyway. i don't want the diseases they spread or the snakes they attract, they also do a lot of damage to electric wires and other things, leave foul smelling urine etc... drowning them is quick, it takes less than a minute. i hate to do it but if it is between me (and my dogs) and a family of rats, i am gonna win. i would have to hit them on the head just right to kill them and that seems more barbaric to me than drowning.

I have a neighbor who keeps cockroaches as pets, guess I shouldn't kill them either

[popmybubble]

Glue traps are one of the most cruel ways to kill an animal, the RSPCA have a petition to get them banned in the UK because of the immense suffering they cause. You need to make sure there is no way rats can enter your premises and make sure you don't have any rubbish with food outside that they will be attracted to. Use humane traps and release the rats about 2 miles away if possible, otherwise they will be straight back.

unbelievable..................they are disgusting rats, and it's not like the world doesn't have enough of them.

Shouldn't you be more concerned with the children of Darfur? Orphans in Thailand?

Geez to go PETA on people about rats, now I've heard it all............

So because I disagree with harsh killing methods that makes me 'go PETA' ?

This thread is about rats, not the children of Darfur or orphans in Thailand and I commented on it, so that must mean I'm ONLY concerned about rats? Right ok...

[GarryP]

Rats catch on very quick. Once a few are caught by a particular trap you will find that their friends and siblings stay clear rendering the trap useless. Change the trap and after a few the same thing happens again. I have trouble with them from time to time. It would not be a problem in a detatched house where one could really seal up all entrances. However, I live in a town house and the rats travel up and down the whole lenggth of the street through the connected roof.

Can't use poison as I have a pet dog. I've heard of electronic (ultrasonic?) rodent repellents but don't know how effective they are. You may want to check them out.

[thithi]

told u lets the dog buds up with those rats.

dnt feed the chihuahua

[AlexLah]

Just throw in a few snakes.

Problem solved.

Duh

[tigerbalm]

I got a simalar problem not sure if it is rats or birds or lizards but i put one of our cats up there a few days ago and did'nt see him for an hour,in the end the daughter had to go up there with some tuna to coax him down.

.

The unidentified rodent or what ever always used to wake me up in the early hours of the morning but i have at this moment heard some thing scurreing around in the attic at 7:45 am ..ok out in the garden got the ladder got Tony (The cat) put him up there and at this moment can hear him walking around if he gets any thing i will let you know (what it is)

Edited December 14, 2008 by tigerbalm

[tigerbalm]

Well not much happened ended up with two of our cats up there lots of interest jumping about listening etc but i suspect what was ever up there int he first place exited because of all the noise i made opening the loft and putting the ladder up there.

I did see one of the cats trying to get under the loft insulation that i lifted up only to find the it had been ripped in what seems to be an attempt to make a living area, but no sign of any dwellers, coud not see any droppings as the light was not to good .

But i will have another go later in the week....

[quiksilva]

Get a pest control company in to take a look. Here's three that I have used before all with good results. No time to find the websites for you but they have offices here and are all listed online

Rentokill, Scientific Pest Control, Property Care Services

[tangoll]

Nothing beats the old style spring loaded trap with the U bar that snaps back to break the rat's back as it nibbles on the cheese on the trigger. One snap, one kill. And the dead rat doesn't run away to hide somewhere to decompose. Make sure to tie the trap to something fixed so that an injured rat can't escape taking the trap with it. Takes a somewhat strong stomach to dispose of the rat's remains though.

The bigger traps will even do the monster rats you see scurrying around Sukhumvit road.

Good luck.