Rats, mice, what is it - how to get rid of it?

Rat in street, Vancouver, Canada.

Do you hear little noises? What is it? Moths in light fittings? Spiders in packaging paper? Or mice and rats - rodents?

And those droppings and little lumps?

Rats

In Hendon we had rats. They had run along under the building. When we called in the council rat catchers (at the expense of the landlord - who was me - they found that a hole at the end of the building allowed the rat to go along the whole building and then get into the kitchen through a hold around the pipework.

The rat catcher instructed the landlord to seal up the outside hole. First, we had to catch our rats or get them to die.

Prevention tips included keeping all food on high shelves, not waist high work surfaces. 

Our tenants were from the Middle East and used to sit on the floor on a carpet refilling large rice and flour containers from bigger containers or bags.

I also noticed that the tenants kept the place spotless. But just before they went out shopping (leaving me to wait for the council's rat catcher service), they allowed a child to walk around eating a biscuit. Naturally the child dropped half a biscuit on the floor.

One of the dangers of letting children run around with cakes and biscuit and other food is that you get stains and crumbs on the floor which attracts insects.

Here's one view which points out that you should seal holes around pipes and skirting boards so rodents don't get in.

http://www.attic-rat.com/prevent.html

If you have any experience, advice or questions, please send them.