Rattus Rattus

[Ruby]

The smell will have gone in a month's time. I'm so sorry. There's nothing you can do that you're not already doing though.

[smalex]

Just got to hope the new buyer doesn't want to pop round for another look

I'm sorry though. I am glad for my solid floors since this thread.

[emma_p]

I really hope they don't want to come over

The bags from amazon arrived and I picked up a few pots of neutradol which my friend said would help (they smell kind of public toilet-y to me but better than dead rat!) but the smell is still awful this morning It was kind of rotten vegetable-y to begin with but now it is really sour and putrid. I'm keeping the windows open as much as possible.

S keeps doing Roland Rat impressions. Not helpful

[Ruby]

Yes, the smell evolves. From rotten-veg to death to farmyard. I'm so sorry.

[Derek Nimmo]

Oh Emma I pray for no biblical-stylee fly plague.

[emma_p]

I'm home from Ikea and there are a few flies. I just let 5 out of the front door. Is this the start of a plague of them?

[Derek Nimmo]

Pestilence!

(From memory, mine went from nought to sixty (thousand) and I had no warning shots. So here's hoping 5's your lot... )

[olive]

Oh no. I hope you don’t end up with lots of flies. The weather and time of year might help? :graspingatstraws:

My mental tenant has just emailed to say that she has a rat problem and is reporting me to environmental health as though I’m somehow responsible for letting them in.

I’ve contacted the pest control department to get someone out and am keeping everything crossed that something doesn’t die in the property.

[Derek Nimmo]

Do NOT let them put poison down Olive - that's when you end up with dead things under floorboards. Immediate kill traps only.

Although... the rotten stench of a decaying one could drive your tenant out once and for all

[olive]

Thanks for the heads up! I really wish it would drive her out.

Obviously I massively sympathise with her and don’t actually want my flat infested with rodents but her high handed email has fully annoyed me.

[H1ppychick]

The fly stage only lasts a couple of days or so. If they seem to be very sleepy and dozy and just sit on the windows, they're definitely the type you get from dead animals, I think they're called coffin flies? Anyway when I had them earlier in the year I just wafted them gently out of the windows and closed them again.

[nineseven]

My mental tenant has just emailed to say that she has a rat problem and is reporting me to environmental health

I think you should get her sectioned.

[Ruby]

We hardly got any flies, emmap. I think it's generally good that this is happening in winter.

[emma_p]

Well... no more flies which is good. I thought the smell was getting better but it's particularly awful today. I have had the windows open but the council rat man is coming between 1-4 and I want him to be able identify the smell

Thames Water came yesterday and were brilliant. I would definitely get them over to your flat olive - also they didn't charge me anything and seemed very thorough. They opened the shared drain in front of our house, unblocked it (the old victorian cap which is meant to stop rats coming up had come loose and was actually what was blocking it, along with a load of wipes ). They can't replace the cap until they have returned and the drain is still blockage free, or else we risk sewage backing up into the house I checked with them which houses are connected and will have to knock on doors to ask our neighbours not to flush any wipes, even ones that say they're flushable. FUN TIMES!

They then put a camera up the pipes to check for nests cracks and holes and we are in the clear. So although there are rats in the drains they shouldn't be able to get into the house. I must have looked a bit horrified by it all as they offered to put the camera in the drain at the back too (which we are responsible for, not them) but said it was fine too. Hopefully the rat man can help me identify any other way they could be getting under the floorboards. We've already blocked up anything obvious with a combo of wire wool, expanding foam and chicken wire. I was very excited to buy wire cutters

I hope the smell goes soon and we get to the bottom of how they're getting in so we can block it all up. Thank fuck there's no evidence of them in the actual house. I've cleaned all the cupboards, behind furniture, in the attic, everywhere so feel pretty confident they haven't got in our actual living space.

[emma_p]

Just to close the circle (for cerise )

The smell of death has finally lifted! I feel awful that there will be a dead rat skeleton *lurking* for the people moving in but it's way better than live ones, right? I have spoken to all our neighbours about not flushing wipes. If the shared drain remains unblocked Thames Water will return and replace the cap that came loose that is meant to stop rats coming in via the sewers and we can draw a line under this whole disgusting episode

[Cerise]

Phew. Thank you!

[Derek Nimmo]

Thank fuck for that!

[emma_p]

And the flies have started There were about 20 when we got in yesterday today S and G think they must have killed about 100 while Liv and I were out watching Frozen 2

How long will the flies last? We move out on Thursday. Is there hope that it'll be over by then?

[Kleio]

I wonder if one of the smoke bombs would help.

[Disco]

That's a great idea, Kleio. I think that would kill them all dead.