Pesky rats - hole in house wall underground

[rodders]

Normally we have a few mice every now and then in the loft, but now a rat!

I have found a whole in the house wall, underground, approx 200/300mm below the soil surface.

Why is there a gap though, it should be a brick wall down onto the footing according to the house drawings. Did the builder leave it for a reason and forget to fill it.

I don't want to just pour or squirt anything down there before I find out why it could be like this

 

[Musty Pie]

Rats can and will get in most places.

The can climb REALLY well, and will stay anywhere where there is a food/water source.

Id look to avoid poisons, you dont want it crawling somewhere you cant get to, to die, and then subsequently rot. Perhaps also look to get a pest guy in for suggestions on "proofing"

 

[rodders]

Proofing will be filling this whole, I'm just trying to understand why it's there before I do something I can't remove easily, without taking all the decking up.

I can put mesh down, but they could burrow under that, so hole filling is the best solution

 

[Hilly]

A rat would go through meshing; We have a rat at the moment too - we live next to a farm so it's also around, along with a bunch of other critters;

When we've had to do it previously, we bait a trap and kill it - you have to leave the trap in place for a little while, as a rat is clever enough to not go into it, if something is new it'll wait to make sure - don't get a humane trap, just kill the rat. As Musty says - don't use poison - too many other things will potentially try to get at the bait.

 

[kindai]

Chilli powder.

They hate the stuff.

 

[darael]

Wire wool and expanding foam are you friends if you want to fill gaps. Rats hate chewing through wire wool.

The gap in the decking might be for ventilation, but it's also ideal for vermin to enter and hide under your decking, as you've unfortunately found out.

 

[rodders]

The hole is in the house wall underground, which is what I'm trying to work out why it's there.

No food in loft, so don't know why they like it.

I have some traps under the decking now, as well as in the loft.

 

[Hagar]

The hole is in the house wall underground, which is what I'm trying to work out why it's there.

No food in loft, so don't know why they like it.

I have some traps under the decking now, as well as in the loft.

It is warm in the loft and unless the cavity is blocked at the top, easy access. But note cavities do need venting as well.