jez28 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I live in the sticks and have now got a rat problem. A guy came out to us and put some traps down. The traps are essentially sprung traps inside a plastic box which has the holes in each end. He also left me a key for them and a tube of attractant. Ive positioned the traps where i think they are going but to date have only caught two! I cant poison due to other animals. We have chickens which we keep in an old victorian style kennel, stone built with a door on it. Ive just put the chickens away to see a rat disapearing down a hole in the floor. Whats the best way to sort these out? There now tunneling into my polytunnel in the allotment. They just wont go into the traps. Suggestions please?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedwards1966 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Nasty little things. Can you pop them off with an air rifle? Perhaps it would be worth trying a different bait with the traps, peanut butter is a good one. Look for rat runs for the best places to set the traps. The problem may be that with chickens about they will have plenty of food available and won't be too hungry, which makes it a little harder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I will probably get told off for this :( , but one way to stop them burrowing is to dig a trench around the boundary of what ever you want to protect, fill the trench with broken glass, bottles, or windscreen glass is ideal. Mark the area to remind yourself and warn others. In my youth we use to mix glass in with the cement around the walls of the bakeries I worked in to prevent entry by the unwanted guests. I have my tin hat on and will now await the incoming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beretta88 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Smoker down the hole and have dogs waiting or if possible shotgun i 2nd that or sit up with an air rifle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 You have to go for a multi-pronged attack! I have a small rat problem at the moment and in the last few nights I have trapped a couple, shot a dozen with an air rifle and I intend to put some poison down under a shed (although having kids, a dog and chickens puts me off poison). They take a little while to get used to new things so, if you have several traps I would bait them for a few days, but leave them unloaded. When they are used to them and regulally taking the bait load the traps and hopefully you'll get a few in 1 night. They are don't like to go near to other dead rats or their smell (reasonably) so don't expect to get them every night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RED BEARD Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 my vote is to sit up with the air rifle,the live catch traps are good,you can sometimes get more than one with them.smear some peanut butter onto a board and put it in a place thats just lit enough to see to shoot,then wait with the gun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 PATTERDALE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-kev- Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 PATTERDALE Send in Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackley Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 a game shoot I go on has a magor ret problem around the farm,the keepers and I go out with semi autos on top of the mule and lamp the *******,its great the record to date is 357 for 700 shots,good job the owners pays for the lead as we can easy shoot 300 shells a night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddywack12 Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 PATTERDALE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 They must be after the chicken feed so I would put the trap inside a box with chicken feed-bait the actual trap with apple and see what happens.Make sure you clear away as much food on the floor as possible each night-put the boxed trap somewhere they have to climb to reach it and put a small hole in the side to force them to chew through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washerboy Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 take away there food supply and water is the first thing, then a multi attack. traps during the day, night time lamping with an airgun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-kev- Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 I get good results on the traps using penut butter as bait, chunkey is best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 I live in the sticks and have now got a rat problem. A guy came out to us and put some traps down. The traps are essentially sprung traps inside a plastic box which has the holes in each end. He also left me a key for them and a tube of attractant. Ive positioned the traps where i think they are going but to date have only caught two! I cant poison due to other animals. We have chickens which we keep in an old victorian style kennel, stone built with a door on it. Ive just put the chickens away to see a rat disapearing down a hole in the floor. Whats the best way to sort these out? There now tunneling into my polytunnel in the allotment. They just wont go into the traps. Suggestions please?? How long have the traps been in place? Pity this guy didn't mention the fact that rats are neophobic, they don't like change or new things, it is not uncommon for them to walk right round bait boxes for 2 or 3 weeks! Remove as much other food source as you can and proof as much as you can. By all means try other methods as well, you may well find a combination of methods brings results, but don't give up on the boxes you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
working dog Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 We put poison down away from the chickens as we cant get on top of the rats with traps and shooting alone. Liquidised cat food brings them out if you fancy a bit of air rifle action as they have to lap it up rather than take it away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linny Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 PATTERDALE you rang this little bu++er just popped up RATS RATS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linny Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 RATS RATS YES PLEASE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste eibar Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Get a 410 and have some fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 you rang this little bu++er just popped up RATS RATS RATS RATS YES PLEASE Heres my fool shortly before he had a cray fish out of the box. Soon dropped it when it hung off his ear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linny Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Heres my fool shortly before he had a cray fish out of the box. Soon dropped it when it hung off his ear they are great little dogs :good: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 would firstly reduce the amount of surplus food about. feed them, take the food away and then lock it away. Rats also need to drink alot of water a day, so find the water source and eliminate it. Rats are also neophobic i.e have a fear of new/unfamiliar things within their environment, and will subsequently avoid it. This makes getting them into the box and then traps that more difficult. Using rodenticde blocks should be fine, if they are well tethered within the bait stations. Personally I would bait the burrows deply with rodenticide wax based or chalk blocks and back fill them firmly. If this didnt work, then get a proffessional in who would probably drop phosphine down the burrows and drop the lot in one hit, or use a range of contact gels or dust in strategic places which is digested when grooming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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