Ladders, Lofts and not Looking down

  Rats. They fought the dogs and killed the cats. Nicked the food from the bird's own table, and then pooed and weed in my loft. They appear only mildly annoyed by the sonic whatsits, but given the amount of junk in the attic, I'm surprised anything will reach them. 

  We've been doing The Inspection, inside and out, trying to see where the little buggers are getting in. Spoke to Joe at Somerset Pest Solutions, who gave some free advice, got some wire wool and some chicken wire and then got the ladder out. Yes, The Ladder. Someone has to hold it while one of us goes up, and it's usually me who goes up, as I will not be able to stop the ladder moving if the OH goes up. You know it makes sense.
  I do not like heights, but the job had to be done. The roof at the back looks sound, the doobries that go into the pointy bit of the tile to stop anything getting in were all present and correct. No signs of nibbling. No sign of rat. Put hand under tiles- no room there to even get a finger in. Blocked the down pipes with scrunched up chicken wire, to be on the safe side.

  Back into the attic. Torches and long poky stick, the lot. Finally found a possible entrance  near site of rat activity (ie poo). Definite nibbled hole. Ladder back out to the front of the house. Cut up chicken wire into small sheets. I'm back up the ladder again, not  looking down as ladder is now placed over the

front porch roof and there is a LOT of flex in said ladder. Wobble to the top. Most of these tiles have lost their doobries. I stuff the crumpled chicken wire into the  suspected entry point and into all the other tiles, whether they've got a doobrie or not. I don't want to have to go up again.
  Back down. Move ladder along a bit. More chicken wire. Blocked the down pipe, just in case. Do rest of roof tomorrow and see neighbour about access to our side wall and removal of ivy, which may also be giving our furry friends a route to the roof. Then the traps will go down, and we'll see just how much  Rattus Norvegicus likes peanut butter.
  As a reward for me being fearless and uncomplaining, the OH bought me an Alan Titchmarsh watering can. Well, you can't water your tomatoes with a medal, can you?

To be continued...