Getting rid of rats

the_syco

Hi all,

Didn't think this would go down well in the Animals forum, so I'm asking here.

My westie Holly passed away today, and sooner or later the rats that she has kept at bay for the last 15 years will figure this out. There is a hole that is blocked with a brick at the moment, but they usually just dig another hole eventually. They have often came out and climbed up to the birdfeeders to get at the feed, as well as going into the flowers (to get birds nesting in there), and they have walked on top of the sunroom roof the odd time.

So I'm looking to kill them all. I don't have a gun license, so will use any and all suggestions. As they probably come out in other neighbours gardens, smoking them to death or dropping some flammable crap down their hole is out of the question. But I do want to kill as many, or all of them as possible.

So please, what is the best poison to use, and where should I lay it?

Plan B is to drop some poison down the hole, and go from there. There are no small children in the house.

djflawless

id just chance a few 'storm' pellets..or let somebody with a rat cage and a gun licence or terriers into your garden for awhile

kildare.17hmr

get a new dog?

Skerries

you do it the "family" way

fathersymes

Sorry to hear about your dog.

As for the rats, get some poison, place the bait tray along a wall and most importantly be sure to cover the bait tray by either placing it in a wavin pipe or by leaning a plank against the wall.

PS. The Rentakil stuff in Woddies or B&Q works fine, it's a second generation anticoagulant.

Deerspotter

Powderise the storm pellets; otherwise they can take the pellet away as a nest liner!

ianoo

Deerspotter wrote: »

Powderise the storm pellets; otherwise they can take the pellet away as a nest liner!

+1 on that ,put the pellets in the little plastic money bags and crush them then place them down any rat holes ,crushing them stops the rats taking them and storing them for "later"....

ian

Longranger

Definately get another terrier. We had a shocking rat problem until we got ours. He's only 11 months and he's a bit gun shy so only middling for rabbits and foxes(if i'm out with him and no gun and he sniffs charlie he goes mental though!) but he is UNREAL at catching rats. He even caught a mink about 3 weeks ago. Terriers are the ONLY way to go for pests...good luck:)

the_syco

Longranger wrote: »

Definately get another terrier.

Too soon. My mum really liked Holly (the westie), so I don't think getting one so soon after Holly died would be fair on her.

ferrete

Get a ferret r 2 I'm telling you they are the only job 4 getting rid of rats and keeping them at bay

Genghiz Cohen

Someone looking for a new home?

EPointer=Birdss

Get a new dog. It always helps when you lose an old one.
Plus if was effective before why change tact...

CardBordWindow

Storm in a length of wavin pipe, along a wall works a treat. Don't immediately replace the bait if it is taken. Leave 7-10 days before replacing bait, or they just store it.

Alternatively, if you drill a hole through a Storm pellet, and use wire to tie it to something, then the rats have to eat it there and then.

akamossie

spread peppers around the suspected area, they will never come back

junospider

If storm was meant to be crushed it would come crushed.Put down a few blocks and let the rats take them away to feed on at leisure.Replace them in a week.Keep this up until no blocks are being taken.Simple.

fodda

Why not get rid of the reason you seem to be attracting so many rats?:rolleyes:

Tackleberrywho

fodda wrote: »

Why not get rid of the reason you seem to be attracting so many rats?:rolleyes:

Get rid of the birds?
I know anyone who keeps hens may have rat problems if left unchecked

Controlling rats is a 3 forked approach, my Uncle stores feed in an old fridge.
And he has bait points on the entire permimiter of farm.
the rest are shot under teh lamp with the 12G

johngalway

Previous to this year I had always been able to control rats with cage traps and fenn traps. But, then I went anddone something silly... I forgot about a bag of barley at the back of the shed and I got myself a family or three.

First things first. Have everywhere spotless, no debris or crap that can be used as hiding places and NO food for them. If there's constant food available you'll constantly have rats, IMO.

Secondly, storm does work. I used lengths of wavin pipe and broke the blocks of storm into 4 pieces (use gloves, it's not nice stuff). As CBW said, don't replace taken bait right away, wait a week, then rebait.

But, if you don't take away the reason they're coming a visiting, you're chasing your tail.

Take a real, real good look around the place, pick up any dead rats and burn them.

Birdnuts

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

Get rid of the birds?
I know anyone who keeps hens may have rat problems if left unchecked

Controlling rats is a 3 forked approach, my Uncle stores feed in an old fridge.
And he has bait points on the entire permimiter of farm.
the rest are shot under teh lamp with the 12G

Does he use wavin pipes or special rodent bait boxes?? - I've found the latter very effective myself in the main drain at the back of the sheds:)

Tackleberrywho

Birdnuts wrote: »

Does he use wavin pipes or special rodent bait boxes?? - I've found the latter very effective myself in the main drain at the back of the sheds:)

Farmer, special anything?


I think not!

Birdnuts

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

Farmer, special anything?


I think not!

Yeah - I suppose most farmers have bits of pipe lying around the yard anyways to use in this regard

Tackleberrywho

Birdnuts wrote: »

Yeah - I suppose most farmers have bits of pipe lying around the yard anyways to use in this regard

My old man has a shed full of off cuts, bolts, old galvanize timber steaks, barbie wire etc etc

Most farmers have same

Wavin Pipe gets most cattle into the crush, last longer than sticks

As a farmer told me today, Vise Grips, Silage tape and Baler twine does most jobs on the farm

Cavity block good for bait as rat can get in but cat or dog can't

rsole1

Storm blocks are now being produced by the manufacturer in much smaller pellets than the large blocks they made before.