RATS - any suggestions other than poison

[Two_Sheds]

they are an absolute waste of time

I came to that conclusion when I had to make a noise complaint about my downstairs' neighbour. I had a noise diary going back months, listing all night parties.
After speaking to the flat's occupants, the EHO found no reason to take any action (he didn't bother to meet me, or phone me)

[madpiano]

Can you encourage foxes into your garden? They love eating rodents and are better mice and rat catchers than cats. That wont help for the ones in your house, but should at least keep the population down outside. Your neighbour's garden sounds like the perfect place for them to make a den and have youngsters to feed!
But you need to evict the ones indoors! They aren't dangerous as such, as here in the UK they don't carry too many diseases, but they will breed and gnaw on wood, which could seriously damage your floor support! I used to breed rodents (I had mice, hamsters and rats as a kid) and none of them ever gnawed on life cables. But they do like the stuff that makes rubber/plastic soft and will gnaw on cables that lead to devices that are switched off. So maybe turning the sockets on will keep you safer!
As you are down to the floor boards, can you lift a couple and put traps down there? Cheap snap ones will be best. They are fond of peanut butter, more so than cheese. Or ask the council to give you some of those poison ones from Rentokil. It covers their fur in something nasty which they then carry back to the nest and it kills the lot.
Also get some used cat litter and put that down under the floor boards before covering them with carpet. It will deter them. Don't use a lot though, as you don't want the house to smell of cat pee!

[Linzy]

we had rats, my friend is a pest controller and gae us some super strength poison however that only got 2 of the bleeders we then got a super duper air rifel done two weeks of stake outs and got 27 of the buggers. So i would suggest you go get yourself a serious weapon. Also we had one at work and torque wrenches are fab at despatching them