A rat!

Babylegs · 01-09-2014 10:35pm #1

hi all! I had a rat in my apartment last week. I live in a basement and the window was open. I haven't noticed any noise or any trace of it before I saw it sitting under my window, so I think it just came in. It's a pretty small apartment so I think I would have noticed it before. I screamed like a lunatic and ran out of the place. My landlord got an exterminator company in, which had these long cameras on rods to check behind presses and walls adn stuff, and they also brought two ferrets to sniff out the place.

The ferrets didn't react as though they smelled anything, and the guys searched every inch of the apartment and found no trace, no droppings, nothing. They checked the entire apartment for holes or points of entry and found nothing. They even took the front panel off the fridge and let the ferrets sniff around everywhere and there was no reaction. Between the cameras and the ferrets they found no trace outside or inside. They think it went straight back out the window because I screamed so much. It's been a week now, and they put down huge glue traps, as well as sprinkling flour along the perimeter of the entire apartment, to see if there were any tracks or footprints left behind. There were none, and no droppings either.

It seems like it's gone, but I haven't been in the apartment since I saw it. I'm really phobic about mice and rats, and although I know they've checked everything I still feel nervous about moving back in. Does anyone have any advice about this or do you think there's a way it could get back in if I keep the windows closed? Do those plug-in sonic alarms work? There's a brush under the front door and literally no holes anywhere except the shower and the toilet. I'd appreciate anyone's advice!

Thanks

))

cheif kaiser · 01-09-2014 11:26pm

It does sound like your exterminator was very thorough and I do understand peoples phobias about rats but I would like to point out that those glue boards are extremely cruel and in fact illegal in Ireland. I would contact your exterminator and point this out to them and ask them to replace them with traps.

Babylegs · 01-09-2014 11:28pm

I had no idea they were illegal, to be fair, my priority is getting rid of it out of my house as you can imagine - it's my phobia coupled with the fact that they're pretty dangerous - but I will mention it to him.

Witcher · 01-09-2014 11:32pm

Plus if you catch one on the glue board you'll have to watch it squirming or finish it off and I don't think you'd be up for that.

Get him to lay traps instead. At least they will dispatch the rat for you.

Babylegs · 01-09-2014 11:50pm

I will do that, but I think that it's not there anymore. These traps have been down for a week and there's also been flour scattered everywhere to pick up footprints or tracks and it's been undisturbed. I haven't been there for a week either. It probably seems like a stupid question but there's no way it's still there based on that evidence is there? There's no other source of food in the house, the bin was taken out and the fridge and cupboards were sealed.

cheif kaiser · 02-09-2014 2:32am

I think you can be fairly certain it's gone! If it wasn't, there would definitely be some evidence, droppings, footprints, noises, etc and I think ferrets are pretty decent little rat hunters and would definitely be able to pick up a trail, if there was one. As you say, he probably climbed in the window and when you screamed he hopped back out the way he came.

Whacker paddy · 02-09-2014 9:39pm

Can't blame you for screaming the place down- rats are horrible things. I doubt very much it's still there as your exterminator seems very thorough and no evidence to show any trace of the rat. I find the sonic alarms great- had mice years ago and bought the alarms and nothing since.

A rat!

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