Are rats a problem around Northcote road area? Post Reply

[Bonnijump]

Hi lovely mums and das,

sorry to bother you about this issue. But I think I need to start this toppic now, which seem to be a tabu. Are we the only household which has a problem with ...well, they are not mice, they are actually rats!

No, we aren't messy persons, we clean our house regulary, we have no dog or cat... We are just a normal family with two young children in a nice house between the commons. I'm so upset about this...

It started before Easter, my husband spotted one in our kitchen. I did not believe him till I saw it by myself- a really big mouse... too big for a mouse actually! We had a pest control company here and they brought bates. We had a really bad smell in the house for around three weeks. But now again, they are here. Another company new bates and again this disgusting smell. Two weeks later I spotted one under the kitchenfloor. You can see under the wooden floor when you walk upstairs from the cellar. Third company will come today. By the way Wandsworth council did never an effort to ring back...

I now know: There seem to be a problem with rats around the Northcote road area. One company told me. They need regular water supply so they seem to get in and out regulary. And finally it is nearly impossible to block all the wholes in these old houses.

Please, please tell me we are not the only familiy suffering under this issue!

[sezwedz]

I really feel for you. We have mice but never seen a rat (thankfully). Hope you manage to sort them out, not nice when you have kids.

[Firefly]

Bonnijump

I am sorry to hear you have rats. How close are you to Northcote Road exactly? I would have thought with all the restaurants and market that rats would be a problem there.

[Goldhawk]

I think they are a problem all over London
I've known people in Balham & Clapham have problems
Even our corner shop sells rat traps

[mummimimi]

We've had one in our front garden on Bennerley rd; my husband crept up on it and whacked it with a shoe We blocked up the hole it ran into and there's been no sign of it since then although we have found rat poo on the steps. Yuck.

[MGMidget]

Are they getting in from the drains I wonder? Do you have a drainage pipe leading from a garden shed where there was once a loo and if so is it blocked up? Our surveyor thought there were signs of rats when we were buying our house and we had to get some work done to the drains as a preventative measure. I think they are probably quite common and there are signs up on Wandsworth Common advising people that giving bread to the ducks feeds the local rat population!

If you have air bricks in the brickwork below floor level check that the holes in the airbricks aren't big enough for a rat to squeeze through - if so you could get a local builder/handyman to change them for you. I wouldn't block them up as the ventilation is important. If you have a cellar, there is often a coal hole leading to the cellar (which in turn could give them access to the area under your kitchen floor).

[Camille]

Rats and mice are a problem everywhere in London...
The only sure fire way of getting rid of them in our experience is to buy a good quality plug-in transmitter which emits noises they detest at frequencies that humans and pets don't hear.
We tried poison, traps (gross!) and also have a highly skilled feline mouser but the transmitter is the way to go...plus they are humane.
The only downside is that your problem will become someone else's when the critters move out!

[Bonnijump]

Thank you very much for your posts! We live in the area at the end of Northcote Road.

One company told us that only bate will help. The other company is going to send a specialist with tools and stuff to fix all possible holes when no more bate is touched for a while. Actually my husband told me - we're on holiday - that some bate was eaten. I so much hope this will end soon!

I'll try this electrical thing with the noise too. Thank you very much your post!

[susieq]

There is an underground river under Northcote road, you can just about hear it at the eastern end near the libarary, I suspect the recent rain has resulted in rising water levels and thus rat displacement. We did have mice and found very little worked until we got a cat. Don't leave any food out for birds - it attracts rats and be thankful if you have a fox problem , they keep the rat levels down too !

[CornishMummyinLondon]

Thankfully I do not have a rat problem in my house, however, I have noticed an odd smell in my car over the past few days and when I went to Halfords today to have my front headlight bulb replaced the lovely man from Halfords was rather surprised to find a rat sitting in the engine of my car! He scurried off and thankfully the smell has gone. I wonder how long he'd been there??

[Golf Bea]

I agree that rats could become more of a problem and like foxes seem to be getting bolder. Perhaps we need to see a return of the old fashioned rat catcher, more humane than poison I presume?...

[clapset]

We have a pigeon problem a couple in a culdesac opposite me feed them everyday and about 40 sit on there house constantly. I approached the guy the other day and asked politely if he would stop. He pretty much said no. The mess all over roof terrace and they even come in the house if windows are open. My wife is pregnant. Some people ... If you live in chivalry rd and want to join my anti pigeon crusade let me know people power will win this war!!

[musicmum]

We've had mice and I was so disgusted I got Rentokil in (not cheap) but they did offer some useful advice on the plug in audio transmitters -

DON'T use them until you've got rid of the mice as it only stops them from coming in to begin with. They won't displce them if already there.

REntokil were good - laid poison which took a while for them to take but eventually when we'd blocked off all other access (air vents, cracked tile near the wall and keeping kitchen crumb free) they had to take the bait and fingers crossed have not been back since.

Good luck. I know how horrible it feels to be sharing your house with uninvited guests.

[Bonnijump]

Here 's an update to our problem and finally the solution. It really took us 10 months to get the right help. We were desperate and willing to move out! I really want to share this if you suffer under the same problem!

After we had about 8 people from four different pest control companies in our house only one gave us the useful hint. Get your sewer checked!

We found a very good company.
http://www.drainage-experts.com

They first fixed the broken sewer. We thought that's it, but after a few weeks problem came back. We found out that traps are better than poison. Disgusting to bin them, but better than rotten ones under the kitchen floor! We had even builders in the house to open the kitchen floor. They removed five dead rats and lots of droppings.

Finally they put a valve in the sewer outside the house. No more rats, no more smell and we are more than happy!

[Sunny007]

finding rats is most likely a sign of a drainage problem.

dyno pest in vauxhall is very good - I can't remember their contact details but they are based on Bondway so I am sure you can find them on google.

they'll set traps, proof your house and try to find the drain problem