Is there an increase in rats this year?

[journey1]

Is it just me or do any more folks think there is an increase of our furry friends?
Certainly over the years I have been used to seeing them in the garden but this week a couple have made a visit into the house! Not really what I want as guests!

[Muad_dib]

well there's one less now,one of my local cats was just chewing on it by our front door.I know he's a good hunter i just wish he wouldn't bring us his catches to show off.

[CatalkoyJ]

We are having a persistent problem with rats, over the last couple of years. Nothing in the 5 years before. We have tried the local council, we have used poison from supermarket, and we have also had pest control services from FROG (opposite Credit West). None have worked.

Have you got any suggestions, are there any good companies solving this?
(not a cat please, we are come and go visitors to our villa).

Not at all encouraging for us, or our guests.

Thanks for your helpful suggestions
CatalkoyJohn

[bigOz]

Rats always look for cool places around this time of the year when it gets too hot - so they start showing themselves more out of desperation.

The best rat killer is, in small sacks like tea bags, and they actually entice the rats as food because of some chemical smell they have. Any rat that chews on that soon drops dead and the effect is usually after 20-30 minutes which increases the probability of them returning to their nest. Any other rat in the nest who may settle for the rats corpse as a meal also bites the dust! It actually cleared my mums house and its vicinity from rats over the past 3 years.

I forgot the name of the poison but it did cost 30 liras for a bag of 15-20 of these tea bag shaped packs. They actually work. Rats used to run round in the loft at night time waking everyone up - the other day I went up into the loft to check the water tank and discovered half a dozen rat skeletons! No wander we have not heard them for three years

I believe the hardware/builders shop on the left just before the Karakum village crossroads (where Mr repair man's shop is on the corner) has these in stock but some big supermarkets are bound to have them too. I will look to see where when next out shopping...

[Groucho]

Of course any cat or bird that feeds on the dead rat's carcase will perish too... and the chain goes on - which is not so good.

[bigOz]

Cats in Cyprus do not eat rats - they just kill them! Ours often carry them round in their mouth around the garden to show off their catch. Mum had 3 cats in her garden nothing happened to them. In any case, the overfed lazy domestic cats would probably watch a rat go by without moving a limb!

The only birds around that do eat rats are the crows. And Cypriots are encouraged to kill as many of those as possible because they are of no benefit to the environment; they destroy a lot of crops and fruits in many agricultural areas.

[CatalkoyJ]

Thanks.
Has anyone used any pest control services?

Are there any good ones that could take care of the villa whilst we are away?

thanks
John

[journey1]

Thanks for all of the replies.
I did use the poison as described in an earlier post but really to no avail.
They were still to be seen running along the roof of the house and in the garden.
The local council just do the usual shrug so I would be interested if anyone does know of a specialist company dealing with this problem.
My only other thought is that further up the road from my home in Alsancak, on the Ercan sok to Malatya - above Riverside roundabout there appears to be some sort or council rubbish collection area -( just down from the Black Olive café) - maybe that collection point could be the source of the increase?

[AJay]

The Belediye use that area as a recycling/sorting point and the last time I walked past all it had was green garden waste and cardboard. So not sure that would attract rats.

[Hippocampus]

We live in a fairly countrified area well away from any centres of rubbish, and we are overrun this year. Maybe wrong, but there seems to be a direct link between the decrease in raptors, snakes and foxes in our area, and the increase in rats. Despite the "hunters" being responsible and certain birds being protected, we find plenty of owls, various hawks and kites either peppered with lead or poisoned in the countryside around us.

[journey1]

Thanks again folks for taking the time to reply
It all sounds like a public health issue that needs to be assessed and acted on appropriately by the authorities.
How that would happen in North Cyprus is open to speculation I fear.

[Panchocat]

Animals carrying around poisoned carcasses can also succumb to the poison. Friend's dog picked up a poisoned animal and keeled over soon afterwards. Luckily they got the dog to Petcross in time. If it had been a smaller dog or a cat they probably would not have survived.

[goldfinch]

If you google rats north Cyprus you will see that the council have ordered 300,000 kilo of rat poison for north Cyprus epidemic numbers

[CatalkoyJ]

Well the rats won. Gnawed through the water pipes, flooded villa. Kitchen ceiling down. Lots of damage.

All the prevention we put in place failed. Not sure what we can do to stop this happening again, once we have repaired everything?

CatalkoyJohn
..................

[journey1]

CatalkoyJ - I am so sorry to hear about the damage you have experienced due to rats. Have you tried the type of poison Bigoz was posting about? Also does your property manager not look out for early signs of rat activity and take appropriate action?
I hope someone on this forum can come up with some further advice and information to help us all.
Best Wishes