Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Rat Control - Any bright ideas  (Read 15715 times)

Old Shep

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #15 on: November 14, 2014, 11:02:25 am »
When you wake up in the night with a rat or two  running across your face , you don't care how you get rid of them .

 :o :o :o EEEEEKKKK!!!!!  Right that's it I'm never going to sleep again. 

(I'm still not convinced they don't lurk down the toilet ready to bite you when you sit down.)
Helen - (used to be just Shep).  Gordon Setters, Border Collies and chief lambing assistant to BigBennyShep.

devonlady

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #16 on: November 14, 2014, 11:35:41 am »
When you wake up in the night with a rat or two  running across your face , you don't care how you get rid of them .

 :o :o :o EEEEEKKKK!!!!!  Right that's it I'm never going to sleep again. 

(I'm still not convinced they don't lurk down the toilet ready to bite you when you sit down.)

Flush first and be quick.  :o :o

BenBhoy

  • Joined Aug 2011
  • Nottinghamshire
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #17 on: November 17, 2014, 08:48:01 am »
Anyone in or around Nottingham with a rat problem feel free to message me. Offer free control with dogs & air rifle, 17years experience. Cheers.

cloddopper

  • Joined Jun 2013
  • South Wales .Carmarthenshire. SA18
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #18 on: November 17, 2014, 04:59:29 pm »
In the 1950's & 60's when our , " Three seater brick clodgy ", was 50 yards down the small holding from the house  we had to be careful .
Many a time a few big rats would come flying out the trapdoor hole when  you lifted the lid .
 In the end dad set up a big piece of  heavy corrugated  galvanised Anderson shelter metal on a frame suspended by two chains , we had to bash the sheet with a lump of wood shaped like a rounders bat before we went inside to give the rats down in the earthen closet time to escape instead of coming out the seat hole as we lifted the lid.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2014, 12:34:12 am by cloddopper »
Strong belief , triggers the mind to find the way ... Dyslexia just makes it that bit more amusing & interesting

shotblastuk

  • Joined May 2013
  • Proper Gloucestershire !!
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #19 on: November 30, 2014, 07:49:50 pm »
There is no such thing as an inhumane way to kill a rat, 'orrible nasty creatures that cost the country a small fortune and as has already been said spread all kinds of diseases not only to stock but humans as well.And eat my electric cables and water pipe :furious:. Unlike mice rats have to have a source of water in the form of a dripping tap or similar. Rats need 3 things to survive, food, warmth and moisture eliminate one of these and you won't have a rat problem. Bicarb\baking powder is another good killer in a bait. Rats can't pass gas, bicarb produces copious amounts of it, I'm sure you can work the rest out! They hate the smell of diesel as well, been used effectively down rat holes, not very environmentally friendly but needs must sometimes.
Every dead rat is a rat less. Bain  of my life :huff:

bazzais

  • Joined Jan 2010
    • Allt Y Coed Farm and Campsite
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2014, 01:42:35 pm »
I resorted to poisen - 5 different veriaties  - they even ate one of them out the 'sealed vapoulock' buckets - things are coming into control now - but if we leave any foodstuffs out its still getting eaten.

I think I may accidently spill a bit of deisel around the shed.  Probably make the woodwork last too. :)

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2014, 02:46:20 pm »
There is no such thing as an inhumane way to kill a rat

I get the sentiment Shotblast, but disagree on the fact!  Rats are still intelligent living creatures, so surely the least we owe them is to find a way to control their numbers without causing unnecessary suffering?
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

cuckoo

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #22 on: December 04, 2014, 04:00:35 pm »
Thanks for the replies - have got 2 ferals and have used poison too - but will stop due to cats.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #23 on: December 04, 2014, 05:07:35 pm »
I know of one house in the next village where there are so many rats they've had to resort to storing food in the oven or an old fridge and the rats are now eating the carpets ....

AndynJ

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • uk
  • Says it as it is. don't like it don't look
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #24 on: December 04, 2014, 08:21:05 pm »
If you have rats coming into your storage areas you'll need to be careful to make sure there are no bags of plaster around, apparently the smallest amount will kill a rat. Also antifreeze in water will kill anything pigeons, rats, stray cats etc so be careful not to leave any lying around.

Sbom

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Staffordshire
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #25 on: December 04, 2014, 08:24:30 pm »
We had five tonight  :) between the air rifle, two terriers and a lurcher  :dog:

I bloomin HATE the things, they are chewing into all my pens grrrr

confused

  • Joined Jun 2008
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #26 on: December 05, 2014, 06:51:44 pm »
Up at my allotment we are overrun with them in the last 3 weeks I have over 50 in live traps ,  my best was 7 in one trap all about 3/4 size ,my wee dogs have accounted for another 9 , and another 4 plot holders are putting down poison we must surely be making inroads now .
 

BenBhoy

  • Joined Aug 2011
  • Nottinghamshire
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #27 on: December 31, 2014, 11:42:07 pm »
The last time we had rats we tried using the poison blocks, rather than baited seed.   It worked much better and more quickly, even though it was expensive buying the blocks.   Almost as soon as I put down a new block a rat would coming along, pick it up then run back home with it, where presumably other members of the group, and the very young, all got to eat some too.   It's much easier monitoring how much is being taken/consumed, and we positioned them under paving stones where a rat could squeeze in but not a dog or cat.    Once the uptake of blocks slowed right down the infestation was basically over, and during the final few days we always removed the blocks overnight to prevent any of our abundant hedgehogs having a nibble.   Definitely worth a go if you haven't tried it before.

Most blocks have a a hole running through them. Please secure the block with a nail through the hole thus avoiding the chance of a block being carried into an undesirable location (dog walking footpath, school run pavement etc)

Carse Goodlifers

  • Joined Oct 2013
  • Perthshire
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #28 on: January 01, 2015, 11:14:21 am »
Most blocks have a a hole running through them. Please secure the block with a nail through the hole thus avoiding the chance of a block being carried into an undesirable location (dog walking footpath, school run pavement etc)
BenBhoy is right about the 'fixing' of bait.
I posted a link regarding rodenticide use here http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=54966.msg461881#msg461881
I think that its important that folk have a look at it before putting bait out and about.
Its well worth a look http://www.thinkwildlife.org/crru-code/
« Last Edit: January 01, 2015, 11:20:07 am by Carse Goodlifers »

Q

  • Joined Apr 2013
Re: Rat Control - Any bright ideas
« Reply #29 on: January 01, 2015, 11:28:50 am »
Agreed - my allotment neighbour has rats in his chicken pen & poisons them - I found 2-3 carcasses in my compost heap where they had crawled off to die but also a different type of remains under a pallet which I suspect was a long gone hedgehog  :(
If you cant beat 'em then at least bugger 'em about a bit.

 

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