Ratatouille

Status report. At 16.30 I ascended the ladder, like climbing the stairway to heaven (music clue), to inspect the rat trap in the roof space. The trap door was open and the fresh roll of bacon still hanging on the trigger arm. Not a rat in sight. Maybe we do not have an infestation in the roof space after all. Maybe there was just Ratatouille + friend. Rats are nocturnal creatures and the lure of a tasty bacon morsel will, I hope, be too tempting to resist tonight. I should have a better idea tomorrow morning whether or not there are more rats hiding 'upstairs'.
 
Rice said:
They are both good ratters. I have no Rats around my place. Dairng has killed a few rats at local restaurants, that we have been to. Come to think of it, she has never been paid.
Cheap Charlies.
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As in both cases, if either spots a rat, the last thing that goes through the rats mind is its arse. No exemption given for cats.
 
Status Report - 09.07, 17th August 2021.

Rattrap was examined at 09.00. There was no rat and the bait was untouched. The new ceiling rain water drain was modified yesterday and not chewed last night. The girls have heard no noises from the ceiling space for nearly 24 hours. Conclusion: Rat infestation has been repulsed. To be confirmed over the next few days.


Modified ceiling drain, the addition of a plastic cover. Requires a little bit of filler around the edges and the second coat of paint.

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My celebrations started too soon. While no rat-type noises have been heard during the past 24 hours, and the trap was empty when checked at 09.00 yesterday morning, there was clear evidence this morning of further activities in the roof space.

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Clearly, they like the light fitting as their roundabout and chewing plastic too. I will get the ladder out before too long and check the rat trap again. This is becoming a war of attrition.

;;bad simle;; ;;bad simle;; ;;bad simle;;
 
Grrrrr! Ratty had a good feed last night. He had the bacon roll and did not set off the trap. The trap and been re-baited and returned to the roof space. At least we now know there is at least another rat living above us.

Scorecard for past 24 hours: Rat 1 - 0 Ratter
 
nomad97 said:
Grrrrr! Ratty had a good feed last night. He had the bacon roll and did not set off the trap. The trap and been re-baited and returned to the roof space. At least we now know there is at least another rat living above us.

Scorecard for past 24 hours: Rat 1 - 0 Ratter
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Time to bring out the heavy artillary, glue traps baited with dried fish in the middle, no more Mr nice guy.
 
FERRET said:
Time to bring out the heavy artillary, glue traps baited with dried fish in the middle, no more Mr nice guy.
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I do have glue pads and I am keeping those in reserve. The rat trap has worked successfully twice, and a rat has retrieved the bait twice without setting off the trap. I only paid 70 Baht for the trap and the trigger mechanism is rather crude, to put it mildly. It needs the rat to pull the bait off the trigger arm to release the trap. If the rat pushes the bait the trap will not release. I doubt that the rat will know what to do to get the bait without setting off the trap. I would say it's a 50/50 ball game.
 
nomad97 said:
I do have glue pads and I am keeping those in reserve. The rat trap has worked successfully twice, and a rat has retrieved the bait twice without setting off the trap. I only paid 70 Baht for the trap and the trigger mechanism is rather crude, to put it mildly. It needs the rat to pull the bait off the trigger arm to release the trap. If the rat pushes the bait the trap will not release. I doubt that the rat will know what to do to get the bait without setting off the trap. I would say it's a 50/50 ball game.
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The one problem with the glue traps (and they do work well most times) is if the little ******* just gets a foot caught in the glue, as well as face, etc. they can drag themselves further into the roofing/ceiling area and die where you can't see or reach them. The stench is awful if you can't get them out. Glue traps work best on the floor, usually in the kitchen area behind the stove, reefer, under the sink, etc. I use a piece of hard cheese smeared lightly with some peanut butter on the glue traps.

Good luck. They can be a pain in the neck to get rid of. Smart little bastards. LOL
 
Clever bugger! Rat 1 - 0 Ratter. The rat has successfully removed the bacon for the second night running, without setting off the trap. Even cleverer Mr Ratter has now modified the trigger arm to make it more difficult to slide the bait off the arm. Before, it was a straight arm and relatively easy for Mr rat to slide off the bacon. It is now like a fish hook and Mr Rat will have to slide the bacon down, around, and up to remove the bait. I also modified the suspension of the hook to make it more sensitive to movement. The trap has been re-baited and set, game on for tonight.
 
Cent said:
The one problem with the glue traps (and they do work well most times) is if the little ******* just gets a foot caught in the glue, as well as face, etc. they can drag themselves further into the roofing/ceiling area and die where you can't see or reach them. The stench is awful if you can't get them out. Glue traps work best on the floor, usually in the kitchen area behind the stove, reefer, under the sink, etc. I use a piece of hard cheese smeared lightly with some peanut butter on the glue traps.

Good luck. They can be a pain in the neck to get rid of. Smart little bastards. LOL
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I agree with your sentiments. The last thing we need in this house is the smell of dead rats in the roof space. Of interest, for one week the rat was trapped in our kitchen, we knew it was there but well hidden. I did put down 2 glue traps, one under the cooker and another under a small table. Mr Rat avoided those traps like the plague. :) :) :)

P.S. He eventually escaped out of the open kitchen door to the garden after we flushed him from his hiding place.
 
Prakhonchai Nick said:
Bacon?....maybe they are vegetarians, or worse still Muslim rats! I would use cheese. :D

Better still get a cat. My pussy solved our rat/mouse problem 2 years ago, and have had no problems since
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I don't think your pussy would be too pleased being stuck in the ceiling space of our house to catch the rats.
 
Prakhonchai Nick said:
Mice and rats come into the house from outside. Perhaps some rat traps needed in the garden.
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Yes, and Bruno patrols the ground level, especially at night, and has had several rats over the past couple of years. However, given the close proximity of our neighbors' houses, the roofs provide easy access from house to house for rodents and cats. We also have a 1 1/2 meter wall at the rear of the house that also links and runs along the back of our neighbors' houses. This wall is a regular run for feral cats, and I suspect rats too. Unfortunately, these adjoining roofs are some 3 meters above the ground and do not provide easy access for placing the traps.

The rat trap in the ceiling space has caught 2 rats already, so it proves the location is sound. The modifications that I made to the trigger arm today, should with luck, result in a better catch ratio. So far, Ratatouille has had 3 free meals, and I have caught 2 rats! Let's see if today's modifications to the rat trap result in a higher catch ratio.
 
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