Slightly off topic but is there any truth in the rumour that rats can enter a house through a toilet.?
Long story but I have an open soil pipe in my conservatory and have found rat droppings. First reaction was to block the soil pipe but I am the first house on the drain and the rats would have a long walk to the nearest sewer. I hear they can climb well and if there is any chance they'd try heading upwards and into my or a neighbours house via a toilet I'd rather let them have the run of the conservatory while I deal with them by way of traps or poison.
I keep pet rats (pedigree fancy rats) the much cuter versions of wild rats (for example a bite from a fancy rat is a very very rare thing indeed, they are so placid naturaly, unlike hamsters that seem to bite for the fun of it)
Anyway, rats can certianly jump a good few feet, and can climb up things we'd see as impossible, i regulary let one of my pet rats have a little run in the garden by plonking him out the window by his cage, when he want back in, he jumps verticaly up the wall below the window 2 foot, then clings onto the brickwork and climbs it to the windowsill.
They can also swim very well, hold their breath for 3 and a half minutes underwater, and it is true they can get into a house via the toilet, a friend on a fancy rat forum had this happen to him a few months ago, opened the toilet lid and a wild rat jumped out!!!.
They only come into houses looking for food tho, remove the source of food and they will go elsewhere, so there must be something in your conservatory they can eat for them to bother, BUT rats are very inteligent, and now they have found a source of food, they wont forget (a rat can remember the right way through a maze, no matter how many wrong turns it makes in the process, the 2nd time in that maze and it'll go the right way imediately)
i can't comment on how to kill them, as i dont like doing that, but i do appreciate a wild rat is not the cute cuddely bundle of fluff i keep as pets,
not gonna look at the links you posted in your next post, but yes rats really can scream, one of mine does it when i give him a bath, he's fine in the water, will splash about and play with the others, but when i pick him up out of the water he screams like a baby... and i have to cradle him in my hands and hush him like a human baby till he calms down, then he gives me lots of kisses/licks and lets me dry him,
I wonder if they could make it up a soil pipe to the first floor.
My main concern. Being the last house on the drain I'd imagine they'd try and find the nearest alternative exit if I blocked the open pipe. Either a long walk down the drain or up.
Certainly not aware of any food source out there. I've never stored food there, its more of a junk room at the moment.
At the moment I have two traps designed to keep catching them alive. Advertised as being able to catch a whole family although you have to wait for them to get used to the newly arrived traps. Goodness knows if they will ever work. Baited with yummy peanut butter and bacon. If they do work I'll take them for a drive and let them out somewhere nice.
The first two links were fine, just rats appearing in the toilet bowl. The last one was of a rat being removed from a toilet and screaming.
Nope, do you want a video? he's going to a fancy rat show next weekend so will be getting a bath beforehand,
Thing is, fancy rats are totaly different to wild rats, it's just unfortunate they share the same name, but it's like comparing your cute and cuddely family dog with a wolf.
I'm well aware how much affection and intelligence a family pet can show having been a dog owner. Hence the reason I've got live traps as well although I admit I may have to go further if they won't co-operate as I'm concerned about the health risks. There was a video on Youtube of rats having a swim in a bath. I'm up for a video - the email address works.
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