On 2-3 instances over the last few months whilst watching TV at the folks place (later at night) I've witnessed a rat sprint from the kitchen area into the living room I've been in, dart under the stool I've been sitting on and run behind the few couches lining the wall behind me. Initially figured it had been attempting to exit a gap in the double brick cavity external wall, beneath a window in their wet bar, where a board had slipped down exposing the gap.
We'd known about another bigger cavity in an external wall beneath the kitchen window, behind cabinet drawers, but weren't entirely sure where the bugger was coming and going. We fixed up the wet bar gap firstly then thought that was it.
On the most recent occasion about a week ago I flipped over the couches the next day to find that the large one had holes eaten through the cloth base in two spots. There were quite a few droppings and you could clearly see urine stains had seeped through the cloth onto the tiles below. I thought it may have been a temporary refuge.
Just spent all weekend removing the kitchen cupboards, boarding up the large gaps in the wall, using expansion foam on smaller gaps, then washing all the items in those cupboards that had been scampered over all that time. I also moved the two couches (inc one smaller one that had a hole in that base) outside until I could solve the entry point issue.
Wasn't totally sure the rat was out of the large one (small one was clear) as the hole wasn't big enough to see around. Cut it a bit more and still wasn't that clear so decided it was sufficiently stained etc to rip the whole base off. There was a tonne of rat hair etc inside. Just when I thought it was clear I noted what seemed to be a meat bone sticking out from a small gap that led to one of two box frames that form the arm components. Turned out to be a lamb cutlet bone from old meals that we used to give to the dogs (of which the last passed away quite a few weeks back now). That told me the little rodent had been holed up in the arm portion which I could not see into.
Folks are on holiday so having spent so much time 'fixing' the inside of the house I'm damned if I am going to drag the critter back inside. It's quite cold and stormy (for here anyway) lately so I'm hoping it starts feeling the chill outside and buggers off. I soaked about a dozen cotton balls in eucalyptus oil and dropped them into the arms as I'd heard they aren't found of strong smells. I'd really like to smoke the bugger out with one of those roach bombs or something, but not sure how effective they'd be. Not convinced the couch would be salvageable but open to suggestions. Just not 'get a cat'!
We'd known about another bigger cavity in an external wall beneath the kitchen window, behind cabinet drawers, but weren't entirely sure where the bugger was coming and going. We fixed up the wet bar gap firstly then thought that was it.
On the most recent occasion about a week ago I flipped over the couches the next day to find that the large one had holes eaten through the cloth base in two spots. There were quite a few droppings and you could clearly see urine stains had seeped through the cloth onto the tiles below. I thought it may have been a temporary refuge.
Just spent all weekend removing the kitchen cupboards, boarding up the large gaps in the wall, using expansion foam on smaller gaps, then washing all the items in those cupboards that had been scampered over all that time. I also moved the two couches (inc one smaller one that had a hole in that base) outside until I could solve the entry point issue.
Wasn't totally sure the rat was out of the large one (small one was clear) as the hole wasn't big enough to see around. Cut it a bit more and still wasn't that clear so decided it was sufficiently stained etc to rip the whole base off. There was a tonne of rat hair etc inside. Just when I thought it was clear I noted what seemed to be a meat bone sticking out from a small gap that led to one of two box frames that form the arm components. Turned out to be a lamb cutlet bone from old meals that we used to give to the dogs (of which the last passed away quite a few weeks back now). That told me the little rodent had been holed up in the arm portion which I could not see into.
Folks are on holiday so having spent so much time 'fixing' the inside of the house I'm damned if I am going to drag the critter back inside. It's quite cold and stormy (for here anyway) lately so I'm hoping it starts feeling the chill outside and buggers off. I soaked about a dozen cotton balls in eucalyptus oil and dropped them into the arms as I'd heard they aren't found of strong smells. I'd really like to smoke the bugger out with one of those roach bombs or something, but not sure how effective they'd be. Not convinced the couch would be salvageable but open to suggestions. Just not 'get a cat'!