I have a rat (and possibly squirrel) problem in my attic.
At the bottom of a valley in the back of my house there is a gap where the flashing and shingles sit on the fascia. I think this is one of the ways rats are getting into my attic. What’s the best way to seal/block off this gap? (and, do those look like rub marks from rats to anybody else?) It also looks like there is an area on the right piece of fascia that has been gnawed down. An unattractive solution I’m considering is cutting some small pieces of trim to tack up there. I could also pull off the trim and cut new pieces and taper them at the end so they are wider where they meet, but I’m wondering if anyone has a better idea.
These guys are driving me crazy. I’ve caught ten this week and they are also down in some of my walls and I’m probably going to have to pull the sheetrock off in those areas to take care of it…
Replies
Galv sheet metal or aluminum. Then paint to match.
I'd hook up a high voltage transformer to the sheetmetal for a while before painting it. Nothing like zaping rats.
I'd seal it off with a CAT ;o)
Jeff
Crazy thing is, my wife has been insisting that we buy a snake to let loose in the attic. I'm afraid if I don't take care of this soon that one day I'll go up there and be surprised by her new pet.
Bondo will fill the hole tightly and i'll get it tastes bad to them. If you use a piece of waxed paper between the Bondo and a piece of plywood used as a dam, the cured surface will be smooth and paintable. You should sand it a little just to provide tooth for the primer/paint. You should not even be able to tell where the repair was. The hardest part of this job is getting the ladder out.
chore boy.... it's a brass/copper mesh something or other for scrub'n / cleaning pots... also sold in the hood as the filter/fire catcher for crack pipes...
anyway... rats... whatever can't won't eat it or go thru it.... stuff any hole you find with it...
unless you have super rats then all bets are off
p
I once had a rat dig its way through a wet mix of concrete and broken glass.
Personally, I would go to a metal roof distributor in your area and ask for facia drip edge a few if not 6 inches wider than that of the top pieece you already have(which I would remove) and install as usual, short of sealing the bottom edge REALLY good with the most expensive adhesive caulking you can find... That's how I dealt with a similar situation with a squirrel up here in AK.. Maybe a 6 pack and a pellet gun after dark would be cheaper...However, I would definitely NOT electrically charge any part of your house that is not supposed top be, seems like just a bad plan from the get go.. Maybe something in a cartoon or something, I don't know...
Good Luck..
A good carpenter is one that can make a mistake and fix it in the same day with no one ever noticing!
As far as I'm concerned, the only difference between a rat and a squirrel is a fluffy tail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRR4bOquEKQ