Any idea what making holes in the ceiling?

[Big Boy]

My son was woken in the night by what he describes as somebody trying to twist a rusty top off a bottle. This morning, we have 4 holes in our ceiling coving about 3/8" diameter. Has anybody else had similar unwanted visitors?

Exterminator is due at 3:30, but just intrigued as to what it might be.

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[PeteC]

Something with teeth! A squirrel or a rat perhaps?

[buksida]

Yeah could be one of those garoks (Thai squirrel - กระรอก), we have a few of them around our place.

[Big Boy]

We've been hearing rat like noises running in the loft - exterminators have failed to stop them so far. However, the holes are surely too small to fit a rat or squirrel through. That aside, the coving was in place when we bought the house - I assume it was put in place after the walls/ceilings were completed, so the holes (I'm assuming) only lead behind the coving, not into the loft area. We have 2 holes in the living room about 5' apart, and 2 holes in the kitchen over 20' away about 12' apart. All 4 holes appeared overnight.

[PeteC]

This has the makings of a good Thai pee movie?

[HHTel]

Is that coving or a suspended ceiling. If suspended then there will be quite a large space above that. In the past we've had rats above the downstairs ceiling (it's 2 storey) and that was sorted by a plate of rat poison placed above the ceiling (removable inspection panel). Noises in the upstairs roof have been pigeons in the past. Identified the attraction as being dog food placed outside. Since moving the dog's food inside the pigeons eventually withdrew and have never been back. That was a few years ago now.

But yeh, my guess is rats or pigeons or both.

[Nereus]

This has the makings of a good Thai pee movie?

let me out

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[Big Boy]

Is that coving or a suspended ceiling. If suspended then there will be quite a large space above that.

I hadn't considered suspended ceiling, but reading your comments and looking up. it probably is suspended. We've only lived here 10 years, I'd never really thought about it

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[Nereus]

Suspended ceilings are usually only required under the slab of a double storey building. But regardless, there is always going to be a gap between the wall cladding and the ceiling, the very reason that a coving finisher is required.
And by the way, what your photo shows is more correctly called a "cornice".

I doubt that it is a rat. Although they can be heard chewing, you wont hear them running around.

[Big Boy]

I'm just hoping the exterminator takes one look, and says that's a ......................... We just need to do this to evict it. I'm sure it will be something he sees every day.

The hole I posted is in my direct vision whilst sat in my armchair. I'm just waiting for Nereus' little green hand to make an appearance

[Big Boy]

Exterminator turned up early. Absolutely certain it is rats. They are currently in the process of turning my loft into a chemical weapons warehouse with trays of gunk everywhere. Also on the kitchen floor, under the kitchen sink.

Loads of poison put under the house as well - all out of range of the dogs. They think the infestation is/was quite serious.

Very efficient - just hope it works.

Now we have to find out what the rusted bottle top being removed noise was that woke my son up

[PeteC]

They could be gnawing on some kind of metal conduit or junction box up there. Just pray they don't take a fancy to your electrical or internet wires.

Edit: When the poison works if they die in the loft or under the house you'll have to get them out of there quickly as it will stink to high heaven in this heat.

[PeteC]

You need to try to determine what is attracting them in the first place to avoid any repeat.

[PeteC]

We've had problems at our place over the years as well. First it was the salt bags for the swimming pool salt. They love salt apparently. Next it was sloppy neighbors who didn't secure their bins with tops. Next, they developed a taste for wiring that runs through the neighborhood underground, along the walls of the waste water tunnels. They got in our loft as well due to tree branches too close to the roof. We used foam insulation and it blocked everything, and they haven't been back up there, yet.

[Nereus]

If it is rats, then did he show you the evidence in the way of scat(droppings)?