I've a small invasion of rats and am terrified

We have a large brown rat that sits in the yard sometimes, near the bird feeder,

Many years ago I watched a rat run across the patio from under the wendy house to the bird ground-feeder tray and back again. Then I realised there were two of them to-ing and fro-ing, yikes 😬
Apparently they don't like noise, so my husband pushed a broom handle under the wendy house, rattled it around noisily and shouted loudly.
We never saw them again!

Have you considered a Jack Russell?

I have one you could borrow 🤣

Little horror disembowelled and tore the leg off a precious frog in the garden last summer 😠

Allira

Mt61

Was it not some rodent disease that killed Gene Hackmans wife?

Yes.
And someone we know too.

4 more people in the US have died from this Hantavirus lately. There is no cure.

Not going to read all the posts as I dont like them either.
Nearly didnt even open the thread either.

Someone I know pays a subscription[whatever it is called] to pest control.

Oreo, rats don’t travel alone. Your large brown rat will have many friends - maybe relatives wuth similar tails 🐀🐀🐀

Hellowgirl
I’ve had several pet rats. My favourite was Lennox. He was black and beautiful 🥰

Horrid scenario, a rat in the loo swimming about😖
We have a large brown rat that sits in the yard sometimes, near the bird feeder, I know it’s the same one as it has a kink in its tail.It’s not at all nervous and needs to be shoo-ed away just like a cat.Am now hoping it won’t get into the house.😲

My cat would kick box them all around the back garden.

Love it!!

DD's cat is huge and plays with the hens.
DIL's cat is tiny and a killer.

Mt61

Was it not some rodent disease that killed Gene Hackmans wife?

Yes.
And someone we know too.

Mt61

I used to live near a river, so had lots of rats. One day one ran over my slipper as I was pegging out. I threw a bucket over it & ran to the butchers to get the son to come & shoot it.
My cat would kick box them all around the back garden.
I would positively die if one had of got one in the house.

Your cat kickboxing, the rats conjured up quite a funny image…😁

Was it not some rodent disease that killed Gene Hackmans wife?

Macadia

Allira

And, Bluebelle rats carry diseases which can kill humans.

I would not want to put my family at risk.

Good point !

Hantavirus

They absolutely aren’t cute, rats spread disease & mice pee everywhere.

Allira

And, Bluebelle rats carry diseases which can kill humans.

I would not want to put my family at risk.

Good point !

This is just horrible. I think I would buy mint essence oil and keep the toilet flooded with it as rats have a keen sense of smell and avoid peppermint. There is also household-friendly spray you can buy that has a nice peppermint spray. I don't know if it works but I sprayed the interior of my garage with it since the rats thought it a nice home for their families. (You can also spray the exterior of your home).

Don't put out bird feeders !

Mostly what pest control does is search for a "point of entry" and block that spot up. Steel wool around drain pipes entering the home, screens around little nooks and crannies, prune bushes touching the house so less safe coverage is provided, tin cans put on the ends of drain spouts.

Have you considered a Jack Russell? They are amazing.

Have a look at Amazon at the ultrasonic pest repellents. We had at least one rat that came in through the pipes at the back of the kitchen sink, obviously we have blocked up the hole which it came through, but I’ve since got a few of these plug ins and have noticed a significant reduction in the number of spiders and even flies coming in during the summer.
You can’t hear them at all, it says they are ok to use with pets but we don’t have any to worry about.
Can’t imagine finding one in the toilet though! Absolute worst nightmare!!

I know exactly how you feel boheminan I would be exactly the same. No shame in having rats they are more prevalent now. Are you able to borrow someone's Jack Russell for a few days that will sort them out.

karmalady I feel far from brave, I'm a quivering wreck and having screaming nightmares over this episode.

The Ratcatcher man put a valve thing on the end of the sewer pipe, like VerbenaGirl mentions, so I'm really hoping there'll be no more climbing up the pipes.

We live by a small loch and are used to the occasional field mouse looking for warmth in the winter but last year we had 2 rats instead - there are no mice when rats are present apparently - . They rustled around behind skirting boards for a time bearing off jar lids of bait to eat in comfort and moving traps out of harms way till one got out into the kitchen and was promptly despatched by the family collie and the other by a trap whilst looking for her son we think.. We slightly admired them for their cheek captured on camera. I was entrusted with caring for the school lab rats at my secondary school ....... hence the mixed feelings....

Boheminan, you are one courageous lady.

I am having the heebie jeebies now, the thought that the only water is in the toilet trap and there is a big diameter long sewer pipe connected to that. That sewer pipe is likely to be dry enough for any rat to get through

And, Bluebelle rats carry diseases which can kill humans.

I would not want to put my family at risk.

BlueBelle

Ahh it’s so hard to kill them just for being on your turf why nota humane trap and het it go into the wild

It won't survive.

We used a humane trap to catch some mice in the garage and let them go in the countryside but were told by an expert that they wouldn't have survived and it would have been better to use an ordinary trap.

BlueBelle - I’m an animal supporter but - not where rats are concerned . They multiply at ludicrous rates. I want them dead not living in the countryside - which is across the road here, they’d be back in minutes 🙈

A family member had similar. The pest control person put down poison and fitted something to the sewerage pipes the was a sort of one way valve, so waste can get out but rats couldn’t get in again. Not a nice experience at all.

In NZ where my son lives, his neighbourhood are issued with rat box traps to get rid of all the rat population. Rats were imported on ships long ago and they eat the native birds eggs. It seems to be working as my family have seen plenty of tui and fantails (piwakawaka) in their garden.
I guess here we have to share our country with rats but please not our homes.