Rats In The Ceiling

[kurnell]

I have rats, or something else very similar scurrying around on the first floor ceiling of my 2 storey house. There are at least 2 as I can hear them in 2 seperate places. I think they got in via a gap under my tiles as there doesn't seem to be any other place for them to access. We actually saw them running around our garden a few weeks ago.

I don't want to bait them as they will then die and stink the place up. There is no access to the ceiling but if needed I can cut a hole in the bathroom ceiling and leave a manhole there.

Is there such a thing as an exterminator or rat catcher in Bangkok?

[Crossy]

A pussy should do the trick

[mc2]

yes, a cat is the best solution was for me anyway.

[Texpat]

Are you sure they're rats and not lizards or other vermin?

Place a few rat traps around your house. I don't imagine there's much food in your ceiling so they'd have to go out to forage.

Good luck. Take pics.

[spw888]

I had the same problem and called Rentokil - reats disappeared within 1 day and not expensive.

[kurnell]

They sound like rats. Too heavy for lizards.

I hope they aren't eating the electric cables.

I bought some of those sticky rat traps and put them on the balcony next to where I think they are getting into the roof.

If the traps don't work I'll call Rentikil.

[kurnell]

Missus just confirmed that she saw a rat run from the garden, up the side of the house and squeeze under one of the tiles.

[bojo]

Buy the rat glue and paste it onto a an old piece of plywood or something similar. Very effective, will cure any rat problem in a matter of days. You will of course have to deal with the waste which many find difficult! Only thing is , you'll probably find it's a recurring problem and will have to repeat every so often.

regards Bojo

[surayu]

i heards King Cobras find rats really yummy, so i would just release a fews of them on the affected area, however if the rats are already too fat you can always switch to a python, if the hiss sound doesn't bother you, local remedies are always cheaper then chemicals or just hiring an external company.

[chiang mai]

We get them occasionally but have learned that doing nothing is the best thing. There's precious little to eat in the space between the ceiling and the concrete floor above and they usually disappear after a couple of days.

[Thongkorn]

have these rats got two legs or four

[kurnell]

We get them occasionally but have learned that doing nothing is the best thing. There's precious little to eat in the space between the ceiling and the concrete floor above and they usually disappear after a couple of days.

I'm concerned that they have a family up there. If they get stuck to the trap I set, the babies will pass on and stink up the house.

[kurnell]

No rats, just one blow fly in the trap.

[bernie66]

Use Rat bait! Rats don't die in the house when they eat rat bait. The rat bait makes them hemorrhage minutes after drinking water. They run to a water source outside the house because it makes them extremely thirsty after they eat it. This is where they will die. If you call an exterminator thats exactly what he is going to do, put out rat bait. Maybe a better brand that last longer than what you would by over the counter. Maybe worth it but you better hurry. Only one female will kick out 6-8 pinkies in month. 3 to 4 times a year. I doubt you only have one. So if they have been thier 6 months you probably have about 16 and what your hearing is the young ones playing.

Edited May 3, 2009 by bernie66

[Wombat6]

I had a Rat problem when living in Australia. I tried several methods including using ratshot in my .22 rifle....messy....there is a "Bayer" product which is a powder that you sprinkle on known rat 'paths' which sticks to their feet and as rats are actually clean and they lick their feet and ingest the poison (I think it was called Racumin powder...but the sure way to get rid of them .....I bought an electronic box that emits a sound frequency that Rats can't stand and they hastily depart your premises(possibly go the neighbours?..lol). It does not effect dogs etc.( It was also good for getting rid of Possums). The Rats do not appear to return. I am sure that somewhere in Thailand they would be available....it wasn't expensive.

[Crossy]

I bought an electronic box that emits a sound frequency that Rats can't stand and they hastily depart your premises(possibly go the neighbours?..lol). It does not effect dogs etc.( It was also good for getting rid of Possums). The Rats do not appear to return. I am sure that somewhere in Thailand they would be available....it wasn't expensive.

I have seen these devices in Tesco and HomePro, look similar to the mozzie repellers but have a picture of a rat on them

[yabaaaa]

Yeah thatl be like the " sonic cat repellers" they sell in the UK that DONT WORK save your money by a big HAMMER eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!! haahaha

Ultrasonic pest repellers

Ultrasonic pest repellers are quite popular. The manufacturers claim that their devices produce ultrasonic noise so aversive to pests (including rats) that it drives the pests away. These devices are appealing to consumers because they are silent to human ears and don't involve traps or poison.

Ultrasonic collars are supposed to drive fleas off dogs and cats. Ultrasonic devices are supposed to chase away rodent, bird, and insect pests. Ultrasonic emitters on cars are supposed warn large animals away from roads. Lastly, manufacturers frequntly claim that these devices are safe for pets. Are these claims true?

Do ultrasonic pest repellers drive away pests?

No. Controlled studies have shown that ultrasonic pest repellers are ineffective at driving away wild rats and other pests. Specifically, ultrasound is no more effective than audible sound (Bomford and O'Brien 1990).

Ultrasonic collars do not drive fleas off of cats and dogs. Ultrasound does not drive away fleas or cause any change in flea activity patterns (Brown and Lewis 1991, Koehler et al. 1989). Ultrasonic cat collars have no effect on flea egg-laying, development of larvae, or flea mortality (Hinkel et al. 1990). Ultrasonic collars made no difference to the number of fleas on cats (Dryden et al. 1989).

Ultrasound does not keep wild animals away from roads. Ultrasonic devices did nothing to alter the behavior of moose (Muzzi and Bisset 1990), mule deer (Romin and Dalton 1992), or kangaroos (Bender 2001).

Ultrasonic devices are ineffective at repelling pests. Ultrasonic pest repellers do not repel cockroaches (Gold et al. 1984, Ballard et al. 1984), mosquitoes (Sylla and Kremsner 2000, Foster and Lutes 1985), white-tailed deer (Belant et al. 1998, Curtis et al. 1997), bats (Hurley and Fenton 1980), cats (Mills et al. 2000), starlings (Bomford 1990), pigeons (Griffiths 1988, Woronecki 1988), and many other bird species (Hamershock 1992).

Ultrasonic pest repellers do little to repel unwanted rodents. Rodents may be driven away for a few minutes or a few days, but they tend to return to their nesting and feeding areas even in the presence of ultrasound (Pierce 1993, Timm 1994). Ultrasound has not been shown to drive rodents out of buildings or to cause above-normal levels of mortality (Timm 1994).

Why don't ultrasonic pest repellers work?

Ultrasonic devices do not work because rodents rapidly become accustomed to repeated sounds (a process called habituation). Mice and rats learn that the ultrasound from the pest repeller isn't dangerous, so they gradually get used to it and return to their nesting and feeding areas.

In addition, ultrasound is quite weak and attenuates very rapidly with distance from the source (Lawrence and Simmons 1982). Half the energy of ultrasound produced by pest repellers is gone at 15 feet, and no energy remains at 30 feet. Ultrasound is therefore very short-range (Askham 1992).

Edited May 3, 2009 by yabaaaa

[kurnell]

Use Rat bait! Rats don't die in the house when they eat rat bait. The rat bait makes them hemorrhage minutes after drinking water. They run to a water source outside the house because it makes them extremely thirsty after they eat it. This is where they will die. If you call an exterminator thats exactly what he is going to do, put out rat bait. Maybe a better brand that last longer than what you would by over the counter. Maybe worth it but you better hurry. Only one female will kick out 6-8 pinkies in month. 3 to 4 times a year. I doubt you only have one. So if they have been thier 6 months you probably have about 16 and what your hearing is the young ones playing.

Rat bait it is then. I'll buy some tomorrow.

[JimmyTheMook]

Play some UB40 for them and they will make the way to the kitchen

[pkrv]

Use Rat bait! Rats don't die in the house when they eat rat bait. The rat bait makes them hemorrhage minutes after drinking water. They run to a water source outside the house because it makes them extremely thirsty after they eat it. This is where they will die. If you call an exterminator thats exactly what he is going to do, put out rat bait. Maybe a better brand that last longer than what you would by over the counter. Maybe worth it but you better hurry. Only one female will kick out 6-8 pinkies in month. 3 to 4 times a year. I doubt you only have one. So if they have been thier 6 months you probably have about 16 and what your hearing is the young ones playing.

Rat bait it is then. I'll buy some tomorrow.

I would still consider the cat option, got rid of bats too I understand in one instance. Depends if you are a cat person though.

[Mighty Mouse]

Use Rat bait! Rats don't die in the house when they eat rat bait. The rat bait makes them hemorrhage minutes after drinking water. They run to a water source outside the house because it makes them extremely thirsty after they eat it. This is where they will die. s in month. 3 to 4 times a year. I doubt you only have one. So if they have been thier 6 months you probably have about 16 and what your hearing is the young ones playing.

I agree with this method.

We had the same problem in Sydney. We could hear them running and squealing in our roof. Three rat baits up into the roof cavity. We could then hear the rats moving the baits across the roof. Two days later, we found two large dead rats in our downstairs garden.

End of problem.

I should know...I'm a mouse.

[kurnell]

Use Rat bait! Rats don't die in the house when they eat rat bait. The rat bait makes them hemorrhage minutes after drinking water. They run to a water source outside the house because it makes them extremely thirsty after they eat it. This is where they will die. If you call an exterminator thats exactly what he is going to do, put out rat bait. Maybe a better brand that last longer than what you would by over the counter. Maybe worth it but you better hurry. Only one female will kick out 6-8 pinkies in month. 3 to 4 times a year. I doubt you only have one. So if they have been thier 6 months you probably have about 16 and what your hearing is the young ones playing.

Rat bait it is then. I'll buy some tomorrow.

I would still consider the cat option, got rid of bats too I understand in one instance. Depends if you are a cat person though.

We have neighbor's cats in our garden 24hrs a day. They show no interest in chasing rats

[pkrv]

Use Rat bait! Rats don't die in the house when they eat rat bait. The rat bait makes them hemorrhage minutes after drinking water. They run to a water source outside the house because it makes them extremely thirsty after they eat it. This is where they will die. If you call an exterminator thats exactly what he is going to do, put out rat bait. Maybe a better brand that last longer than what you would by over the counter. Maybe worth it but you better hurry. Only one female will kick out 6-8 pinkies in month. 3 to 4 times a year. I doubt you only have one. So if they have been thier 6 months you probably have about 16 and what your hearing is the young ones playing.

Rat bait it is then. I'll buy some tomorrow.

I would still consider the cat option, got rid of bats too I understand in one instance. Depends if you are a cat person though.

We have neighbor's cats in our garden 24hrs a day. They show no interest in chasing rats

I take it that the rats are bigger (better fed) than the cats!

[tangoll]

Nothing works better than the old rat trap with the U shaped snap and the trigger that holds a bit of cheese or other edible. One snap, one kill. Be sure to get a large enough trap for the size rats in your ceiling. If big rats, tie the trap to something secure so that a wounded rat can't run off with the trap.

Don't know if these traps are available in Thailand though. Difficult to find even in US now; I bought a good sized one in Switzerland, but haven't had to use it in my Bangkok or HK condo unit yet; but I'm ready for any rat invasion. May seem inhumane to some, but the trap does the job, and you have evidence of the "body" to show that the job was done.

[kurnell]

They have disappeared. Maybe they don't like the Thai dramas that my wife watches all night?

[pkrv]

They have disappeared. Maybe they don't like the Thai dramas that my wife watches all night?

Ahhhh Haaa a new 'humane' strategy the Thai equivalent of the UK’s East Enders, oh god please put me down now!

[kurnell]

Funnily enough, as soon as the dramas start on the TV, I go scurrying off in any direction to get away too.

[BiggyD]

Where do you get this rat bait (I'm in Pattaya)? We've just noticed a few scurrying around the garden at night. Pretty sure they will soon be in the house if we don't stop them quickly. Also is this rat bait likely to kill/harm dogs? I have 2 dogs and wouldn't want to cause them harm.....

Edited May 19, 2009 by BiggyD

[LennyW]

Where do you get this rat bait (I'm in Pattaya)? We've just noticed a few scurrying around the garden at night. Pretty sure they will soon be in the house if we don't stop them quickly. Also is this rat bait likely to kill/harm dogs? I have 2 dogs and wouldn't want to cause them harm.....

There is quite a few different kind of rat baits/poisons for sale in foodland, read the packs carefully but i would think any kind of poison that is going to kill a rat would also kill a dog/cat.

The trays with the sticky <deleted> works well too but then you have to "dispose" of them yourself!!

Snakes work well too.... , or you could just wear your "Nicky Tams" when in the garden!

Edited May 19, 2009 by LennyW

[BiggyD]

Where do you get this rat bait (I'm in Pattaya)? We've just noticed a few scurrying around the garden at night. Pretty sure they will soon be in the house if we don't stop them quickly. Also is this rat bait likely to kill/harm dogs? I have 2 dogs and wouldn't want to cause them harm.....

There is quite a few different kind of rat baits/poisons for sale in foodland, read the packs carefully but i would think any kind of poison that is going to kill a rat would also kill a dog/cat.

The trays with the sticky <deleted> works well too but then you have to "dispose" of them yourself!!

Snakes work well too.... , or you could just wear your "Nicky Tams" when in the garden!

Thanks for that Lenny.... I'm a modern high flyer noo as yeh ken so think bicycle clips will dee instead oh the Nicky Tams!!!

Cheers