Rats in Clapham South! Post Reply

[AlexH11]

We recently moved into a house in Clapham South and discovered (to our horror!) that we have company in the form of a white rat which sporadically appears in one of our bedrooms. We are currently using Environ Pest Control who have been very good so far, though unfortunately the rat is yet to be caught. Any tips on how to deal with this problem would be greatly appreciated!

[Edge of Valley]

Hi I am not a pest control expert, but a rodent aficionado. I have never heard of a white wild type which makes me wonder if it is a ex pet rat. Personally I would use a humane rat trap to capture (and release in a wild although the chance of a white rat surviving in a wild is very slim), and make sure you seal any holes in the room with steel wool, secured with a gaffa tape. Otherwise I would recommend ultrasound repellant. Glue trap is a big no no as it is known to be inhumane. I would be happy to come to collect it if you capture it alive.

[AlexH11]

Thank you Edge of Valley for your very helpful response. I would certainly have asked you to come and collect it if we managed to catch it! We eventually found it curled up, passed away, at the bottom of a bag in the bedroom where I saw it - I think it must have been desperate for food and water and looking for somewhere to nest. The pest control man said it was well groomed which confirmed it was most likely an escaped pet. Once we realised that was the case, we were relieved that it had gone peacefully rather than in the trap or at the jaws of the company's Jack Russell which we were told was the next step! Thanks again for your comments.