Rats in the ceiling/walls!

Hi everyone,

I own a renovated two fam in Bushwick (a very rat heavy area), and rent out the garden level. Today, my tenants told me they’ve been hearing “rats in the ceiling” at night. I’m a newbie landlord, and honestly not even sure how this is possible or how to address it.

Believe the townhouses on either side of my are having some reno’s done – so this may be a driver of this issue.

We sleep in the third floor, and haven’t heard anything. Any thoughts or advice?

Guest User | 3 years and 7 months ago

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cate | 3 years and 7 months ago

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Agree cats are often the best and cheapest way to stop them, if you’re nt allergic. Also, assuming all holes are already plugged, peppermint oil in vulnerable spots can help deter them.

cate | 3 years and 7 months ago

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Did the exterminator confirm they are mice, not rats? Mice are more likely in the house walls, rats more common in the cellar. Vermin coming in via party walls from neighboring houses is an ongoing problem that is extremely difficult to address. You’d have to completely gut all levels from cellar to  attic and block all holes in the party wall, especially at the joists, which sit in pockets sometimes open to both sides. And the mice will chew new holes in about five or six years. When we first moved in, we blocked holes all over the interior of our house and didn’t have any problems for about five years. Then settling of the house (old wood) opened new holes and they came back. Then last year, one of our neighbrs got an exterminator and did extensive work in their cellar, and the mice vanished. Now they are back again. As for cellar hatches, no one should fill theirs completely. They are needed to get equipment in and out, including boilers, hot water heaters, construction materials, etc.

Guest User | 3 years and 7 months ago

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Hi again,

So the exterminator came, and was not helpful. He basically just said they were getting in between walls ceilings from adjoining houses – and the only way to address the problem would be my neighbors addressing them. He said there were no signs of them in the house.

Obviously we can live with the sounds of rodents running around. Can anyone recommend an exterminator who’s successfully dealt with this before?

stevecym | 3 years and 7 months ago

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When mice chew paper or wrappers, they sound bigger.

Rats are a problem everywhere right now. We had them under our shed and a hundred dollars worth of poisons later, I think they are gone.

JohnHancock | 3 years and 7 months ago

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Sometimes mice sound like something bigger

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 3 years and 7 months ago

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All old houses have some mice. We’ve had four cats over the last half century—one at a time. I’ve noticed that when we’re between cats we hear mice above the tin ceiling in our kitchen. The arrival of a tiny kitten is enough to stop that. Fortunately we’ve never had rats, so I can’t comment about them.

Guest User | 3 years and 7 months ago

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The best option is to seal up all the walls then they can’t get in and will go away. Based on my experience. If you think they are inside then just get traps. You don’t have to use poison.

Guest User | 3 years and 7 months ago

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Thanks all. Got an exterminator coming next week. I’m wondering if you poison them, are then not dealing with decaying dead in your walls?

Guest User | 3 years and 7 months ago

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Dealing with a similar issue right now. The beasts managed to get into my basement via a vent hatch, then setup shop. I have just poured cement into the vent to seal it up (as I dont need it) – but now need to work on poison inside to get any that may be left over.

neilw | 3 years and 7 months ago

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We had this experience after renovating – rats came in adjacent to the sewer line at the front of the house and through a gap into the ceiling above the cellar. Deal with this as quickly and aggressively as possible. Poison alone won’t work – you need to get someone who will seal every gap and crevice – we used steel mesh and steel wool. You will probably have to open up walls and ceilings, but there’s no other way.

Guest User | 3 years and 7 months ago

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if your tenants are on the garden level there could easily be rats and/or mice getting into their place (to be fair, you can also find rats in attics and on roofs…). but my advice would be to get a good exterminator to have a look at their unit for signs of infestation. walk with them when they look around so you can learn what to look for.

Guest User | 3 years and 7 months ago

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if your tenants are on the garden level there could easily be rats and/or mice getting into their place (to be fair, you can also find rats in attics and on roofs…). but my advice would be to get a good exterminator to have a look at their unit for signs of infestation. walk with them when they look around so you can learn what to look for.