Rat damage in the loft space needs to be dealt with

Having rats in the loft is bad enough, but when they have been established in there for so long that they have taken over, its time to introduce radical action.

I first saw this rat problem about a month ago, which from the evidence presented to me, looked pretty routine. However, once I started my site survey, the true extent of the problem started to unfold.

The original call was regarding a rat being seen in the kitchen, however how was it getting in? The inspection revealed a large hole under the kick board, which lead to a void in the roof space. When I opened the loft hatch, I was completely amazed.

The stench was incredible – rats have an unmistakeable smell – and the mess they had made was just catastrophic. This roof space has not been entered for some years and had become a playground for rats, doing what they do best – breed.

First job, stop the entry points which were outside under the kitchen window. Second job, apply bait to kill all the rats. Third job, remove all the loft insulation ( including a number of nests and dead bodies), de-odourise and disinfect.

I have to say, this is one of the most horrid jobs I have ever done. Even with full chemical barrier suits, full faced respirator and heavy gauge gauntlets, it was hideous. Needless to say, on arrival home after the job, I was in the bath scrubbing for about an hour!

Why did it get so bad? Well the loft is not used and the owners are slightly deaf and did not hear anything. The first they know was when they saw one. The loft hatch was very well sealed, so the smell did not penetrate downwards. If this had been left much longer, patches would have appeared through the plaster board where the urine was soaking into the fibre glass.

I did take a few pictures, but its hard to do this when you are literally gagging from the smell!

So if you have a loft covered in rat or mouse faeces, our advice is to remove it and replace – rats carry a significant health risk like Weils Disease and toxoplasmosis. If you have a problem like this, contact Rapid Pest Control now to solve the problem and provide you advice.