Rats

poor farmer

on an outfarm i have a slatted shed with about 300 wrapped bales stacked up.
In recent years when i would get in a bit into the stack there was signs of rat damage.It didn't affect the bales that much but I just didn't like handling them.

So in july I started to put down poison.i am using blocks and I break them into 4
I use 4-6 blocks per day .The are devouring the stuff ,no let up in consumption and i only saw I and he was dozy .There must be a world of them.
The shed is empty and there is no meal about.

snipey

put up a Barn Owl box, they will kill off any rats and get a cat but using poison will not get rid of them as they are ammune to most poisons.

Kovu

Are you sure they're not dragging it off to store elsewhere?
We once ripped up a floor in an old house and couldn't figure out why it was all blue rubble underneath it:rolleyes:

After that we made sure to superglue the blocks down.

poor farmer

.Kovu. wrote: »

Are you sure they're not dragging it off to store elsewhere?
We once ripped up a floor in an old house and couldn't figure out why it was all blue rubble underneath it:rolleyes:

After that we made sure to superglue the blocks down.

The may be, I put the bait down in the same places every day

Reggie.

poor farmer wrote: »

The may be, I put the bait down in the same places every day

Drill a hole through the blocks and run a wire through a 4in pipe with the wire through the blocks inside the pipe. They have to eat it in place and can't carry it off

Birdnuts

snipey wrote: »

put up a Barn Owl box, they will kill off any rats and get a cat but using poison will not get rid of them as they are ammune to most poisons.

Theres certainly a growing problem with rats becoming immune to most types of poison alright. Worse is the fact that their predators like barn owls can die from ingesting contaminated rats so it is very important to dispose of any rodents dead or alive in a safe manner. I use traps myself these days and they work well enough for me in most cases. Will also minimize the risk of rodents dieing in cavity wall spaces etc. and stinking the place out for months

on the river

Get the gun club and a few jack Russells.
They will solve it.

rushvalley

Use cages here to catch rats. I know it sounds awful but I get some satisfaction from killing the b@stards

poor farmer

rushvalley wrote: »

Use cages here to catch rats. I know it sounds awful but I get some satisfaction from killing the b@stards

I would sooner not see them.

racso1975

Not a farmer but live rural and saw one yesterday run out on to the road. It was feckin huge!!!!!

whelan2

we use the grain poison here, if you are using blocks only put them down once a week. Otherwise i can give you a cat

_Brian

whelan2 wrote: »

we use the grain poison here, if you are using blocks only put them down once a week. Otherwise i can give you a cat

We used that last winter and it was wonderful. Got it in throw packs so it's easy got into tight spaces and behind stuff. And then if there's no vermin about the pack keeps it fresh until they find it.

Brown Podzol

I put the poison about 100 yards out from the yard about 50 yards apart all around. It keeps the rats from coming into the yard. I haven't seen any resistance to the poison, use different poison each year, grain and blocks.

Suckler

Was watching a program on BBC, a farmer had woeful trouble with rats living in the hay shed. Got a guy in with a few terriers. As son as the farmer lifted out a bale of hay 10-15 rats would run from underneath. Each terrier managed to grab an kill a few rats each as every bale was lifted out. It was a serious bit of a massacre!

Reggie.

Suckler wrote: »

Was watching a program on BBC, a farmer had woeful trouble with rats living in the hay shed. Got a guy in with a few terriers. As son as the farmer lifted out a bale of hay 10-15 rats would run from underneath. Each terrier managed to grab an kill a few rats each as every bale was lifted out. It was a serious bit of a massacre!

Ya can't beat that auld terrier. Fearless and hardly ever gives up the fight

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

Ya can't beat that auld terrier. Fearless and hardly ever gives up the fight

until they get lepto from the rats:mad:

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

until they get lepto from the rats:mad:

Don't let them eat them. Usually a terrier just shakes the life out of the rats that's where you step in straight away

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

Don't let them eat them. Usually a terrier just shakes the life out of the rats that's where you step in straight away

our dog only ever killed them-would leave them on doorstep for us- but he got lepto

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

our dog only ever killed them-would leave them on doorstep for us- but he got lepto

Nasty....

Farmer Pudsey

The most efective way to control rats is poison. Op it is a waste of time breaking up blocks as rats carry away blocks or bits of thenm and hoard them. Grain is grand but you cannot leave in place longterm as rain and damp will spoil it.

A couple of things to remember is first of all to prevent immunity building to a poison source change ingrident each year as opposed to just make on bucket. Most blocks have hole in them or wire can be pushed throught them. Storm which was the only poison taht had no holes has now changed it practice ans storm secure comes with holes in it for wire.

After this summer there will be a lot of rats around. The trick is to eliminate as they start entering yards from cold weather and to access feed sources. 3" pipe is ideal as a bait storage point, I found plastic inserts from silage wrap rolls ideal. Thread 3-5 blocks through wire and tie wire through pipe bait points. Double glove, I use plastic gloves inside kitchen type gloves when handling poison. Young lad will bring bait pipes and replace same after i fill. Whenput out this way block is sitting 1" of bottom of pipe so will not spoin or become unpalatable. Check once a week and demand will increase for a few weeks as the first wet/cold weather happens. Move bait point around to points where demand is heavy. After this period passes you will find that there is little activity.

The advantages of this is you kill rats as they enter the yard. After eating they generally leave yard again to find water and die in there nests in ditches and walls. The young of females will die in nests outside in fields when there mother is killed.

These bait points are inaccessible to dogs cats etc. Here are some threads that have similar content. Wonder how many use a similar methed to me and is it working


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=90423119
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057122070&page=3
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=83576638

Capercaille

whelan2 wrote: »

until they get lepto from the rats:mad:

If the dog is vaccinated (every year), they won't get Lepto.

einn32

Yes use the inserts from silage wrap rolls. Very useful. Mice are more a problem here but still bait for both. We place a concrete block at either end of the pipe to stop blocks being carried off. I prefer to handle the bait as less as possible. Used that paste few years ago..got a sample from a sales guy. ..found it too messy.

whisky_galore

Used trapping in a 'war on rats', at least you can see the results.
Have no qualms about disposing of them afterwards.
No secondary poisoning and no stinking dead bodies in walls for days on end.

Capercaille

Brown Podzol wrote: »

I put the poison about 100 yards out from the yard about 50 yards apart all around. It keeps the rats from coming into the yard. I haven't seen any resistance to the poison, use different poison each year, grain and blocks.

Is the bait covered or in open?

visatorro

Sounds stupid but there's about ten cats around the yard. There must be rats because they don't get fed anything from the house. And they aren't starving. Years ago you would be walking down the yard at night and you'd hear the bastards scurrying around that doesn't happen anymore

Roquentin

poor rats

flutered

sugar mixed with hardwall works as well, peanut butter wwith the granualar pison, lastly home made buns similar to rice krispy buns, the chocolate is hard which they love.

dzer2

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

The most efective way to control rats is poison. Op it is a waste of time breaking up blocks as rats carry away blocks or bits of thenm and hoard them. Grain is grand but you cannot leave in place longterm as rain and damp will spoil it.

A couple of things to remember is first of all to prevent immunity building to a poison source change ingrident each year as opposed to just make on bucket. Most blocks have hole in them or wire can be pushed throught them. Storm which was the only poison taht had no holes has now changed it practice ans storm secure comes with holes in it for wire.

After this summer there will be a lot of rats around. The trick is to eliminate as they start entering yards from cold weather and to access feed sources. 3" pipe is ideal as a bait storage point, I found plastic inserts from silage wrap rolls ideal. Thread 3-5 blocks through wire and tie wire through pipe bait points. Double glove, I use plastic gloves inside kitchen type gloves when handling poison. Young lad will bring bait pipes and replace same after i fill. Whenput out this way block is sitting 1" of bottom of pipe so will not spoin or become unpalatable. Check once a week and demand will increase for a few weeks as the first wet/cold weather happens. Move bait point around to points where demand is heavy. After this period passes you will find that there is little activity.

The advantages of this is you kill rats as they enter the yard. After eating they generally leave yard again to find water and die in there nests in ditches and walls. The young of females will die in nests outside in fields when there mother is killed.

These bait points are inaccessible to dogs cats etc. Here are some threads that have similar content. Wonder how many use a similar methed to me and is it working


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=90423119
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057122070&page=3
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=83576638

I do puds I have 2 circles of defense one outside the yard in dry ditches and known areas of rat activity. One at the sheds feed points and where meal is stored. All bulk feed is stored in feed bins or Vermin proof containers it is only to counteract spillages. If you are seeing rats then you are infested or the poison is working.

whisky_galore

visatorro wrote: »

Sounds stupid but there's about ten cats around the yard. There must be rats because they don't get fed anything from the house. And they aren't starving. Years ago you would be walking down the yard at night and you'd hear the bastards scurrying around that doesn't happen anymore

Cats take anything they can get, field mice, house mice, birds.
Would be a pretty ballsy cat to tackle a big rat. If they do kill rats, you should see bodies, they don't like eating them most times.

Our lad would kill small rats and (unfortunately) birds, large and small.
It's a wonder as he's not much to look at. He's so inbred he's his own grandpa. All snot, wheezing and half shut eyes.

mj38

I would recommend a brand called Neosorexa rat poison. I had the same problem with Storm ain't 2 years ago. Rats were taking it and storing it. Took a while to figure it out. Was put in touch with a guy from Makeway Ltd. who recommended this. Within 2 days they stopped taking the poison and no more rats.

junospider

Hate putting down poison because of the knock on effect in other species.I keep traps set 24/7 and catch them coming in.I never have a big problem.
If you place the traps strategically you will catch them before you even know they are around.

Roquentin

junospider wrote: »

Hate putting down poison because of the knock on effect in other species.I keep traps set 24/7 and catch them coming in.I never have a big problem.
If you place the traps strategically you will catch them before you even know they are around.

You sound like the Erwin Rommel of rat catching:)

Reggie.

Roquentin wrote: »

You sound like the Erwin Rommel of rat catching:)

Ya have to be with them little terrors

theaceofspies

junospider wrote: »

Hate putting down poison because of the knock on effect in other species.I keep traps set 24/7 and catch them coming in.I never have a big problem.
If you place the traps strategically you will catch them before you even know they are around.

Agree with you there re: poison and it's effect on owls etc. Birdlife has become like grassland; very monoculture - the only birdlife around these parts are crows:cool:
It's hard to beat a couple of cats.

Capercaille

theaceofspies wrote: »

Agree with you there re: poison and it's effect on owls etc. Birdlife has become like grassland; very monoculture - the only birdlife around these parts are crows:cool:
It's hard to beat a couple of cats.

x2 Barn Owl on the verge of extinction in Ireland, because of widespread improper use of rat poisons.