Getting rid of vermin (outdoors).

hole in my lovelywall

Is there a way to deal with rats without upsetting other wildlife?
If I put out poison, it might be ingested by the wrong target.

DBB

Thread moved to DIY as the topic of vermin control is not permitted in Animals & Pets.
Please be aware that a different charter now applies.
DBB

hairyslug

You can get tunnel traps, the bait is in a box with a tunnel leading to it, only small enough for rats/mice to get in to. However, I'd say a dog could easily chew through one easily enough.

CJhaughey

I find a combination of live and kill traps the best, like you I am reluctant to use poison unless I have to as the risk of secondary poisoning is high if another animal eats a poisoned rat.
I find the wooden snap traps very effective baited with peanut butter and I use a live trap as well.

hole in my lovelywall

Thanks for the replies.
No dogs around.
Lots of cats around, and there could be other wildlife that I wouldn't want to hurt.
If I set traps, might cats and birds get caught?

It's a neglected area at the end of a garden.

Alun

I had trouble with rats in the garden during the recent "big snow" event. We have a cat so dodn't want to go down the route of poison or open traps, so fashioned my own covered trap by putting a normal rat trap inside an old transparent seed tray cover with a rat sized hole cut in one end. The distance between the trap and hole was such that a cat couldn't put their paw inside and trigger it plus it was easy for me to monitor of the trap had been successful just by looking.

hole in my lovelywall

I'll try traps. If they're successful, I'll have to get someone else to empty them!

Thanks for the advice.

Roen

Rat poison tends to be slow acting so there's always a danger they'll bugger off and die somewhere inaccessible.
That's a smell you don't want coming from under your shed!