Fenn traps

[JustJon]

Gents,

 

As I've posted elsewhere I seem to have rats at the bottom of my garden. They're living under a neighbours shed (they're insistent they've got mice only) and using me as a through way to chickens one side and fields the other way.

 

So, I've got a couple of fenn traps. Currently set but with the safety on just so I can see if they're triggered overnight. They have boxes over with limited in/out access and 2 paving slabs on each so dogs and cats can't turn the covers over or move them.

 

So, with reasonable precautions taken, should the neighbours cat somehow get it's leg in a trap, am I liable or breaking the law somehow?

 

Same with poison, I've got a rat box to put down. Will also weigh down with a rock on top. Guess the fear here is that rat drags poison out, drops it and cat eats poison. I've spoken to the neighbours, they're refusing to use poison due to their cat. Or the cat eats a dead rat and ingests poison third party. Again, am I in trouble?

 

I refuse to let rats run wild in my garden but want to check first - alternative is to call the council in but I'd rather do it myself.

 

They where also using my overgrown compost heap - cut it all down yesterday and found loads of broken bird eggs. Have burnt most the rubbish so removed that 'safe zone'.

 

Any thoughts much appreciated?

Edited April 24, 2011 by JustJon

[Grandalf]

Phone the council mate - let them take the responsibility and argue with your neighbours if it comes to it.

If you have kids and state the health worries - they will be there fairly rapidly.

[foxy bingo]

hi mate if you phone the council and ask them to sort it out you will get the bill (approx £45.00)

[stubby]

if you make the tunnels over the fenn traps long, then a cat wont be able to reach in with a paw and get caught,

 

poisons are made with a "bitter" taste, which rats and mice love, but would make a cat or dog puke, as for eating a poisoned rat, the cat would need to eat a lot more than one rat in one go, to get secondary poisoning from it, but if I were you, Id leave the poison and stick with the fenn's

[larp]

if you make the tunnels over the fenn traps long, then a cat wont be able to reach in with a paw and get caught,

 

poisons are made with a "bitter" taste, which rats and mice love, but would make a cat or dog puke, as for eating a poisoned rat, the cat would need to eat a lot more than one rat in one go, to get secondary poisoning from it, but if I were you, Id leave the poison and stick with the fenn's

you can get poison witch is safe from secondary poisoning i think its called eradibait the barn owl society recognise it as safe

[stubby]

you can get poison witch is safe from secondary poisoning i think its called eradibait the barn owl society recognise it as safe

 

yes, that looks a good one to use, although to be effective it needs all other food sources removed, and as the op cant make his neighbours stop feeding birds etc, other food sources would make this less effective, fenns in tunnels however carry on working, as rats will enter tunnels even without a bait as an attractant

[CharlieT]

Your neighbour would have difficulty in proving secondry poisoning was due to you. However if your traps or bait stations were not installed correctly and they caused damage you would be liable.

[malantone]

The answer is, `do things correctly, make a long tunnel with entrance holes the same size as your poison box, fasten/weigh it down and a cat cannot get near your trap,

[Alycidon]

A couple of clay drain pipes, 3 inch dia should do the trick as entrance tunnels. Recently I have made a couple of tunnels with salvaged wire shopping baskets, just angle grind a couple of meshs out. Mind you I still caught a pigeon in one.

 

A