# Here's one for you



## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

have a guess at what might be living in my loft :fight: 

Something has been noticeable for weeks, funny scratching noises and things mysteriously moving or developing holes :hmm: 

Well last night was the last straw, was kept away by something knawing awake, bumping and banging up there!
So i went up this morning to inspect and found the place ran sacked...

It is possible its an escapee, but i don't get it...we haven't had any rodents in the house for 2 years now :| 

So if it is one of ours, how the hell as it lived and what's it eating?
as for wild animals, how did it get up there? we don't have squirrels in the area at all so can rule that one out anyway thank god!

Heres some pics anyway to amuse you :roll: 

A bag of sawdust safely tucked under a sofa had been turned into this...









some chewed plastic...









one of my arboreal spider tanks...









Box of porridge...









How about my fishing bag :fight: 


















anyway i set out to get some foot prints of the mystery animal so that i could work out its size and order an appropriate sized trap...decided to lay some wet sand out on a tray, make it smooth as possible then in the middle, place some water and some choc covered dog biscuits, who could resist?

Left it until a couple hours after dark and went up to find some little foot prints of a small animal that had tip toed to pinch the food....










...instead found this! :evil: 










its so destroyed that i can't even make out any foot prints!!!










so off i go to reset it and try for a second time with the little sand that was left on the tray *sigh*










so your thoughts?

the Christmas mouse?









The rogue rat...









or the unsuspecting Multi? (my guess due to damage)










Or something else?


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## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

I think it's a rat.Thats what got into our neighbours roof and chewed things up and crashed around at night.I loaned them a catch em alive metal rat trap and it was captured within 24 hrs.Interestingly it had got in through a hole in the neighbours roof and made it's way along as we live in semi detached houses.


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

I, too, would say a rat. In the first picture of the sawdust the black looks like poo! Rats do a "dump" of it as opposed to mice dropping as they go. One of the cats brought one in, and the rat catcher said so they knew if it was a rat or a mouse, describe the poo - hence the detail above, sorry.

They are good at climbing. A friend of mine had one in her bedroom. The only way it could have got in was up the outside drainpipe and in through the open bathroom window, as all the things on the window sill had been disturbed. A middle of the night call to a man with a terrier, and the rat was no more. She now keeps all her windows shut even during the hot summer nights!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I thought squirrel at first, but if you are sure there are no squirrels in your area, then I'm going for rat!

Unless you forgot there was a giant "eat-all" spider in that tank and it's escaped! :gasp: :lol2:


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## PrettyxPerfection (Sep 9, 2008)

The litte bugger looks like it had a party on the sand

Have you got a camara you can set onto record, set it up to watch the tray of sand just after dark and check it in the morning see what you have caught on video: victory:


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Well my partner now says there are squirrels a few blocks away. But still, not sure why it would come into our street to settle up, theres no trees or anything round here...

Those dark things aren't poo just debris, i've tried looking for poo but no luck so far.

there is access to the neighbours lofts as we had multi's escape a couple years ago that wrecked our next door neighbours loft and poison was set down for them.

I hope its not a rat, i'm scared to go up and clean the mess in case it jumps out at me :blush:

Marnie, my next plan was to charge up the cam and set it after dark for a couple hours on night mode, problem is if this 'thing' chews it, thats £500 worth of camera!


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## Myth (May 22, 2009)

Yeepers Creepers !!!! :gasp:

Well if squirrel is a possibility then I'd probably go with that or a big-ass rat ! 
Whatever it is I hope you capture the bloomin thing one way or another...
looks like has been causing some right chaos !

As for the camera think you'd be best to set it up in an empty cage / tank or such so is not accessible !!


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

Weasel ?


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## Asereth (Nov 20, 2010)

id go for a rat too. my friends pet rat escaped and was incredible how much mess it made. id set a rat trap with peanut butter or chocolate. they love that. if it is a squirrel and its caught alive they wont be relocated by the rspca. I had one fall down my chimney and the rspca inspector i called said they are all destroyed cos they are not a native species. 
you could try clay or plasticine instead of sand to try get foot prints


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

I hoped the clue was in the poo! Seriously, though, take action quickly because they could well bite through any electric cables in the loft, which will cause a problem (and an expense). Whether its a squirrel or a rat, don't be sentimental over it.

Once you know what it is, and hopefully there is only one, you'll need a look at the roof to see where it is coming in - be it your half or from your neighbours, and then get it blocked off. I have heard that a radio played loudly at random can scare a squirrel away in such a situation, but don't know if it works.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

Does anyone else think thats a "foot" print?










Or is it just my eye playing up on me hah


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## Jacs (Jun 7, 2009)

:O its aliens!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Squirrels love being in lofts! So if any have been seen in your area and if there are no trees immediately near your house, then one may very well have happily take up residence in your loft - not ruling out a rat though!

If you do catch it and take it to a vet or call in the RSPCA then there is no question they will euthanase it :sad:


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## NickBenger (Nov 18, 2010)

I don't want to be the same as everyone else...so I'm going to guess multiple door mice


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

it was me... sorry but it's cold outside.

Next time though, can you leave some milk for the porridge and a kebab instead of a dog biscuit.


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## Myth (May 22, 2009)

*...wonders if the mystery critter is out and about at this hour causing havoc...*


:lol2:


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## Junior13reptilez (Oct 17, 2010)

I would have to say a giantt beaver.


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## Wabbit (Aug 26, 2009)

I'm going to guess squirrel or something else more unusual. Surely the metal mesh on the spider tank would have stopped a rat? Unless it's only flimsy... It's just that's one BIG hole it's made in the mesh!

Rather you than me lol


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

It is only flimsy, i've had spiders chew through it, so wouldn't be a problem for a rat!

I found a foot print anyway, back foot, inch long, so a juvi rat or squirrel, at least i know now that i shall buy a rat trap and not a mouse trap! 

and thats a great idea about putting the cam in a cage!


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

i would say rat due to the fact they chewed through the wire,
saying that, our loft every year has become a home for mice, they make a right mess


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

put an old lady up there and feed her a fly... i think you know the rest.


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## NickBenger (Nov 18, 2010)

x Sarah x said:


> at least i know now that i shall buy a rat trap and not a mouse trap!


How could you! :shock:


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i`d have heaps of blue food up there by now.......and my big trap thingy.

vermin eating through cables and stuff wouldnt be funny, could even start a fire.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

TheDogMan said:


> How could you! :shock:


 
because it won't fit in a mouse trap


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

air rifle = sorted :whistling2:


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Meko said:


> because it won't fit in a mouse trap



:lol2:

Correct, why would i buy a mouse trap!

I do know what you mean however, and i did not say that the animal would die.

But on that note, if i catch it live what do you expect me to do? keep it?

As far as i know, rats are vermin and can't be released


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Neither rats nor squirrels can be released - officially!!!

I wouldn't tell though!


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

squirrels shouldn't be released.. they're too cute.


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## ami_j (Jan 6, 2007)

feorag said:


> Neither rats nor squirrels can be released - officially!!!
> 
> I wouldn't tell though!


 Rattus norvegicus can be released they arent on the list lol even though Rattus rattus are and are a lot rarer

Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981 says that:- 

Subject to the provisions of this Part, if any person 
releases or allows to escape into the wild any animal which 

(a) is of a kind which is not ordinarily resident in and is 
not a regular visitor to Great Britain in a wild state ; 

or 

(b) is included in Part I of Schedule 9, 

he shall be guilty of an offence. 

And the animals included in Schedule 9 are:- 


Bass, Large-mouthed Black 
Bass, Rock 
Bitterling 
Budgerigar 
Capercaillie 
Coypu 
Dormouse, Fat 
Duck, Carolina Wood 
Duck, Mandarin 
Duck, Ruddy 
Eagle, White-tailed 
Frog, Edible 
Frog, European Tree (otherwise known as Common tree frog) 
Frog, Marsh 
Gerbil, Mongolian 
Goose, Canada 
Goose, Egyptian 
Heron, Night 
Lizard, Common Wall 
Marmot, Prairie (otherwise 
known as Prairie dog) 
Mink, American 
Newt, Alpine 
Parakeet, Ring-necked 
Partridge, Chukar 
Partridge, Rock 
Pheasant, Golden 
Pheasant, Lady Amherst's 
Pheasant, Reeves' 
Pheasant, Silver 
Porcupine, Crested 
Porcupine, Himalayan 
Pumpkinseed (otherwise known as Sun-fish or Pond-perch) 
Quail, Bobwhite 
_*Rat, Black 
Squirrel, Grey*_ 
Terrapin, European Pond 
Toad, African Clawed 
Toad, Midwife 
Toad, Yellow-bellied 
Wallaby, Red-necked 
Wels (otherwise known as 
European catfish) 
Zander


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Uploaded some pics now...

Well i went on the hunt around the loft, theres plenty of dust so i thought i must find _something_!

I found lots of little marks, look more like mouse prints, but then i thought well 90% of the time when rats are on the move, they move on their toes so not likely to leave a full print anyway... this is what i was finding...






































anyway, looked around a bit more, particularly near to where i had been leaving food, also because its below the windows and some damp does form due to condensation... then finally i came across this perfect tell tale...



















So i'm doing the cam method tonight, still bricking it in case this chewer gets hold of it! gone with the glass bowl method, placed it over the cam and then placed something heavy on top of the bowl, its got night vision so will record perfectly in pitch black. Left some dog bics on a plate in front of it where i've been leaving the other food.

Cam has a run time of 100mins, i'm just hoping its not one of the ones that will switch itself off if not in use for so long!

anyway, going up at 10.30pm, if food hasn't been touched i'm gonna recharge cam and try again once more tonight.

Really wanna see the face of this little sod/s and see what to expect!


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

excited!


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## shadow05 (Nov 4, 2010)

lol these are quite funny sorry anyways i think with the amount of destruction i would say that its a rat maybe more than one cause i mean just one rat couldnt have done all that. i would put some traps down or something then ull get the little bugger.


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## shadow05 (Nov 4, 2010)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> Does anyone else think thats a "foot" print?
> 
> image
> 
> Or is it just my eye playing up on me hah


lol to me its looks like a monster munch foot print lol but thats probs just me lol


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## shadow05 (Nov 4, 2010)

x Sarah x said:


> Uploaded some pics now...
> 
> Well i went on the hunt around the loft, theres plenty of dust so i thought i must find _something_!
> 
> ...


im sorry but im really excited about it now if u get anything could u show us the vid on here i really wanna see


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

So am I!! How sad are we?? :lol2:


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I hadn't been looking through this thread, but now I'm excited, too!! *lol* That's a brilliant print you found, as well!!!


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## shadow05 (Nov 4, 2010)

feorag said:


> So am I!! How sad are we?? :lol2:


 i knwo lol i feel quite sad for it nowe lol


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

It didn't make an appearance last night!, i had the cam going til 3am... but thats typical! as soon as you want it there, it disappears :whip:

Shall try again tonight, knowing my luck its moved out :roll:


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

SO dissapointed!!


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## NickBenger (Nov 18, 2010)

x Sarah x said:


> :lol2:
> 
> Correct, why would i buy a mouse trap!
> 
> ...


 Yeah catch it live and go well into the countryside and release...


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## Myth (May 22, 2009)

Fingers crossed you catch the mystery beast/s on video !!


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Urgh, this isn't go well as of yet!

Seems the little rogue comes out about 4-5am after i've gone to bed and after the cam has run out! :whip:

Anyway last 2 nights i haven't put any food out at all, and didn't hear anything from it either, but once again last night it seems to be on the hunt for food again and kept me up most the night, haven't seen any damage, just about 100 netted squares pulled out of a container probably to look in the bottom for old mantis ooths or something.

So tonight going to wait until about 2am, then cook up something with a strong smell like a bowl of porridge with honey or choc melted into it, really lure it out early and see what happens!


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## shadow05 (Nov 4, 2010)

x Sarah x said:


> Urgh, this isn't go well as of yet!
> 
> Seems the little rogue comes out about 4-5am after i've gone to bed and after the cam has run out! :whip:
> 
> ...


lol u shud try something thats really smelly but at the same time smells delicious lol i hope u catch the b****r. im sorry but if it was me id be lying down poison to kill the bloody thing. i dont normally go for that like but it shud be taking this long and if u ask me its the things fault lol and if its a rat its not like there isnt plenty of them.


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Its not its fault at all, its just trying to survive!

I'm just waiting for my bank transfer to go through so i can buy a trap, just want to see it while i'm waiting and also find out if its lone or got friends with it!

Its really not that much of a problem, the lofts full of rubbish anyway, and the more its chews up the more of an excuse i can give the OH to sort it out and throw it all out! Its such a nice space up there, its a shame its cluttered with rubbish!


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## shadow05 (Nov 4, 2010)

x Sarah x said:


> Its not its fault at all, its just trying to survive!
> 
> I'm just waiting for my bank transfer to go through so i can buy a trap, just want to see it while i'm waiting and also find out if its lone or got friends with it!
> 
> Its really not that much of a problem, the lofts full of rubbish anyway, and the more its chews up the more of an excuse i can give the OH to sort it out and throw it all out! Its such a nice space up there, its a shame its cluttered with rubbish!


oh im srry if i upset u or anything that wasnt my goal or anything. 

and it does look like a nice space as well lol, maybe u sud get a cat next or a kitten cause there alot cuter lol :flrt: and stick it up there u know so it can shred everything up lol and make even more of a mess so ur other half has to get cracking on it lol


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

I love reading this thread, its like a Who dunnit? game:lol2:
I do hope you manage to film whatever it is in your loft soon


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## shadow05 (Nov 4, 2010)

Shell195 said:


> I love reading this thread, its like a Who dunnit? game:lol2:
> I do hope you manage to film whatever it is in your loft soon


i do too lol i think its quite funny not for sarah like its hard to explain i just like how cheecky this thing is being lol and its quite exciting lol

Im sorry i know im crazy lol


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## kellystewart (May 11, 2010)

So curious to find out what this lil creature is


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## ladyboid (Nov 25, 2007)

I hope you get it on film.:2thumb:
I am also very excited :lol2:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I'm gutted! :sad:

Every time this thread appears in my User CP I think the puzzle is about to be solved and it isn't! :bash:;

Getting curiouser and curiouser!


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

OH common CATCH THE so and so on film!
Im so excited! 

What if it isnt a rat or a mouse of a squirrel, what if its something different :O?


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

freekygeeky said:


> What if it isnt a rat or a mouse of a squirrel, what if its something different :O?


:gasp: It could be a gremlin! :gasp:


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

feorag said:


> :gasp: It could be a gremlin! :gasp:


AHHHHHHHH!!!

me and mum(when she lived here) decided we had kapibara (sp) in the loft, turned out they were mice. So when ever we have mice in the loft we now call them kapibara lol!!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Whatever it is up there it will probably be a quarter of the size that it sounds! :lol2:


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

feorag said:


> Whatever it is up there it will probably be a quarter of the size that it sounds! :lol2:


hhehe!


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## Myth (May 22, 2009)

Still no joy ?


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## Myth (May 22, 2009)

I still keep checking back here to see if the mystery critter has been captured - haven't missed anything have I ???


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## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

might be some one elses problem now









W Midlands *~ Various Mice Inc. Abyssinian ~* 
Views: *115* 
Posted By x Sarah x 
_







Sorry to anyone who contacted me, i'm afraid this...

Sorry to anyone who contacted me, i'm afraid this thread is now of no use. 

Splitting with my partner and so having to rid of most my stock...if i can afford to get ever get back into the swing of... _


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