Forum Topic

rodent infestation

People of helpful Acton,I had a spate of mice in my scout hut, and thought I had cleared the problem, unfortunately they are back, the poos and damage look like larger critters, can anybody provide some really good advice in how to get rid of them, or even give me the name of a decent pest controller.Cheers

Glenn Young ● 5074d29 Comments

They appear to be fairly insensitive to retail poisoned bait, yet it is important to continue with baiting until the problem has completely gone so that they do not become immune, so it can be very expensive to clear the problem. I was about to order larger quantities on line, but they seem to have gone away from here for the moment.

Chris Bell ● 5074d

Have you tried mouse and rat traps?

Keith Iddon ● 5074d

Keith,Yes and I have two of those machines plugged in, that give off a high pitched sound.The mess I found last night suggests something bigger though. 

Glenn Young ● 5074d

If it is rats get the council in ASAP. They charge but will do three visits. That is for LBE households. Not sure if they will cover a Scout Hut but worth a try.......

Iain Muir ● 5074d

Glen, if you don't mind dealing with possibly live rodents.  The glue method works a treat.You take some cardboard, spread on the glue, place a piece of chocolate in the middle, and guess what, the rodent steps on glue in order to retrieve the chocolate and cannot retreat.  Problem solved.

Dee Cook ● 5074d

Glenn,You can buy rat traps(about 5 or 6 times as big as a mouse trap and made of sterner stuff) and  a rat would have to have a neck like Ben Grimm to survive one.Alternatively Peter Yorke in Brentford/Isleworth has a pest control business.I don't know his number but there is a web site with all the info.Good luck.

Keith Iddon ● 5074d

Rats are very intelligent and are able to learn from each other. In my experience a rat trap will only be triggered once, and if you are very lucky you may get a single rat that time. I have even tried baiting a very high voltage trap which did not get a single rat (it probably tweaked their whiskers) yet they managed to empty it without getting killed touching both contacts at the same time.

Chris Bell ● 5074d

A squirrel trap has worked for me in the garden.Rat dispatched with air rifle.

Keith Iddon ● 5074d

The glue system for rats would obviously need a little more glue, but it will work - my experience with mice says that although they are intelligent they are not put off trying to eat the chocolate!

Dee Cook ● 5074d

www.ryanpropertyservices.co.uk we have battery powered rat stun kill traps for hire at £10pw email me if you would like more details

Mark Ryan ● 5074d

Where is your Scout Hut, Glenn?  Is it near an allotment, for example?

Angela White ● 5074d

it is the 14th Acton just off Rugby Road and the cut through with Canham mews

Glenn Young ● 5074d

Thanks Glenn.  Is it near an allotment?  Rats over compost heaps and I've noticed there are more around those kinds of grounds.

Angela White ● 5074d

Angela, they can actually live in compost heaps where it is nice and warm.  Thus having an open compost heap near to a town house is not a good idea.  OK in the country of course.

Dee Cook ● 5074d

Yes, thanks Dee, this is indeed why I was asking.  We used to have an allotment.  Even compost bins.....they like to burrow under and it's very warm there.  Not that I'm suggesting anyone gets rid of their compost bin at all (we have 4!) but I'm saying the open compost heaps are magnet for rats.  And snakes.

Angela White ● 5074d

In London.What kind of snakes?Have you ever seen any?

George Knox ● 5074d

Yes, adders and slow worms.  I've seen slow worms.  At least, that's what my husband told me it was.  If he'd told me it was an adder, I may have screamed even louder.

Angela White ● 5074d

Why  would an adder leave the luxury of the countryside just to live in Acton?It could of course be a grass snake.  Did it have yellow around it's neck?  They can bite but, nor powerful enough to break human skin, also non venomous.

Nicola Howard ● 5074d

Cornsnakes

Keith Iddon ● 5074d

Slow WormGrass SnakeCorn SnakeAdder

Nicola Howard ● 5073d

AngelaWas your reference to an adder a general throwaway remark or do you know someone who has seen one in W. London.I am certainly aware of slow worms in composts. They are harmless.Never heard of a corn snake. Will look that up.

George Knox ● 5073d

A Corn snake is a good first time reptile for those who want to keep snakes.  I had two Royal Pythons.  Very friendly, they had a real crush on me but, never around the neck, it's like they knew.

Nicola Howard ● 5073d

Many people keep exotic animals as pets - and when they get bored with them they can abandon them in their local parks/open spaces.Rabbits are often dealt with in this way.Being somewhat tame, foxes usually dispatch them quite quickly.

Dee Cook ● 5073d

I've never seen an adder myself but my husband tells me they live in compost heaps too.  I looked it up and that's confirmed on the net.

Angela White ● 5073d

I saw one sitting on a tree stump warming up in a patch of sunlight. Their bite is poisonous but they are more likely to quietly slip away from us unless you almost tread on them and they feel threatened.

Chris Bell ● 5073d

Chris, where did you see it?

Nicola Howard ● 5073d

It was out of London at the edge of a woodland path.

Chris Bell ● 5073d

Not the only one I have seen, but usually they are frightened off by the sound of my big walking boots approaching.

Chris Bell ● 5073d

Phew!  Can't imagine an adder wanting to get on the property ladder in Acton.  I don't mind handling snakes but, I draw the line with adders.

Nicola Howard ● 5073d