Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

General chat topics, anything and everything you want or need to discuss
User avatar
Cousin Jack
Posts: 4450
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:36 pm
Location: Down in the Duchy
Has thanked: 2549 times
Been thanked: 2285 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Cousin Jack »

Poison is the answer for mice. They are greedy buggers and readily eat it, and IME die quietly and cause no problems. Small and they desicate rather than decay.

Rats are a bigger problem, they are cautious about new food sources, and they can smell while they rot.
Cornish Tart #1

Remember An Gof!
Supermofo
Posts: 4999
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 4359 times
Been thanked: 2850 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Supermofo »

Cousin Jack wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 5:44 pm Poison is the answer for mice. They are greedy buggers and readily eat it, and IME die quietly and cause no problems. Small and they desicate rather than decay.

Rats are a bigger problem, they are cautious about new food sources, and they can smell while they rot.
I was a bit worried as caught a field mouse (what I have in the loft) in my garage tale end of summer and the smell was :sick: although was summer rather than winter.

Might try it though as they are fucking me off
User avatar
Count Steer
Posts: 11802
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 4:59 pm
Has thanked: 6375 times
Been thanked: 4746 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Count Steer »

I've used poison and traps for mice at one time or another in the loft. They both worked and never had a problem with smells. (Humane traps are a no-no for me because it's a pain getting up there to check them).

Quite often I'd find them dead inside the bait boxes. Which blocks the next critter from the bait, harrumph.

As for noise, if they gather a stash of acorns and burrow under the insulation then gnaw at them on the ceiling it sounds like they're using angle grinders.

I've also thought I'd heard them and found it was jackdaws on the roof looking for edibles under the mossy bit. (Trees + shade + damp weather = moss :( ).
Doubt is not a pleasant condition.
But certainty is an absurd one
.
Voltaire
Sadlonelygit
Posts: 951
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2020 9:10 pm
Has thanked: 85 times
Been thanked: 687 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Sadlonelygit »

As long as it's not pine martens, you're all fine!
User avatar
Taipan
Posts: 13943
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:48 pm
Location: Essex Riviera!
Has thanked: 15946 times
Been thanked: 10243 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Taipan »

There will always be lots of them. Use Ruby Grain poison and keep putting it down until they stop taking it.
User avatar
Sunny
Posts: 540
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2020 10:56 am
Has thanked: 957 times
Been thanked: 519 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Sunny »

Taipan wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 9:46 pm There will always be lots of them. Use Ruby Grain poison and keep putting it down until they stop taking it.
We had a ton of meeces in the kitchen loft recently and resorted to poison instead of our usual traps approach.

They got through two full Chinese takeaway tubs of the stuff in 24 hours 😱 - checked with a pest control mate who said not to put any more out as they'll have been taking it somewhere else to stash.

He also said they can take 3-10 days to cart it, so not to put any more out till after that time. Oh and one litter(is it a litter?) can be up to 14 or something like that, hence the quantities you can get.
Supermofo
Posts: 4999
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 4359 times
Been thanked: 2850 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Supermofo »

Taipan wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 9:46 pm There will always be lots of them. Use Ruby Grain poison and keep putting it down until they stop taking it.
I've got the blocks at the moment but can grab some grain if needs be. Not put it out yet as stuff on tonight but there's 10 traps in the loft so not like I'm letting em off. Found a long arsed wooden pole in the garage which I'm gonna gorilla tape the bait box to and push over where they are.
My loft will soon resemble the Atlantik Wall!
Supermofo
Posts: 4999
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 4359 times
Been thanked: 2850 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Supermofo »

Sunny wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 10:48 pm
Taipan wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 9:46 pm There will always be lots of them. Use Ruby Grain poison and keep putting it down until they stop taking it.
We had a ton of meeces in the kitchen loft recently and resorted to poison instead of our usual traps approach.

They got through two full Chinese takeaway tubs of the stuff in 24 hours 😱 - checked with a pest control mate who said not to put any more out as they'll have been taking it somewhere else to stash.

He also said they can take 3-10 days to cart it, so not to put any more out till after that time. Oh and one litter(is it a litter?) can be up to 14 or something like that, hence the quantities you can get.
Did it work in the end? Any smell?
User avatar
Sunny
Posts: 540
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2020 10:56 am
Has thanked: 957 times
Been thanked: 519 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Sunny »

Supermofo wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 10:53 pm
Sunny wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 10:48 pm
Taipan wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 9:46 pm There will always be lots of them. Use Ruby Grain poison and keep putting it down until they stop taking it.
We had a ton of meeces in the kitchen loft recently and resorted to poison instead of our usual traps approach.

They got through two full Chinese takeaway tubs of the stuff in 24 hours 😱 - checked with a pest control mate who said not to put any more out as they'll have been taking it somewhere else to stash.

He also said they can take 3-10 days to cart it, so not to put any more out till after that time. Oh and one litter(is it a litter?) can be up to 14 or something like that, hence the quantities you can get.
Did it work in the end? Any smell?
It did. Zero smell. 👍

We did have few sleepy flies appear, but they gathered on the window so very easy to get shot of them.

Oh, and I found one poor mouse lying near the back door, clearly on its last legs but not totally gone, so I bricked it to put it out of its misery. 😬
User avatar
Taipan
Posts: 13943
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:48 pm
Location: Essex Riviera!
Has thanked: 15946 times
Been thanked: 10243 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Taipan »

Sunny wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 10:48 pm
Taipan wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 9:46 pm There will always be lots of them. Use Ruby Grain poison and keep putting it down until they stop taking it.
We had a ton of meeces in the kitchen loft recently and resorted to poison instead of our usual traps approach.

They got through two full Chinese takeaway tubs of the stuff in 24 hours 😱 - checked with a pest control mate who said not to put any more out as they'll have been taking it somewhere else to stash.

He also said they can take 3-10 days to cart it, so not to put any more out till after that time. Oh and one litter(is it a litter?) can be up to 14 or something like that, hence the quantities you can get.
They do indeed stash it. When we had mice they were coming in for the dogs dry food. We only found this out when we moved the washing machine and found a dog food mountain behind it! :shock: We stopped leaving that down overnight and left the ruby grain in a saucer under the cupboards. Took ages before the dish had the same amount in it we'd left down and we left it there for about a week more to be sure.

We did try the blocks and whilst they got nibbled they seemed to mainly ignore them, where as the ruby grain was scoffed every night.
Supermofo
Posts: 4999
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 4359 times
Been thanked: 2850 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Supermofo »

I have the blocks so will put them up there tonight, I'm ordering some grain today and will stick that up there when it arrives. The little bastards sounded like a Slipknot concert at 5.05 this morning right above where my bedroom window is. :angry-cussingblack:
Supermofo
Posts: 4999
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 4359 times
Been thanked: 2850 times

Re: Worrying noises coming from the loft...rodents!

Post by Supermofo »

Ordered a kg of wheat poison in 100g bags. Will stick some in a tray and lob a couple where I can't get to.