Vermin problem

[Woodwould]

We had a rat problem disappear quite without any smell a while ago. The only problem was that once all the rats were gone the carpet snake moved into the bird cage. If you have no small pets then maybe try and encourage a carpet snake to take up temporary residence?

Peter

Does that mean I'll need to lay a carpet in the roof space. Gawd, these snake remedies are hard work!

[Fuzzie]

Gawd, these snake remedies are hard work!

Awhile ago this was fairly common in Queensland. I know of the 4 houses I've lived in in Queensland, ALL have had carpet python skins in the roof space, although I've never actually come face to face with a snake inside.

Just a thought. Are you sure it is not possums? They can make an awful racket going in and out during the night and if you've got them in the walls they can go scratchy scratch all day trying to get comfortable.

[Woodwould]

It could be possums. I assumed it was mice, or possibly rats. I know from past experience even mice can make a din like a hobnail boot-wearing army on manoeuvres. I haven't seen any poo one way or the other, so I can't be sure who the residents are.

[Fuzzie]

We had a nice tile roof on one 1940's Bungalow where the french tiles were not wired down. The possums had learnt to lift the tiles for egress and ingress. When I finally caught the little blighter, his nose was red raw from pushing the tiles up from below and there was a nasty looking patch on his tail where the tile fell down as he went through.

[RETIRED]

I don't fancy holding the snake by the head while I squeeze the crap out of it. Is snake poo the natural nemesis of the mouse?

You big sook.

[jimbur]

No one has mentioned hiring a piper
Then again, surely Sheraton included at least one design
cheers,
Jim

[ajw]

WW, same problem at my place. I don't know how they get into the various wall cavities, but they make an awful racket. We've been woken several times in the last couple of weeks. I've now placed the rat baits around the house, and any day now I'm sure we'll have the stink of the decomposing bodies. For us, that's better than the noise and damage they cause.

If I ever build my own house, I'm going to make every effort to ensure that there is no way for rats & mice to run around.

We've also had a possum that gnawed its way through some cedar boards to take up residence in a wall cavity in our bedroom. I covered the hole, and it came back every night for weeks, scratching and trying to get back in. Drove us nuts. It still comes back every few weeks to try its luck.

All this wildlife almost makes me want to move to an apartment block, but I suspect the neighbours might complain about the table saw and dust extraction...

ajw

ps. My bigger problem is termites that don't make any noise. Had to rebuild several rooms with major termite damage.

[RufflyRustic]

Is there any chance of someone who does own snakes gather some of their snakepoo so that you can distribute it about the roof, and other places. The scent, I believe, could be a deterrent.....

I'm basing this on a previous thread here a few years ago.

[bsrlee]

Actually ferret poo is MUCH better than snake - just post a notice on the local community notice board 'looking for ferret owner' - you could let the ferret loose in the wall space - there will be a rumbling and you will see rats & mice bailing out in minutes. If the ferret owner does not want to take their pet out for a run, most will be happy to part with a bag or two of stinky ferret poo - just scatter it outside the house.

Used to be a great 'sport' - got to a warehouse with a ferret, several fox terriers, wheel barrow/s & pick handles. Toss ferret in thru' door, then wait for the fun. When the dogs got bored or tired of killing rats, use the pick handles to bat the rat.

If you are going to bait the rats, just place the bait outside, say under a pile of bricks or in a plastic box with a small hole that will stop other animals from getting to the bait - if you look round railway station you often see grey plastic boxes in the bushes - these are rat bait stations and never seem to be collected so you could 'recycle' some with help from the station staff.

[Grumpy John]

.........................................

Used to be a great 'sport' - got to a warehouse with a ferret, several fox terriers, wheel barrow/s & pick handles. Toss ferret in thru' door, then wait for the fun. When the dogs got bored or tired of killing rats, use the pick handles to bat the rat.

...........................................

Charming .

[tea lady]

As an irresponsible child, I used to make pellets by rolling carbide inside soft, fresh bread and throw it to the rats (and equally, up in the air at the seaside for the swooping seagulls to gulp down) and then watch them explode as the carbide became moistened in their gut and gave off rapidly expanding acetylene gas.

Sodium bicarbonate mixed with castor sugar will attract them and eventually kill them too, but I'd ideally like to prevent them expiring in the roofspace or wall cavities where they'll decompose and stink us out.

Exploding mice in the roof could be a littel harder to clean up than intact ones. Although they mightn't stink much till summer.

Rat baits around the garden could be an idea, Although I'm fairly sure I have also seen some sort of small native thing here, so maybe not.

I'm moving house anyway so its not my problem any more. Not a solution every one can do of course.

[Woodwould]

Actually ferret poo is MUCH better than snake - just post a notice on the local community notice board 'looking for ferret owner' - you could let the ferret loose in the wall space - there will be a rumbling and you will see rats & mice bailing out in minutes. If the ferret owner does not want to take their pet out for a run, most will be happy to part with a bag or two of stinky ferret poo - just scatter it outside the house.

Used to be a great 'sport' - got to a warehouse with a ferret, several fox terriers, wheel barrow/s & pick handles. Toss ferret in thru' door, then wait for the fun. When the dogs got bored or tired of killing rats, use the pick handles to bat the rat.

If you are going to bait the rats, just place the bait outside, say under a pile of bricks or in a plastic box with a small hole that will stop other animals from getting to the bait - if you look round railway station you often see grey plastic boxes in the bushes - these are rat bait stations and never seem to be collected so you could 'recycle' some with help from the station staff.

I thought ferrets were for stuffing down your trousers after a half dozen pints of Yorkshire Bitter.

[tea lady]

I thought ferrets were for stuffing down your trousers after a half dozen pints of Yorkshire Bitter.

Yes! But do you ever have a mouse problem in your trousers? .........No? .......... See ! It works.

[kiwigeo]

I thought ferrets were for stuffing down your trousers after a half dozen pints of Yorkshire Bitter.

Only if you're Richard Gere

[jimbur]

I thought ferrets were for stuffing down your trousers after a half dozen pints of Yorkshire Bitter.

Nay lad, tha doesn't keep beer down thy trousers, does tha?