I've a small invasion of rats and am terrified

The one place I won’t be visiting soon is Govanhill in Glasgow, I saw a few rats running back & forwards across a road, disappearing under this gate. I wanted to see my Grannies old house (nice back in the 70s buts it has become run down with rubbish in the gardens 😩

Lahlah65 what a horror story and so expensive for you.

It's one of my biggest fears, the rat(s) chewing through electric wires but it seems okay so far. It has chewed through concrete to try and get a hole through to outside.

It's horrible not knowing how many there are and the bait boxes and traps remain empty but how do I know if it's dragged itself back to its nest (wherever that is) to die.

I hope you can find something to finally eradicate them, what a nightmare.

Fortunately I’ve only ever had mice and not in the toilet, that said I’m pretty sure I’ve read that to allow vermin to get here there has to be access for the rat by virtue of a broken sewer pipe, so I’d get that look at as a matter of urgency

DeeAitch56 the ratman looked at the sewer pipe and it's intact. He fitted a valve on it which (hopefully the rat(s) can't get through.

Awful experience for you, if you use poison be careful it’s not where any pet would eat it, or wildlife if placed outside ..
Don’t leave anything they can eat about …do look for where they may have got in, does anyone nearby keep chickens? That can encourage rats .
Hopefully they have gone now …

I actually love rats and mice and when I had mice in the kitchen put peppermint-soaked cottonwool balls everywhere and that did the trick.
But if I saw a rat in the toilet I would be severely freaked. Poor you.
Spiders were my terror but I’ve overcome that now.
Try and tell yourself they won’t hurt you and are just trying to survive. And no-one will think you’re dirty, it’s got nothing to do with that.
But totally understand how this has shaken you and hope the problem is solved.

I have humane traps in my tack room baited with peanut butter, when I catch one I drop the trap in a bucket of water and when the rat stops squeaking I chuck it on the muck heap for the local predators. Any field mice trapped are released.

Nana cool - very practical and imo typical sensible approach from women who keep horses