Rats in the Roof

A couple of weeks ago there were some loud noises comming from inside the roof. My first thought was that they were rats but the noises were so loud that I decided they must be squirrels. We heard them at about 9pm and they woke both boys. Dylan was sitting up in his bed pointing at the ceiling saying “wassat”?

I fetched my bike light and a ladder from the garage and went for a root around in the roof. I spotted a huge rat almost immediately at least we now know what they are. On closer inspection I could see that they had been hanging out around the chimney flue. There are literally hundred of rat droppings concentrated around the chimney. This is in the roof space just above Warrick’s head so I’m not surprised they disturbed him.

There was only one thing to do and that was to kill the vermin. I bought a bait box and rat poison from Builderswarehouse. I positioned the box close to the highest concentration of droppings and we heard some serious gnawing that very night. Ha, ha who will have the last laugh, not us as it turns out.

Yesterday Ali spotted Dylan standing in the kitchen doorway holding something furry. It was one of the rats and it was not well, it couldn’t have been to let Dylan catch it. It looked like a cat in his little hands. Dylan protested but we made him put it down carefully, shame I think he wanted to keep it as a pet. I then tried to pick it up but it put up quite a fight for the state it was in. I popped it in the coal bin to die in peace and sure enough it was dead in the morning. I still don’t know how Dylan managed to pick it up he must be a rat whisperer or something.

Ali had the idea to get his toy rat and put it in the bug box.  Not quite the same but it took his mind off the real thing.