[AndynJ]

We have had masses of rain I mean loads, I might be wrong but I think 600mm, yesterday proper winds & rain, then today we have found 6 rats all I would guess are 6-18 months old any ideas why ? you can see I think it's to do with the rain but what do you think and if the rain why ?

[MAK]

What - drowned rats?
I guess that the storm had some benefits.

[darkbrowneggs]

Yes rats will most certainly move into the dry when the weather gets bad, especially if their burrows etc get flooded. 


When baiting its better to put the bait boxes on the outside of the building where there is evidence of them coming in and - most important of all- keep checking the bait is being taken and keep topping it up till they stop taking   


Not sure about trapping - I have only ever used poison, certainly not nice or kind I know but - needs must I suppose

[john and helen]

ive had Rats run out from under the old chicken shed when the rain was heavy, the odd one or two do get trapped and in some cases drown

smear some peanut butter on a post.... then shoot them when they feed, i set up a dim red light , after a couple of nights they got use to it..i had 14 one night, didn't see many after that..also they hate smoke 

[AndynJ]

We have bait boxes, so maybe the got moved on by the rain discovered the bait boxes and hey presto, cool
I buy bait in 10kg buckets we use that much

[Hamish Crofter]

Baiting is always preferable to traps with rats as they are neophobic which basically means they have an aversion to anything new or out of place( such as a trap appearing) they will fall prey to traps but generally only if they are very hungry or the trap has been in situ sometime. Bait is preferable but has some downsides, for example the buggers tend to finally succumb to it and die in often inaccessible places and then you get the smell as they decompose.
Put lots of bait points down, check it daily and most important look for fresh droppings as a clue to entry and exit points to buildings. These points can be temporarily blocked using wire wool then something more solid like cement.

[devonlad]

we had our first rat problem this time last year- almost overnight, tunnels appeared leading under the chicken run wire from our potting shed on the other side. we began bringing the feeders in every night to remove temptation and baited the tunnels- seemed to stop it pretty quickly though i'm sure they'll be back some day

[Bramblecot]

You need our Big Mac .  Gentle as a lamb with us, sleeps in various outbuildings, not a lot gets past him .  Worth his weight in gold.
Back on topic - flooded runs I guess.

[thenovice]

I don't agree with poison, its a nasty way for  rats to die, and you run the risk of poisoning the other wildlife that eat the bodies. A couple of good ratting terriers and owners soon gets the problem under control, and they will do it for free 

[tizaala]

Mix some rolled oats and barley with builders plaster , scrounge some of the lining tubes from bale wrap to use as bait holders,  it sets solid in their guts and does not harm anything that finds the bodies, they are only rats. Disease carrying vermin.

[AndynJ]

Plaster that's a new one, worth a try as we have just got a kitten wouldn't want her to find the poison

[thenovice]

Rats are vermin I agree, but everything deserves to be dispatched humanely. Foxes, rabbits and feral cats need control too!