Rats in the House
So, we have rats in our cellar and they are getting into the house. We had an exterminator and a contractor out to take a look, and our basement walls look like Swiss cheese. I haven’t yet received an estimate on patching all the holes, but I bet it’s going to be pricey. Does anyone…
So, we have rats in our cellar and they are getting into the house. We had an exterminator and a contractor out to take a look, and our basement walls look like Swiss cheese. I haven’t yet received an estimate on patching all the holes, but I bet it’s going to be pricey.
Does anyone know if we can just get some concrete and patch the holes between the party walls ourselves? How about regrouting the rubble stone walls? And what would we use for that?
Thank you.
Mopar, please let me know how satisfied you are with the contractor’s work. And if you are, can you pass on his information? We have the same problem. Thanks!
Thanks, Dave.
ty’, there may indeed be cooper wool but when I was dealing with a bad mouse problem, I bought bronze wool for the non-rusting attribute.
I also used tile board in a location where sheet rock would have generally sufficed. Won’t stop rats but it did encourage the mice to bypass my apartment on their way to the neighbors up- or downstairs.
Sounds right, mopar.
Meanwhile, the millions of stray cats in the backyard better get with it. There are starlings for them too. Seriously, I haven’t seen a lot of them around lately. I wonder if the two months of snow on the ground did them in. Hope not.
Thanks, everybody!
I finally connected with the contractor, and his price is quite reasonable for doing almost all the basement plus outside and some holes upstairs, so we are going with that.
He says he’s using metal mesh plus concrete in the holes between party walls and joists. He’s using Portland cement in the rubble foundation wall. I hope that’s the right stuff and compatible with our mortar. Anyone know?
A few years ago when the city replaced the sewer lines near me I had a rat problem. I got the plugs-in since I did not want to deal with traps or bait. I went overboard with plug-in, I put two in each room. Anyway, within 48 hours they vacated the house.
I second Rat Zapper. Obviously, you are going to have to do everything structurally you can, but these things are effective. Not forever. They eventually break, but after about 2 years. But get the large one from Amazon and you will get them inside if they make it in. Good luck.
mopar – in the short run – get those plug in noise makers, you can’t hear it, but they can and stay away from your house. friend had a problem in an old loft and says that this was the only thing that worked.