cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/43445448

I have no idea how rats are entering my terraced house. I see no exterior gaps. The block is so old that the houses were built well before architects and builders figured out it was a bad idea to butt houses up next to each other with no gap. So houses are not self-standing. They all lean against each other for support.

The rats never get into the living space but I hear them running across ceilings. They are likely getting in through a neighbor. Bricks are no match for rats, so there are likely missing bricks and pathways between the walls that are shared with neighbors. The rat fight is an impossible never ending battle, short of ripping out all walls and ceilings. Even if I bought some costly thermal infrared camera with 24/7 surveillance to find a rat path, plugging it would just be temporary until the rats make an alternate route. Exterminators are of course only interested in temporary solutions, for job security.

The roof is uninsulated and ⅓ of it is not really structurally sound… was installed by incompetent builders. So I got a couple estimates for the structurally problematic section of roof. Most likely the law requires builders to insulate new roofs. Generally that’s sensible. However, if I insulate the roof it will just make the rats even more comfortable. And they would likely destroy the insulation to use for nesting supplies. Fuck that. Especially when only ⅓ of the roof would be replaced.

I asked roofers: “how can you install rat-proof insulation? Can you enclose it in a metal screen or something? Is there a kind of insulation that is laced with rat poison?” They had no idea. They never heard the question before, which is strange because the whole city has a rat population that is double the human population.

So for years I have just neglected the roof, which looks like a sagging mattress; as I wait for a rat-proof option.