Getting Rid Of Rats In The Ceiling

Getting Rid Of Rats In The Ceiling

Rat Control Bristol - Pale Horse Pest Control - A Real World Case Study

Rats are common in buildings and as the image above clearly attests, there was no question we had finally found the true source of the rat infestation plaguing this customers home - but its not what you think! There was a great deal of work to be done before we finally uncovered the true source of this rat problem.

Rats Don't Have Parachutes!

Rats in ceilings and attics are not there because they can fly, they are there because they can climb.

Rats in your home always begin either at ground level or bellow it. In this case the steps taken would be significant, but ultimately provide the customer with a lasting solution lasting many years to come.

What Steps Did We Take To Get Rid Of Rats In The Ceiling?

Inspect And Assess The Rat Infestation

The first step was to assess the scale and scope of the infestation with a thorough pest control inspection. This sounds easy but it's not always straight forward. We were dealing with a rat problem that had been going for many years before we were called in to tackle and solve it.

Having a great team around you is critical because these jobs are multidisciplinary, requiring the skills of multiple trades and a plasticity of mindset that is open to every possibility.

How Many Rats, And How Bad Is It?

We often get asked the question "how many rats do we have?" and you could look at the rat droppings available and suggest that droppings of different sizes mean you have a colony of maybe 6 - 12 rats.

Alternatively you could have droppings that are dry and covered in white mould or almost composted down, suggesting they have been there for many years. White shoulder moths also help indicate that it might be a historical issue. So which is it? a few rats over many years or many rats over a few months?

It's just speculation, so you have to give it your best guess based on experience and the customers history with the property. Very often rat infestations are much older than the current owners interpretation of it.

Where Have The Rats In The Ceiling Come From?

The rats in this case were in the ceiling over a new extension suggesting the involvement of the drains. Non-return valves had been fitted but the sweeping nature of the lateral branches into the external inspection chamber made them a poor fit and they had previously had plastic non-return valves, so they had naturally failed and were slightly open and badly gnawed.

Inspection of the internal soil and vent pipe showed that the builders of the extension had crushed the soil pipe from the downstairs toilet. this was excavated and repaired, but the burrows around the defective pipe made no sense because the soil pipe was not cracked.

Internally the soil and vent pipe, on its vertical climb through the building, had a loose connection at the base and plenty of rat droppings so this was also repaired and finally it all looked good, but didn't sound good.

The reason for the return to this property was a very difficult and costly inspection that could only be done by removing the downstairs shower. The shower drained into a soil pipe that couldn't be accessed externally because of the point where it joined into the main soil pipe was on an angle that the CCTV drain inspection camera was unable to navigate around.

Unfortunately this turned out to be hiding the primary entry exit point. The builders who constructed the extension took a number of shortcuts that are only now becoming clear and the rats might have been the villains in the beginning, but as with many of these jobs the rats might actually be doing you a favour.

Thats because their presence betrays underlying sewer and structural faults that if left unresolved could very well lead to subsidence, damp and persistent foul odours.

Once the shower tray was out, we were faced with an inch deep layer of composted rat droppings mixed with a small amount of builders rubble and a substantial amount of damp. The concrete floor under the shower also sounds hollow beneath so the rats are likely to have nested below the concrete slab and burrowed away the supporting soil and aggregate below.

The final step will be to seal the cavity, replace the gully top with a hard plastic stopper connector and not the initial rubber topper that rats simply gnawed through. Next the concrete floor will need to be lifted and relaid to ensure it is supported properly.

So In essence this was a challenging case but fairly routine for the Bristol rat control services we offer.

Key Takeaways From This Rat Control Job

• The first find might not be the only problem
• Rat activity is often a sign of other issues that need to be addressed
• Repairs should take into account the rats ability to gnaw through materials
• The expected budgets should set in advance so if the worst is needed then you are already armed with the necessary insurance details and options
• Check EVERYTHING and expect the unexpected
• Nothing is guaranteed - you must be flexible and see each stage of the process as just that - one step in what might require a series of steps, each with its own respective costs to achieve lasting control
• Be prepared for a dead rat smell and the flies from dead rats
• Be prepared for this to take time - if you are lucky your rats will be gone in a few days - but usually its a matter of weeks because you need to test to be sure controls or works have been effective.
• Finally, stay safe and always exercise good site hygiene, clean up responsibly and leave nothing for others to clear up after you and become contaminated or infected by rat diseases.

Conclusion

Rats are not always the enemy as they often provide clues to other more costly damage occurring out of sight. Control takes time but ultimately it all starts with intelligence. Visual inspection, customer history, drain inspections, structural inspection, extermination and remediation and monitoring.

If you have a rat problem in Bristol, Bath or beyond and it seems insurmountable we would be delighted to help. We do travel nationally to help customers and we are always open to help you wherever you are.