Getting rid of rats

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GAVIN H
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Getting rid of rats

Post by GAVIN H »

Lads, i,ve got a rat problem in my outside shed, been laying mousetraps and last night, two mousetraps with dead mice in had been moved , one mouse was torn apart, seen rat droppings as well. I,ve had rat traps down for couple of weeks but so far nothing. I,ve got a dog so i,m worried about putting poison down in the shed , haven,t got ferrets anymore or a jack russel, any ideas. Cant even own an air rifle in Northern Ireland without a licence , what should i do, dont want to end up poisoning my dog.
Danoutdoors
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Danoutdoors »

Probs old rat s**t and mice eating the dead mice🤷‍♂️ If your not catching the odd rat I’d be surprised if you have any rats
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Jeffire »

Have the rat traps been set off ?
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Mike J
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Mike J »

Same problems but well under control.

Methods and kills
24/7/365 Fenn mk4 = 2
As reqd. Walther = 8 (last 8.15 today)

Fenn is in a box and baited with fat. Walther at covered zero baited with grain.

:thumbs: PM sent.
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Kev Berry

Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Kev Berry »

Get a walk in trap...cover it over so it's in a tunnel. Might take a week or so for them to get used to it, bait up with dry dog kibble.
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Lakes1985 »

What type of shed is it? Place rat traps against walls inside, not in the middle of the floor. Use peanut butter or Nutella.
If you want to lay rodenticide, get rodenticide blocks, a wavin pipe, tie a wire throught the pipe and blocks and this will keep your dog safe.
Check rodenticide daily, if blocks are only being nibbled and bits of crumbs on the ground from them then its just mice you have.
If large chunks of block is eaten or all eaten then its rats.
Also rats are neophobic (have a fear of new things) so it may take a few days before you see any rat activity.
GAVIN H
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by GAVIN H »

Thanks for all the advice lads, much appreciated. I,ve set a few traps plus i,ve rigged up a bucket type trap i,ve seen on Youtube. I used to keep ferrets many moons ago, they would have sorted it.
Steve Le maitre
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Steve Le maitre »

Trapped a good few rats, will just add to what’s been said - Bacon !
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SmellySmelt
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by SmellySmelt »

Neosorexa Rat Bait Blocks is what I used in spring, it was very effective. I also had 10 fens down too. But the rat poison had them sorted in 3 weeks. Tie it down so they eat it there and then not take it away and store it. By the way applewood smoked cheese is a serious bait if you need to bait a trap.
john hufton
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by john hufton »

Not sure about rats but those glue traps are gruesome but effective for mice. Put a halibut pellet or a bit of biscuit in the middle.
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Cyprio »

john hufton wrote: Sat Nov 14 2020 00:13 -
Not sure about rats but those glue traps are gruesome but effective for mice. Put a halibut pellet or a bit of biscuit in the middle.
As if you need to worry about Rats or mice, :clown:
You just open the door and put ”Monty” in for a couple of hours!
Job done :laughs:
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by JohnCopeman »

Why are they in the shed? What's there for them to eat.
No snap= no vermin. They don't come in for a warm.
Christian97
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Christian97 »

The wire cage walk in traps are good, but as has been said they take a while to get used to them and you also have a live rat to deal with. Once one rat has been caught the others follow quickly. Be careful with poison unless you know where the rats are nesting the smell of the decomposing bodies is something else
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by jonsykes »

I sell rat bait. The new stuff is highly effective & rules out secondary poisoning, plus it works in just 2-3 days - so not long to keep your dog out of the way.
PM me if you want some posting @ Pikers Pit rates.
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Mike J
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Mike J »

jonsykes wrote: Mon Nov 16 2020 09:27 -
I sell rat bait. The new stuff is highly effective & rules out secondary poisoning, plus it works in just 2-3 days - so not long to keep your dog out of the way.
PM me if you want some posting @ Pikers Pit rates.

I tried some new bait, in sachets that smell like bubble gum, it was accumulative and extremely effective because they didnt know it was poison until it was too late.
It cleared the rats but also the woodmice which clean up any dropped seeds and provide nightime viewing and why I returned to the old faithfuls.

.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
Kev Berry

Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Kev Berry »

JohnCopeman wrote: Sun Nov 15 2020 21:31 -
Why are they in the shed? What's there for them to eat.
No snap= no vermin. They don't come in for a warm.
They did in my bike shed. Bit up through the floor in 2 places and made a nest behind some storage containers. Filled the nest with stuff out the bird feeders.
Nothing to eat or drink in the shed before they chewed through the floor
Will Smith
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Will Smith »

Kev Berry wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 22:17 -
JohnCopeman wrote: Sun Nov 15 2020 21:31 -
Why are they in the shed? What's there for them to eat.
No snap= no vermin. They don't come in for a warm.
They did in my bike shed. Bit up through the floor in 2 places and made a nest behind some storage containers. Filled the nest with stuff out the bird feeders.
Nothing to eat or drink in the shed before they chewed through the floor
Rats will often set up home close to a food source.
I have some at the minute in a shed close to a feeder I have for the hens and ducks, nothing but timber for starting sticks in there, they are not touching the poison I have down for them but I know they are there, terrier time I think.

Will.
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Kev Berry »

Will Smith wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 23:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 22:17 -
JohnCopeman wrote: Sun Nov 15 2020 21:31 -
Why are they in the shed? What's there for them to eat.
No snap= no vermin. They don't come in for a warm.
They did in my bike shed. Bit up through the floor in 2 places and made a nest behind some storage containers. Filled the nest with stuff out the bird feeders.
Nothing to eat or drink in the shed before they chewed through the floor
Rats will often set up home close to a food source.
I have some at the minute in a shed close to a feeder I have for the hens and ducks, nothing but timber for starting sticks in there, they are not touching the poison I have down for them but I know they are there, terrier time I think.

Will.
Well my Roland's got sorted and the overgrown pathway they were using to my property got cleared. The bird feeders have a table under them to catch dropped seed now. Not had one in the trap for a long time and the blocks of poison are only getting the odd nibble from mickey.
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Mike J
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Mike J »

Kev Berry wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 00:09 -
Will Smith wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 23:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 22:17 -
JohnCopeman wrote: Sun Nov 15 2020 21:31 -
Why are they in the shed? What's there for them to eat.
No snap= no vermin. They don't come in for a warm.
They did in my bike shed. Bit up through the floor in 2 places and made a nest behind some storage containers. Filled the nest with stuff out the bird feeders.
Nothing to eat or drink in the shed before they chewed through the floor
Rats will often set up home close to a food source.
I have some at the minute in a shed close to a feeder I have for the hens and ducks, nothing but timber for starting sticks in there, they are not touching the poison I have down for them but I know they are there, terrier time I think.

Will.
Well my Roland's got sorted and the overgrown pathway they were using to my property got cleared. The bird feeders have a table under them to catch dropped seed now. Not had one in the trap for a long time and the blocks of poison are only getting the odd nibble from mickey.

My trap is the same, only 3 to Mr Fenn, think its time to put the safety on and let them restablish a runthrough.
They are still around (or were) as Walt and Nikko have accounted for 17.

Best trap Ive ever used was a 9" x 9" x 3ft double ended cage trap, trouble was it also caught hedgehogs.

.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Kev Berry »

Mike J wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 10:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 00:09 -
Will Smith wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 23:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 22:17 -
JohnCopeman wrote: Sun Nov 15 2020 21:31 -
Why are they in the shed? What's there for them to eat.
No snap= no vermin. They don't come in for a warm.
They did in my bike shed. Bit up through the floor in 2 places and made a nest behind some storage containers. Filled the nest with stuff out the bird feeders.
Nothing to eat or drink in the shed before they chewed through the floor
Rats will often set up home close to a food source.
I have some at the minute in a shed close to a feeder I have for the hens and ducks, nothing but timber for starting sticks in there, they are not touching the poison I have down for them but I know they are there, terrier time I think.

Will.
Well my Roland's got sorted and the overgrown pathway they were using to my property got cleared. The bird feeders have a table under them to catch dropped seed now. Not had one in the trap for a long time and the blocks of poison are only getting the odd nibble from mickey.

My trap is the same, only 3 to Mr Fenn, think its time to put the safety on and let them restablish a runthrough.
They are still around (or were) as Walt and Nikko have accounted for 17.

Best trap Ive ever used was a 9" x 9" x 3ft double ended cage trap, trouble was it also caught hedgehogs.

.
I stopped using tunnel traps cos of the hedgehogs Mike.
best thing to sort em out is a fen---I used to scrape a small hole put a small dead fish in the hole, put the fen on top and riddle soil over it but not bury it---worked everytime usually next day there would be one in it.
Dont forget when using fens---tie it to something or tie it to a brick. Catch a big rat by one leg and it will run off with it---before chewing its own leg/foot off
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Will Smith »

Mike J wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 10:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 00:09 -
Will Smith wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 23:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 22:17 -
JohnCopeman wrote: Sun Nov 15 2020 21:31 -
Why are they in the shed? What's there for them to eat.
No snap= no vermin. They don't come in for a warm.
They did in my bike shed. Bit up through the floor in 2 places and made a nest behind some storage containers. Filled the nest with stuff out the bird feeders.
Nothing to eat or drink in the shed before they chewed through the floor
Rats will often set up home close to a food source.
I have some at the minute in a shed close to a feeder I have for the hens and ducks, nothing but timber for starting sticks in there, they are not touching the poison I have down for them but I know they are there, terrier time I think.

Will.
Well my Roland's got sorted and the overgrown pathway they were using to my property got cleared. The bird feeders have a table under them to catch dropped seed now. Not had one in the trap for a long time and the blocks of poison are only getting the odd nibble from mickey.

My trap is the same, only 3 to Mr Fenn, think its time to put the safety on and let them restablish a runthrough.
They are still around (or were) as Walt and Nikko have accounted for 17.

Best trap Ive ever used was a 9" x 9" x 3ft double ended cage trap, trouble was it also caught hedgehogs.

.
Providing you were checking it on a daily basis Mike and releasing any non target species then no harm done eh Mike :thumbs: .
Hedgehogs need our protection at the minute.

Will.
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Mike J
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Mike J »

Kev Berry wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 20:16 -
Mike J wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 10:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 00:09 -
Will Smith wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 23:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 22:17 -
JohnCopeman wrote: Sun Nov 15 2020 21:31 -
Why are they in the shed? What's there for them to eat.
No snap= no vermin. They don't come in for a warm.
They did in my bike shed. Bit up through the floor in 2 places and made a nest behind some storage containers. Filled the nest with stuff out the bird feeders.
Nothing to eat or drink in the shed before they chewed through the floor
Rats will often set up home close to a food source.
I have some at the minute in a shed close to a feeder I have for the hens and ducks, nothing but timber for starting sticks in there, they are not touching the poison I have down for them but I know they are there, terrier time I think.

Will.
Well my Roland's got sorted and the overgrown pathway they were using to my property got cleared. The bird feeders have a table under them to catch dropped seed now. Not had one in the trap for a long time and the blocks of poison are only getting the odd nibble from mickey.

My trap is the same, only 3 to Mr Fenn, think its time to put the safety on and let them restablish a runthrough.
They are still around (or were) as Walt and Nikko have accounted for 17.

Best trap Ive ever used was a 9" x 9" x 3ft double ended cage trap, trouble was it also caught hedgehogs.

.
I stopped using tunnel traps cos of the hedgehogs Mike.
best thing to sort em out is a fen---I used to scrape a small hole put a small dead fish in the hole, put the fen on top and riddle soil over it but not bury it---worked everytime usually next day there would be one in it.
Dont forget when using fens---tie it to something or tie it to a brick. Catch a big rat by one leg and it will run off with it---before chewing its own leg/foot off


My Fenn is inside a tunnel that has a raise floor so the rat steps straight onto the plate, the roof is -1" higher than the sprung trap and the entrance holes are 2" square and opposite each other, so the rat can look straight through. I use melted beef fat on the plate as bait.
I think lockdown is the reason its not been catching, seeing them moving around and employing the alternative before they found the trap.


[quote="Will Smith" post_
Providing you were checking it on a daily basis Mike and releasing any non target species then no harm done eh Mike :thumbs: .
Hedgehogs need our protection at the minute.

Will.
[/quote]


I made a 5"x5"x 2ft cage trap but Mrs Fattie my regular hedgie still managed to get inside, she went to sleep after a de-ticking and a feed from my wormery!
The Fenn has a catch indicator that can be seen from the kitchen window, the cage is scrap.

.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
Steve Le maitre
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Steve Le maitre »

Kev Berry wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 20:16 -
Mike J wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 10:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Wed Nov 25 2020 00:09 -
Will Smith wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 23:15 -
Kev Berry wrote: Tue Nov 24 2020 22:17 -
JohnCopeman wrote: Sun Nov 15 2020 21:31 -
Why are they in the shed? What's there for them to eat.
No snap= no vermin. They don't come in for a warm.
They did in my bike shed. Bit up through the floor in 2 places and made a nest behind some storage containers. Filled the nest with stuff out the bird feeders.
Nothing to eat or drink in the shed before they chewed through the floor
Rats will often set up home close to a food source.
I have some at the minute in a shed close to a feeder I have for the hens and ducks, nothing but timber for starting sticks in there, they are not touching the poison I have down for them but I know they are there, terrier time I think.

Will.
Well my Roland's got sorted and the overgrown pathway they were using to my property got cleared. The bird feeders have a table under them to catch dropped seed now. Not had one in the trap for a long time and the blocks of poison are only getting the odd nibble from mickey.

My trap is the same, only 3 to Mr Fenn, think its time to put the safety on and let them restablish a runthrough.
They are still around (or were) as Walt and Nikko have accounted for 17.

Best trap Ive ever used was a 9" x 9" x 3ft double ended cage trap, trouble was it also caught hedgehogs.

.
I stopped using tunnel traps cos of the hedgehogs Mike.
best thing to sort em out is a fen---I used to scrape a small hole put a small dead fish in the hole, put the fen on top and riddle soil over it but not bury it---worked everytime usually next day there would be one in it.
Dont forget when using fens---tie it to something or tie it to a brick. Catch a big rat by one leg and it will run off with it---before chewing its own leg/foot off
* Rats are sods for chewing they’ll widen a concrete hole if they can get their teeth into it so chewing ones leg off is a walk in the park !
* Rats are like gypsies they’ll always live on the outskirts of a food source.
* Mikes idea of trapping is best as they have to physically pass over the trap.
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Jellybait »

Ive had rats a few times , mainly attracted around by my chickens and Ducks (excess food lying about ) but some strange people out there like dumping/ abandoning cats on the mountain side and I dont even like cats, ill throw the odd scrap out to them or maybe even a a nice cod head after a good days fishing but ever since the cats have moved in (wild outside under the boat )I ve never had a rat since or mice , you can spill some ground bait/particles in the tackle shed and its still there days later (I used to use poison blocks but was never a big fan of them as im alongside a mountain river and there is a lot of wild animals about , I'm starting to respect the cats now , not like them but they will still never cross the door of the house
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Gaz Jane »

I find the bait blocks work best but you need a bait station
Danoutdoors
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Danoutdoors »

Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Don’tTellEmYourName »

Stop feeding your dog. Seriously, can’t you borrow a mates Terrier for a while? It would have a great time.
This will come in handy even if I never use it.
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Mike J
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Mike J »

Walter scored twice the other morning.
4.5grains of lead is the last meal they will ever eat.

:shoot:

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'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
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Mike J
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Mike J »

Danoutdoors wrote: Wed Dec 02 2020 17:00 -
Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats

Mr Fenn trap eliminates another.

IMG_2261.JPG

The white tape goes through a hole in the side to indicate its caught and the wire used to release the safety catch.
.

.
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Danoutdoors
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Re: Getting rid of rats

Post by Danoutdoors »

Mike J wrote: Wed Dec 16 2020 11:12 -
Danoutdoors wrote: Wed Dec 02 2020 17:00 -
Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats

Mr Fenn trap eliminates another.


IMG_2261.JPG


The white tape goes through a hole in the side to indicate its caught and the wire used to release the safety catch.
.

.
Fair play, I’m at zero for 3 traps currently, baited with peanut butter, I’ve got a live trap with all sorts of bait in and they are just not interested, I’m thinking they are eating the grains within some straw bails, I’ve seen them on cctv so know they are there, think I’m going to get a field cat, these rats really are giving me the run around
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