Friday 22 September 2017

Rats in the belfry

We have a problem with rats in the grenier, the attic in the house. We sit on a night cringing at the scrapping and scratching with the cats interestedly looking up to the beams and wooden ceiling.
We cannot let the cats up there as it is stuffed with fibre glass insulation.
The only answer a we have tried traps without success is to put sachets of poison up there.
My big fear is that the rats die up there and smell terrible as they rot but even worse they come and die outside and make the cats ill by eating the rats carcasse.
Yesterday I found Fred starting to eat a rat on the grassy bank up to the house. Just in time I caught Fred, put him in the house whilst I disposed of the body. yuk! 
One of the joys of country living, but 3 cats and two dogs we should not have a rat problem, but the pets are too well fed to do their job properly.
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Hi Val
 
Are you sure they are rats in the loft and not loirs ?
 
If you Google this PIÈGE À RAT 300 MM FIXMAN 196052  you will find suppliers of a suitable trap for Loirs (and rats) which you then release a few km away from the house.  No dead ones in the loft bringing flies and smells and no poison to risk the cats.  Set the trap with a piece of fruit such as apple.  Loirs don’t eat rat poison sachets as far as I understand.
 
Best regards
 
John