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Thread ID: 82895 2007-09-12 09:07:00 What do rats eat? Mercury (1316) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
590492 2007-09-12 09:07:00 The tenants were complaining of rats in the ceiling. The bait worked - next thing they were complaining about the flies (today we extracted 2 dead rats out of the ceiling and sprayed the flies).

We are now puzzling over how they got there - and what they eat once there. What do rats find to eat in a batt insulated ceiling? Or do they come out at regular intervals for food? Any ideas?
Mercury (1316)
590493 2007-09-12 09:09:00 The batts are the mattresses.

They eat whatever's in your kitchen and your garbage bin.
pctek (84)
590494 2007-09-12 09:15:00 This is the puzzle. There have been no suggestions the rats have been inside the house tucking into the cornflakes. They have only been found in the ceiling. This suggests they have an access way through a wall to under the house - and from there they must scuttle across the drive, through the fence and into the neighbour's compost bin.

I take it they don't live 24/7 in the ceiling?
Mercury (1316)
590495 2007-09-12 09:21:00 Any children in the house?

Counted their toes recently?
Metla (12)
590496 2007-09-12 09:24:00 No kids. Young couple in their 20s - and she's paranoid about all forms of creepy crawlies. Mercury (1316)
590497 2007-09-12 09:35:00 We recently killed off 3 mice in our house. They were using the area between the switches and the rear wall of the oven as their home. Also found a hole that they had chewed to gain access to our cupboards

We still have no idea why they came in, other than we have no cats

Rats are quite opportunistic, and will munch whatever. As said, they probably ran down the walls and obtained food from the rubbish, and then returned to the warmth of the roof
Myth (110)
590498 2007-09-12 09:36:00 Nice and warm in the roof and safe, they can go out and get food from all around the garden and inside your house whenever they feel like it. Get a cat that will solve the problem. zqwerty (97)
590499 2007-09-12 09:37:00 If it's a new house with cheap electrical wiring they'll eat the plastic off it, tastes like peanut butter to a rat. PaulD (232)
590500 2007-09-12 09:45:00 Cats and dogs are also regarded as advanced forms of creepy crawlies. Besides, this couple like travelling and would find pets too much of a tie. I'm not sure how long they will be with us - they'll either buy a house in the next couple of years or take off to Greece. One or the other.

I'm doing a spot of research and think we're in for a spot of underhouse investigation to find their access point. The front's OK with reasonable head height, the back will require some very short people. Great. Looked under there today and cobwebs everwhere.

Rats aren't a great surprise. We have a rather nice creek running at the rear of the property. Saw a few eels in it today. Our dog stood on one, much to the eel's surprise. It kind of shook its head and swam away.
Mercury (1316)
590501 2007-09-12 09:46:00 If it's a new house with cheap electrical wiring they'll eat the plastic off it, tastes like peanut butter to a rat.

Older house. Probably built in the 70s.
Mercury (1316)
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