Something is eating my house

Property & Home
41

I’ve been plagued by Le Loir Gris for many years, as many other locals are, here in 24320. My humane traps and sound deterrents that I’ve tried didn’t work either, but after decades of being a victim there wasn’t any sign of them for the first time last year, August through to mid-November.

No more bars of soap entirely disappearing overnight; no more walnuts stolen out of the drying racks; no more chewing of the plastic caps on my bottles of oil or chilli sauce; plus zero sightings or droppings found.

I liberally placed lots of small jars of peppermint oil around my hovel, and that worked a treat. Supposedly the peppermint upsets their sense of smell so they avoid it whenever possible. I place a wad of cotton wool in the jars/bowls - my current preference is for former marmite jars, which constitutes a rare Win-Win in my Book!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326195829322?_skw=peppermint+oil+rodents+5l&itmmeta=01KV3J5J6MYBEXR54DP37MVZ0W&hash=item4bf2c95a4a:g:~lEAAOSwhmtmj9CB&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAABAGfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xAmvsL7hZW1wiHyxhDJtC%2FUswdbdSg%2B7xWYV%2FWkYMU1xGSUbFmSyePlUFrMq%2FqrBxZN5%2BVbJjAUCi7owrC%2BV%2F4bVYzMSyR%2FsUYklWt3YpmF9eYrC7Ef4EbcNFAcMLB%2BdhwTb526xuQ4DRBparggpzz%2FCHM5HUlasprW6qhuVVLfOSIrx38gTnx04r8Luha5qPoZ%2BocGCIRWuCi5%2B2iKno0Uldp81y46azFRSYPfYPY74XJenrowHIDiKzyhSk7%2FrDNwfuNFsvw6tg1H9PaJ6z1x%2BEHml9h%2FX%2BeKZ8Nl8nE5zqgvrzHg5fZ5mPFuG47gtF8%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8yjlvLYZw

If the peppermint oil continues to work over the next few years, I shall consider that as compelling evidence.

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42

It certainly isn’t the original Eames chair which was bent plywood. We have one.

43

Yes, a Loire or a Lerot are possibilities. As is a fouine as they tend to check out habitations (but your hole doesn’t seem big enough, as far as I can tell from the photo).
There are commercial repellants available for them (Décamp brand).

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44

The only bait that I would recommend that’s available to the public at your brico store is “0,0025 % (25 ppm) Flocoumafène” it has several names but the below photo will help.

For your hole, you can attach 5 blocks on a piece of wire and put them in the hole and temporarily sealing it (bung a rag in the hole). “safe and secure” making sure that it’s inaccessible to humans and pets. Inspect after a week.

The product is 3rd gen and rodents do not have a resistance to this product. 5-10 blocks for rats. If nothing has been eaten after 15 days, remove the blocks. If it’s all been eaten, replace and check after another 7 days. All product regardless should be removed after 35 days.

:rat:

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45

Nice! This one’s about twelve years later and in leather and aluminium, it’s from their Office Collection, not the domestic one.

Strictly speaking there isn’t an original, ie.’ first’ Eames plywood chair design, because they launched several different ones at the same time. However, if you’re interested in their furniture, it’s worth checking out the Vitra Museum at Weill am Rhein (just over the border from Strasbourg) where they have the contents of the Eames studio / archive and the original Kazam! machine that was used to shape their early plywood chairs’ components.

46

This hole appeared in my bathroom wall a while back and a few minutes later I saw a fouine high up on the adjoining kitchen wall. I opened the tilt of the kitchen window and herded him towards it, he went straight out but I couldn’t shut it for a further 5 minutes because his tail was draped over the edge. :rofl:

I haven’t repaired it because I fancy it looks a bit like an image of Australia and wonder if it might signify something. :thinking: :rofl:

Nearly forgot:

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47

Poor little creatures, I think they are sweethearts :cry:

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48

And also a huge indoor outdoor swimming pool lido thing with a wave machine

49

I read that as “bung a rat in the hole”. :smiley: I’ve been reading too many of your extremely helpful posts Mr Rob.

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50

I’d love to know what your specialist subject was.

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51

If only James O’Brien hadn’t got in before me, I’d have written a book about it!

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52

Over the last few days we haven’t seen any sign of the guest and thought it may have moved elsewhere.

Last night it suddenly popped up on the printer next to my desk where I was sitting. It is SO fast I cannot see anything except a caramel coloured body and a long tail that looked smooth and white, definitely not bald and gray. It vanished into a space behind the wall insulation.

This morning there were droppings on a blanket on the back of the settee.

We were gritting our teeth to choose a killing machine, but seeing the picture of the lerot on the repulsif that EarthDave posted, I think it could be one of those, which I certainly wouldn’t kill. I know they are protected.

So at present we are no further forward. Whatever it is, it’s moving all around the house in the space between the wall and the plasterboard insulation panels. I’m going to try the repulsives and see if that gets rid of them, before using a more terminal method.

In the meantime, thank you all for the comments and advice.

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53

The mairie should be able to give you the name of a LICENSED trapper.

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54

The ongoing saga.

We tried humane traps baited with ‘irresistible’ product, which they successfully resisted.

We reluctantly used the very strong spring traps, believing they killed clean and quickly. One dead, one mortally injured but s till alive, and one from which the rat somehow tugged itself free and scuttled away, injured. Since then, not a single success.

One night last week I heard our parrot screaming, ran into the room and there was a large, very large rat in her cage. It vanished when it saw me.

The only source of available food in the house is the parrot food. Everything else is in glass containers or the freezer.

We have laid various traps around the cage, and caught nothing. At night I remove the food bowl and the water bowl and put them in the fridge. The parrot is transferred into a travelling cage that is rat-proof, and spends the night next to me, where I’m sleeping downstairs on the floor during the heatwave.

We thought and hoped that if there was no food available, the rats would move on. After one week, they are still here. From my position on the floor of the dining room, this morning I could see into the kitchen, and in broad daylight in the space of 5 minutes saw three rats - a pale brown very big one, a grey big one, and quite a small one I imagine is a youngster, all trotting around the floor. Our Beagle was gently wagging her tail as she watched them.

Against everything we believe in, we have now agreed that there is only one solution left,

Choosing a raticide, any advice on what works quickest and causes the least pain? I know it’s a daft question, but having to take this step is really stressing us.

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55

Get in a professional and stop trying to do it for yourselves. To see three rats in the kitchen means you have an infestation.

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56

@SuKe, I felt my skin crawl whilst reading your post.
You are in an intolerable situation and I too believe you need to call in a professional pest controller to deal with the situation.
I haven’t re-read the previous posts but can you get a recommendation from @Rob_le_Pest for a pest controller in your area?
Hopefully an expert will deal with the current infestations and give you a plan for deterring a reoccurrence.
I think you need to do this urgently.

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57

Thanks @SuePJ and @Mike313 .

We are taking your advice. Now looking for a qualified pest controller in our area.

If only these rats were ugly, vicious, smelly creatures! Unfortunately they are intelligent, rather beautiful and glisten with good health, and are quite entertaining to watch. :frowning:

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58

I enjoyed watching our mice, including playing round the bottom of the sofa , while one of our Airedales dozed on top. Until OH found mouse droppings on his pillow.

Outside, in the wild, fine. Inside the house, no.

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59

Why not make pets of them then, if they are so attractive. I am stilling living with the regret at what I did to the one and only rat who came into my house. Not even much joy in the fact that his demise was instant. And I have never had such a clean worktop since he departed. :weary_face:

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60

All animal lives are of equal value, but one must learn to set one’s feelings aside when it comes to hygiene. Invasion, eRA(T)dication !