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Rats

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  • 15-12-2008 11:05pm
    #1
    Maggie.23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭


    I have some connected questions here about rats, I'd really appreciate if you guys could help me out.

    I saw one rat in the garden tonight (bold as brass he was - he looked at me and walked around the garden while I had the torch on him), but I presume where there is one there are probably more?

    What is the most humane way to get rid of rats? My boyfriend is a chemist and says that rat poisen is a terrible way to die - they really suffer. Also I have rabbits and don't want rat poisen anywhere near them. Would it be ok to catch the rats in cages and let them loose in the middle of the country somewhere, or would this be irresponsible? If so, what is the most humane way to kill rats?

    Are rats dangerous to rabbits? The one I saw walked straight through the bars of the rabbit run.

    Would my rabbits have attracted rats? I don't leave any food in the garden.

    Does anyone know what kind of infections rats can cause in humans?

    Thanking you in advance for any advice.


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    #2
    seanybiker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,898 ✭✭✭✭seanybiker


    nothing wrong catching them in a cage and leaving em off in the country.
    Get some water and put some sugar in it, then put i little cement powder in it. Wait for a while until they drink a bit of it. After a few hours if all goes well the rats will be like little stones.go over with a pair of gloves on pick it up and bring it to a pond and see how many skips you can get out of stone rat.:)
    Na seriously though. Catch them in a cage and leave em off somewhere. Its the most humane way i can think of anyways. Best of luck.


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    #3
    therewillbe
    Registered Users Posts: 741 ✭✭✭therewillbe


    Sorry, but you cant be humane when it comes to rats. Poison,traps whatever has to be done as they are vermin at the end of the day.they could try and get at your rabbits food and god knows what disease they will spread.


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    #4
    *Penbo*
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27 ✭*Penbo*


    Rats spread so many life threatning diseases to humans. Especially if they've weed around your garden and you come in contact with it. Get rid of them as soon as you can. I agree with catching them and leaving them loose rather than killing them. :)


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    #5
    Interceptor
    Registered Users Posts: 3,180 ✭✭✭Interceptor


    If you have any form of food around your house it will attract rats. Rabbit food, a compost heap, cat food scraps - they aren't very fussy and being omnivorous they will eat anything.

    While they are classed as vermin and can transmit Weils disease via contact with their urine, I'll go out on a limb and say that the risk of toxoplasmosis from your neighbours cat is a higher risk to you. The sparrows that we routinely feed can carry a spectrum of transmissible diseases too - don't get bent out of shape over rats.

    You can buy a cage trap, catch the rats and let them out in the countryside. There is no excuse for animal cruelty, if you wouldn't poison a jackdaw, you shouldn't poison a rat.

    They won't touch your rabbits and can't transmit much to them (apart from fleas, but you should treat your rabbits for fleas and mites with Ivermectin or Frontline if they are outside anyway)

    'cptr


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    #6
    Maggie.23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭Maggie.23


    Hi Interceptor. I can see that you like rats. Don't worry, I have no intention of poisoning them.
    I'm not 'getting bent out of shape' over the disease aspect - a personal health issue lead me to that question.
    The consensus so far seems to be to move them, so I'll get working on that.


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    #7
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Maggie.23 wrote: »
    Hi Interceptor. I can see that you like rats. Don't worry, I have no intention of poisoning them.
    I'm not 'getting bent out of shape' over the disease aspect - a personal health issue lead me to that question.
    The consensus so far seems to be to move them, so I'll get working on that.

    How dare anybody catch a rat and then release it in the countryside!:mad:
    As a person who lives in a Rural area I'm fed up of people thinking they are setting Rats "free" by dumping them in a country area. They gravitate to areas where humans live and we then have to kill them on your behalf.
    I'm sorry but there is only one solution for rats and that is to kill them. Please don't dump them on our doorsteps just to ease your own consciences!


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    #8
    stevoman
    Registered Users Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭stevoman


    catching rats and setting them free in the countyryside???
    that has to be the most ridicukous thing i have ever heard in my life. :confused:

    why not just get a powerful srring based trap for killing them? its quick and humane.


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    #9
    thenightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭thenightrider


    Rat posion is the best way then when there are dead dig a hole and put them in it or burn them its the only way even at that you will prob never get rid of them all


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    #10
    Whispered
    Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    Some people have genuine problems with killing an animal.

    Burn the bodies, to get rid of them? If they are dead, is that not rid enough for you? Or maybe you could put their rat heads on a little pike as a warning to other rats what will happen should they go near your house?

    As for "how dare you....../rant", don't be daft. Rats are everywhere. One or two more released are hardly going to make a difference in your area.

    Besides, I would have thought that released rats would die pretty quickly in unfamiliar territory, without their social unit?


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    #11
    Maggie.23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭Maggie.23


    stevoman wrote: »
    why not just get a powerful srring based trap for killing them? its quick and humane.

    If that is what you think I should do then please give me more details (I don't know much about traps). I asked for advice here so that I could make an informed and responsible decision. I thought that intention was clear in my original post.


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    #12
    therewillbe
    Registered Users Posts: 741 ✭✭✭therewillbe


    This world is going mad, HELLO ,we are talking about VERMIN,not a little rabbit or hare or some garden birds. RATS. They have to be exterminated period. Don'T be dumping your issues on somebody else's lands.


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    #13
    whitser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,038 ✭✭✭whitser


    release rats into the countryside??? i've heard it all now.
    release them in helena ryans garden, she wont have a problem with that.


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    #14
    Whispered
    Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    Hello there, was wondering when you would make an apperance to have a snipe at me. :)

    Who said anything about releasing rats in peoples gardens? Just because you might live in the countryside doesn't mean the whole place is your garden.
    :rolleyes:

    Besides, I'd be very very suprised if rats are not already in my garden from time to time, as I said, they're everywhere.

    EDIT: Can someone please confirm if it is true that a rat released away from it's own place will likely die?


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    #15
    whitser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,038 ✭✭✭whitser


    we're talking about weils disese carrying smelly fooking rats here. kill 'em.
    op your rabbits are attracting the rats, rats know rabbits = food.


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    #16
    whitser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,038 ✭✭✭whitser


    will a rat die released away from home?
    no, they'll live and thrive anywhere, thats why the country is full,over run with them. every council in the country has a rat problem somewhere. kill '.em


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    #17
    Whispered
    Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    I agree, I think the best way to deal with them is to kill them. But I can also understand if the OP did not want to do that. I have issues with killing animals too so I understand how it feels to not want to go down that road.

    In the case of rats I do think it's the best thing to do, but the op asked for humane ways of getting rid of them.

    I just think a big rant of "how dare you...." type indignation when we all know that rats are an unfortunate part of country (and city) living is a bit daft.


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    #18
    whitser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,038 ✭✭✭whitser


    even if they did die released from home from starvation etc... would it not be more humane to kill it with a trap,quickly?


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    #19
    Whispered
    Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    whitser wrote: »
    even if they did die released from home from starvation etc... would it not be more humane to kill it with a trap,quickly?
    Firstly, I did not suggest releasing them, I simply said how daft it is to get all annoyed about the suggestion.

    Secondly, the reason I asked if they would die away from home was so that the op would be clear on what can be the consequences of these more "humane" methods, if I was right in thinking they would die.


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    #20
    Maggie.23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭Maggie.23


    whitser wrote: »
    kill 'em
    That's easy to say. I will not use poison. If you have a suggestion as to a humane way to kill them, then make a suggestion. Otherwise, I'm still leaning towards the idea of moving them. A couple more rats in another, more desolate, area won't make a whole lot of difference. If they still die, it's still more humane than poison.

    Edit: I just saw your last post Whitser. I still don't know what kind of trap kills them quickly. I'm looking into the idea.


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    #21
    whitser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,038 ✭✭✭whitser


    spring traps, live traps(then kill them), air rifle, terriers, ferretts.


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    #22
    Maggie.23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭Maggie.23


    I can't...
    Thanks for all the input, I'll figure something out.


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    #23
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    helena.ryan wrote: »
    As for "how dare you....../rant", don't be daft. Rats are everywhere. One or two more released are hardly going to make a difference in your area.
    A) Not a rant. A genuinely annoyed response to a ridiculus suggestion.

    B) If one or two more aren't going to make any difference in my area, then the same applies to the area they are taken from. Leaving one or two where they are rather than trapping them is "hardly going to make a difference".
    :rolleyes:


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    #24
    Interceptor
    Registered Users Posts: 3,180 ✭✭✭Interceptor


    LOLZ @ haterz....

    @OP - the choice is yours, by all means bring them to my house - a few more or less won't make a difference and since my dog has killed all the cats in the area the rats are safe.

    'cptr


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    #25
    stevoman
    Registered Users Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭stevoman


    whitser wrote: »
    spring traps, live traps(then kill them), air rifle, terriers, ferretts.

    all good and humane ways to dispatch the rats and about the only other options outside of poisining.
    Maggie.23 wrote: »
    I can't...
    Thanks for all the input, I'll figure something out.

    Not being smart now, but if you cant poisen them, spring trap them, live trap and dispatch them or use other meas to get rid of them id say good luck living with your new rodent freinds.


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    #26
    Slig
    Registered Users Posts: 1,550 ✭✭✭Slig


    Rentokil or similar will probably set some traps and remove them for you. My personal preferance would be to kill and dispose of but living in the country I have heard of some "colourful" traditional methods.

    Leave a barrel at 45 degree angle with food in the bottom so that rats can crawl in but not get out. when you have 4 or 5 then leave them for a couple of days until they run out of food and turn canabalistic and there is only one left. At this point release the remaining rat. The idea is that he has now got a taste for rat meat and will hunt out the rest of his kind in the area.

    I presonally think its a horrible disgusting idea and I dont know if it works but I have seen it done.


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    #27
    themadchef
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,813 ✭✭✭themadchef


    5 years ago my father almost died from Weils disease. He was helping someone put up lights on an outdoor tree and cut his hand on a broken bulb. There was a barrel or water close by so he washed his hand in case there was any broken glass in intWithin two weeks his liver was failing and he came very close to dying.

    Rats are vermin, they spread disease. Until something like this happens to someone you know i dont think you really believe how easily people can die.

    I have one living in the boiler house at the minute. I'm trying the poison route. I dont mean to be creul but people come first. He wont go willingly. There is no other way.


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    #28
    cotton
    Registered Users Posts: 629 ✭✭✭cotton


    We have a contract with Rentokill - they put mouse bait boxes in the house & rat bait boxes outside.
    The same boxes are used in creches, hospitals etc & are completely safe to humans & pets.


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    #29
    GigaByte
    Closed Accounts Posts: 515 ✭✭✭GigaByte


    Kill the rat or you'll end up with more than one.

    Interceptor wrote: »
    LOLZ @ haterz....

    @OP - the choice is yours, by all means bring them to my house - a few more or less won't make a difference and since my dog has killed all the cats in the area the rats are safe.

    'cptr

    Your place must be full of rat piss and ****? Or have you been able to house train them? :confused:


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    #30
    Maggie.23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭Maggie.23


    stevoman wrote: »
    all good and humane ways to dispatch the rats and about the only other options outside of poisining. Not being smart now, but if you cant poisen them, spring trap them, live trap and dispatch them or use other meas to get rid of them id say good luck living with your new rodent freinds.

    I said I can't - I'll be paying someone to dispatch them humanely...


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    #31
    dennistuam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 155 ✭✭dennistuam


    get a piece of wavin pipe close one end up with extra strong cellotape then get a prong of a broken fork or grape the sharper the better stick it throught the celloptape .get used chip pan oil from a chipper, spread it in the inside of the pipe fully covered.
    then dig a hole for the pipe, throw in a few herrings .mr rat will come for a look ,fall down the hole get jabed ,try and get up but because he cannot get a grip because of the greasy chip pan oil ,he will fall down again and get another jab, he probably do this 10 to 20 times , then his mates will smell him and they will head back to meath or leitrim probelm solved


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