When our house was not lived by humans for six months, rodents ruled.

When our house was not lived by humans for six months, rodents ruled.

We were planning to go to our daughter’s house in US on invitation for 6 months. This was not the first time we were going there. We thought we had enough experience in that exercise. We knew that rodents use the under ground public sanitary lines as their homes. To prevent them entering our house heavy bricks were used to close all the outlets from water closets, sink drains in kitchen and bath rooms. We were very happy that enough measures have been taken. We closed all the doors of each room so that inter connection is broken.

When we returned from US and opened every room they were in sufficiently fair condition except dust and smell. It was a different story when water closet was opened. It was full of droppings of rats. The brick placed over the gully trap was intact. I started investigation about the route taken by the rats to enter the closet.

Can you imagine that the commode could go dry and the rats entered through the commode? It is possible that the water trapped in the commode could have evaporated or it is even possible that the rats have drunken it! They are capable enough to pass through water and they do not enter the houses where human activity is going on for the fear of humans.

Once they got the entry and noticed no hindrance to their activity, they made the closet their home merrily and ruled the premises.

One more item is to be added to our precaution list. We will have to place close heavy item on the commode cover in future when we are absent for a long period.