Rats

aaakev

hey lads, I've got a rat in the back garden and have been trying to catch him for about a week now with no luck. I've a cage trap out and put fresh meat in it every evening and he is just not interested. I watched him last night in the dogs pen eating dog **** after he walked right passed the meat so I picked up the ****e and put some into the cage and still no luck. If been watching him coming and going the last hour out the kitchen window and still no interest in the food if in the cage! Right now if meat that I charred, dog ****e and tuna in it and he has zero interest!

In a housing estate so shooting is out unless I could get an air rifle!

Fresh out ideas here now, anyone any advice???

whupdedo

Melt lard in the microw, when its nice and soft mix engine coolant in with it, let it harden up and leave outside for him to nibble on , but make sure not to leave it somewhere pets can get at it

aaakev

Not a fan of poison tbh, too slow and painful even for a rat And wouldn't like something else to eat him after and get poisoned. Plenty of buzzards round here

aaakev

here he is again......

john the one

Let the doggy at him?

PucaMama

Please don't cause it such a slow painful death. Keep at the traps unless of course it's not causing any real problems if that's the case leave it alone. Remember the cause of the rats success is our waste and rubbish. Rats and mice so so well because of humans.

Guy:Incognito

Ive found chocolate works great. I got traps that had a plastic base with a little hole for bait. I bought a sqeezy bottle of chocolate that you put on ice cream ( the one that doesn't harden) and it hasn't failed to draw them in.
I live next to an old scrap yard and a derelict house as well as a river about a hundred metres away so its an ongoing issue. Whenever they are in the garden (the sensor light goes on) The traps with chocolate get them quick smart.

aaakev

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Ive found chocolate works great. I got traps that had a plastic base with a little hole for bait. I bought a sqeezy bottle of chocolate that you put on ice cream ( the one that doesn't harden) and it hasn't failed to draw them in.
I live next to an old scrap yard and a derelict house as well as a river about a hundred metres away so its an ongoing issue. Whenever they are in the garden (the sensor light goes on) The traps with chocolate get them quick smart.

I'll give that a go now man cheers. I'm the same with the sensor lights, put them up about 2 weeks ago and was wondering why the lights were on when the dogs had been in then I saw the ****er last week

aaakev

PucaMama wrote: »

Please don't cause it such a slow painful death. Keep at the traps unless of course it's not causing any real problems if that's the case leave it alone. Remember the cause of the rats success is our waste and rubbish. Rats and mice so so well because of humans.

I won't be poisoning it. I'll be catching it and killing it quick

PucaMama

aaakev wrote: »

I won't be poisoning it. I'll be catching it and killing it quick

Best option really

Guy:Incognito

aaakev wrote: »

I'll give that a go now man cheers. I'm the same with the sensor lights, put them up about 2 weeks ago and was wondering why the lights were on when the dogs had been in then I saw the ****er last week

This is the one I use.

EDIt. Bah photo too big. Its Askeys chocolate sauce. Think it was only about 2 quid in Dunnes.

aaakev

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

This is the one I use.

Chocolate sauce now added to the mix.....

If I had an air rifle I'd have had him 10 times over,might add a cheap springer to the gun safe this year just for them

1shot16

Ye or .22 birdshot if u have a .22lr!

aaakev

1shot16 wrote: »

Ye or .22 birdshot if u have a .22lr!

Not in an estate, too loud

outdoors247

Try fat from a frying pan after you've cooked rashers on it dip bread in the fat

1shot16

aaakev wrote: »

Not in an estate, too loud

Ye not a gud idea then haha...

May get a air rifle.. kinda regret letting mine go!

aaakev

1shot16 wrote: »

Ye not a gud idea then haha...

May get a air rifle.. kinda regret letting mine go!

Yeah I had one years ago too and got rid when I bought my first "real" gun.... Should have kept it

1shot16

aaakev wrote: »

Yeah I had one years ago too and got rid when I bought my first "real" gun.... Should have kept it

Exactly same as myself sold it last summer for the .22lr!

Air rifles are a handy piece of kit dont care what anyone says

Ape Owners

What kinda trap have you got down?Wont go wrong with a fenn mk4 in a timber box,set it along his walkway and you'll get him soon enough.Heres a pic of one I got recently,eh he's a big lad but have seen bigger running about.

aaakev

It's a live cage trap, if I don't get him tonight I'm going to get the fenn. Big oul rat that!

Mississippi.

aaakev wrote: »

Not in an estate, too loud

Theres a certain noise from springers too you know. Try and listen to a few shots before you buy one.

1shot16

Mississippi. wrote: »

Theres a certain noise from springers too you know. Try and listen to a few shots before you buy one.

True but nothing like a gun shot not going to alarm half the town!

outdoors247

I think most regret changing for a REAL rifle .

1shot16

outdoors247 wrote: »

I think most regret changing for a REAL rifle .

Get more use from the .22lr just air rifle would of came in handy at times!

mattser

Ape Owners wrote: »

What kinda trap have you got down?Wont go wrong with a fenn mk4 in a timber box,set it along his walkway and you'll get him soon enough.Heres a pic of one I got recently,eh he's a big lad but have seen bigger running about.

:eek::eek::eek:

Birdnuts

mattser wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

Indeed - no animal terrifies me more than a rat!! I've shared rooms with snakes,scorpions and spiders out foreign but the rats are the ones that have no fear,even when you fire stuff at them!!

hallo dare

This fella does a nice clean up!

Warning: Graphic content

cookimonster

Rats have nerophobia, afraid of new things, eventually they will accept changes in thier environment, so persevere with the traps and they will get use to them and investigate at thier peril

gctest50

cookimonster wrote: »

Rats have nerophobia, afraid of new things, .........l

'cept these ones :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FV3LOlGTqI

Grizzly 45

Peanut butter,smear it on a good ol fashioned rat trap and that is the end of the problem.Or buy a decent powerful slingshot and a box M6 or M8 steel nuts.No noise and a sure kill on any rat I've ever dealt with.

Grizzly 45

Peanut butter,smear it on a good ol fashioned rat trap and that is the end of the problem.Or buy a decent powerful slingshot and a box M6 or M8 steel nuts.No noise and a sure kill on any rat I've ever dealt with.

deerhunter1

PucaMama wrote: »

Please don't cause it such a slow painful death. Keep at the traps unless of course it's not causing any real problems if that's the case leave it alone. Remember the cause of the rats success is our waste and rubbish. Rats and mice so so well because of humans.

Poison the bastard

Cass

People may laugh at this but i have used it dozens of times in the past. Scrambled egg. Take one egg, scramble it and lay it down at the right time. They fecking love it. Not sure if it's the smell, taste or what but it's like flies to sh*te with them.

I have two cures for rats myself:

• Sam - He is 10 inches tall, brown spots, and a little unhinged. He has killed every rat, mouse and even tried on a few birds in the area. Even my Rottie is afraid of him.
• Shotgun - I know not suitable for you, but the joy of living in the sticks with my nearest neighbour a half a mile away is no one would bat an eyelid at the sound of a shot. No matter the time.

So unless you have or have access to someone with a good ratter dog and the shotgun/shooting is out it looks like trapping is your only option.

cerastes

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Peanut butter,smear it on a good ol fashioned rat trap and that is the end of the problem.Or buy a decent powerful slingshot and a box M6 or M8 steel nuts.No noise and a sure kill on any rat I've ever dealt with.

Can't say I've much experience getting rats, haven't seen one around since I got a dog and I feed stray cats, although I've read they do no good, apparently the smell helps keep them away?although I see their droppings in the drain when I dispose of the dogs.
I'd be wary of firing a slingshot in a confined space, in the event the ball bearings bounce back or off something and hit a window or someone, happened to me once with round pellets fired by someone else from an air rifle, bounced off something and came directly back near us, luckily no one hit, but no eye wear, probably wouldn't happen with softer non rounded pellets, but not much use for a sling shot.

dodderangler

Good jack Russell or a big buck ferret and problem solved.

aaakev

Sling shot is out too im afraid, too confined and he is walking on paths and along walls so ricochets will be a problem. ....

Juat checked the trap, still no joy. Im getting a fenn mk4. My local hunting shop is closed, anyone know where to get them in kildare on a Sunday?

Grizzly 45

aaakev wrote: »

Sling shot is out too im afraid, too confined and he is walking on paths and along walls so ricochets will be a problem. ....

Juat checked the trap, still no joy. Im getting a fenn mk4. My local hunting shop is closed, anyone know where to get them in kildare on a Sunday?

That's why I said use a steel nut.It's hexagonal and is less likely to ricochet ,Cheaper than ball bearing ammo too.

Eddie B

aaakev wrote: »

here he is again......

That there is the easiest rat you can catch!

Step one: Place bricks, crate, or whatever you have lying around under hole!

Step two: Set trap with trigger set light good and tight to hole!

Step three: Make sure their is no other exits for rat, if so block them off!

Step four: Don't check every five minutes and you'll catch your rat!

oldtart

gctest50 wrote: »

'cept these ones :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FV3LOlGTqI

NOEPHOBIA.

oldtart

gctest50 wrote: »

'cept these ones :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FV3LOlGTqI

NEOPHOBIA.

ESB Spaniel

I had a similar issue last year, tried everything from chocolate to sour milk etc.... Then one night, I said I'd try some dog nuts.... Next morning I had my rat... And set it every night after that for a couple weeks and caught 3 more.... Nothing since but I always set the trap anyway.

Nabidana

Sorry to be dragging up an old thread but if I don't act quick I'll be divorced.

Came home at 3AM on St. Stephens night to find water flowing out of the ceiling into the hall. I went upstairs and ripped up a carpet and lifted the floorboards to find four leaks in the qualpex pipe. It had been gnawed on in a number of places.

Plenty of rat droppings there too.

We had heard some noises recently so I had put a few mouse traps in the attic. We've had mice from time to time so just presumedit was them. Couldn't understand why we weren't catching them as usually we catch them quickly.

Am pretty sure the rat(s?) are only between the floorboards at the moment. We have young kids and my wife is petrified of the rat getting into the house proper.

I've laid three traps since but no luck. The traps were prebaited. Should I put extra bait on them?

Should I fill the holes I believe he is using?

Will I use poison?

I know there'll be a few people saying poison is cruel etc but to be honest I don't care. This disease carrying vermin is in my house where my wife and kids are. I went it dead. ASAP.

Thanks folks.

Bad_alibi

The major downside to poison is they can die inside the house. We had one die in work under the floor boards the place was stink for nearly three weeks. if your going to poison don't block up their entry/exit points you want them to go outside after they've eaten the poison.

king size mars bar

The rats could be after eating poison somewhere already as the are going for the water. Dealt with a similar problem week before Xmas where mice had chewed through water pipe over kitchen and caused leak and ceiling to collapse. Id try a few traps and block any holes where they might be getting in from.

Eddie B

Stay away from poison lad, for various reasons as stated above. Find out where there coming from. Must be a food sourse and shelter attracting them. Set traps outside and in. Block up holes that you've found.

What type traps have you got. The black plastic ones are the best, but make sure you screw them down to floor board, or piece of timber to stop them kicking away from the rats when set off. For bait, one thing I've found irresistible to rats and mice is box of that dried crispy onion you get in idle and aldi. It's great stuff.

Hope you sortem out!

smallfry

Every winter without fail I had been catching Rats as I keep a trap or two set and bait freshened all the time.
This year I bought an ultrasonic repeller and keep it plugged in the shed at the side of the house.
The one I bought was €55 in the local Co-Op but it was worth the money as not one rat or mouse has been caught or seen this year.

Something like this; http://www.hardwareireland.ie/product/Pestclear-Ultrasonic-MouseRatAnt-Repeller-Asstd-Sizes-78/

Hope you get sorted...

washman3

How do rats/mice make it into an attic in the first place.
Especially when a cavity has been filled with beaded insulation.?
is it possible they can make it up through the rainwater downpipes and squeeze their way in between the wall-plate and tiles/slates.?

Eddie B

washman3 wrote: »

How do rats/mice make it into an attic in the first place.
Especially when a cavity has been filled with beaded insulation.?
is it possible they can make it up through the rainwater downpipes and squeeze their way in between the wall-plate and tiles/slates.?

They can simply climb up the wall of the house. Easier than inside a downpipe. There are many little gaps in most houses/roofs, to allow them into the attic. If they can get their heads in, the rest will follow.

washman3

Eddie B wrote: »

They can simply climb up the wall of the house. Easier than inside a downpipe. There are many little gaps in most houses/roofs, to allow them into the attic. If they can get their heads in, the rest will follow.

Wondered about that too, so they can actually defy gravity while climbing round the fascia and soffit (for a few seconds anyway)
Just thought the rainwater down-pipe/chute would save them the trouble, but might be too slippery to climb.

Dubpredator2

aaakev wrote: »

hey lads, I've got a rat in the back garden and have been trying to catch him for about a week now with no luck. I've a cage trap out and put fresh meat in it every evening and he is just not interested. I watched him last night in the dogs pen eating dog **** after he walked right passed the meat so I picked up the ****e and put some into the cage and still no luck. If been watching him coming and going the last hour out the kitchen window and still no interest in the food if in the cage! Right now if meat that I charred, dog ****e and tuna in it and he has zero interest!

In a housing estate so shooting is out unless I could get an air rifle!

Fresh out ideas here now, anyone any advice???

If your in Dublin or close by I can come over and bring the two buck ferrets with me...experienced ratters. I've personaly never had any problem with the cage traps once the trigger is set light enough and I normally use pasta stuffed with peanut butter on the "spike" that holds the bait. During the winter the peanut butter goes hard and holds firm.

Eddie B

Dubpredator2 wrote: »

If your in Dublin or close by I can come over and bring the two buck ferrets with me...experienced ratters. I've personaly never had any problem with the cage traps once the trigger is set light enough and I normally use pasta stuffed with peanut butter on the "spike" that holds the bait. During the winter the peanut butter goes hard and holds firm.

Lad that was posted near two year ago now.