Rats in garden...
Discussion
SmithCorona said:
Good shout on both of those options. Plenty of humane and non lethal approaches.
That's not the PH way though. At any sign of a rat you must panic and then chuck poison everywhere, not giving the slightest feck what chooses to eat it, and if that doesn't work try feeding them weird concotions of chemicals so they die painful, lingering deaths in your garden.As a side note we've had occasional rat visitors on and off for years, alongside the badgers, hedgehogs, foxes etc. They haven't multiplied (in fact they don't tend to last too long due to the abundant predators) and we've never had a single issue with one chewing wires, getting in the house or doing any other noticeable damage.
They can be quite entertaining to watch too. You don't have to immediately panic because there's a rat in the garden, they're pretty much everywhere you go anyway you've just made them slightly easier to spot by giving them a peaceful and openly visible food source.
Promised Land said:
Probably telling you to suck eggs but the DOC150 and any other spring trap needs to be in an enclosed box, ideally with baffles to slow the rat down, no need to bait and not set it, set all your traps from the off and bait.
Be careful with the DOC150, very powerful springs, if you catch a rat in it you’ll see how powerful as it crunches the skull.
Thanks yes, we got the enclosed box for it too. It arrived today. Makes the other two look like toys by comparison, to the extent that we're going to send them back.Be careful with the DOC150, very powerful springs, if you catch a rat in it you’ll see how powerful as it crunches the skull.
Will get it set tomorrow.
Japveesix said:
stuff
Agreed. We are in the country in the woods, with a stream and ponds. So we get literally everything: otters, rats, herons, badgers, all the birds of prey, and an army of squirrels. None of them actually cause an issue, they are all just trying to survive whilst passing through.
I've had much worse experiances with the homo sapien variety.
SmithCorona said:
Japveesix said:
stuff
Agreed. We are in the country in the woods, with a stream and ponds. So we get literally everything: otters, rats, herons, badgers, all the birds of prey, and an army of squirrels. None of them actually cause an issue, they are all just trying to survive whilst passing through.
I've had much worse experiances with the homo sapien variety.
Deep Thought said:
Thanks yes, we got the enclosed box for it too. It arrived today. Makes the other two look like toys by comparison, to the extent that we're going to send them back.
Will get it set tomorrow.
I did say the Amazon ones would be no good. Will get it set tomorrow.
DOC 150 were designed for New Zealand as they put a ban on Fenn mk 4 and 6’s as they suggest it’s not humane how they crush the target species body rather than a hammer blow to the skull like the DOC, as I said I’d swap my dozen or so Fenns for your one DOC, I only have one of them but it’s the most used, easiest to set up and easiest to dispatch of the catch after.
Promised Land said:
DOC 150 were designed for New Zealand as they put a ban on Fenn mk 4 and 6’s as they suggest it’s not humane how they crush the target species body rather than a hammer blow to the skull like the DOC, as I said I’d swap my dozen or so Fenns for your one DOC, I only have one of them but it’s the most used, easiest to set up and easiest to dispatch of the catch after.
Thanks yes. I'll get it loaded up after work and let you know how i get on.usn90 said:
Do you have close neighbours?
If so wouldn’t it be neighbourly to stop attracting rats if you know you are the cause, the best deterrent will be no longer supplying the food
I’d be pretty annoyed having rats in my garden because next door are attracting them
It could easily be neighbours attracting them, we had some on our compost heap, I mentioned to my neighbour that I had shot them and he said his neighbour on the other side had chickens and there were rats running about at dusk… I would never have known, it may have seemed to me that my compost was attracting them but I was, in fact, just getting the overspill.If so wouldn’t it be neighbourly to stop attracting rats if you know you are the cause, the best deterrent will be no longer supplying the food
I’d be pretty annoyed having rats in my garden because next door are attracting them
If you remove the food source they won’t travel far at first to find the new food….at the neighbours house.
Caddyshack said:
usn90 said:
Do you have close neighbours?
If so wouldn’t it be neighbourly to stop attracting rats if you know you are the cause, the best deterrent will be no longer supplying the food
I’d be pretty annoyed having rats in my garden because next door are attracting them
It could easily be neighbours attracting them, we had some on our compost heap, I mentioned to my neighbour that I had shot them and he said his neighbour on the other side had chickens and there were rats running about at dusk… I would never have known, it may have seemed to me that my compost was attracting them but I was, in fact, just getting the overspill.If so wouldn’t it be neighbourly to stop attracting rats if you know you are the cause, the best deterrent will be no longer supplying the food
I’d be pretty annoyed having rats in my garden because next door are attracting them
If you remove the food source they won’t travel far at first to find the new food….at the neighbours house.
In this case the OP has said he has no next door neighbours so no worries there I guess
Caddyshack said:
SmithCorona said:
Japveesix said:
stuff
Agreed. We are in the country in the woods, with a stream and ponds. So we get literally everything: otters, rats, herons, badgers, all the birds of prey, and an army of squirrels. None of them actually cause an issue, they are all just trying to survive whilst passing through.
I've had much worse experiances with the homo sapien variety.
The latter is usually a sign that there is insufficient predators in that part of the world or too good conditions (food, water, shelter) and the population is booming.
Neighbour had chickens. We ended up with rats nesting in brick shed. The shed was need of repair anyway but issue had to be addressed.
Evanivitch said:
Caddyshack said:
SmithCorona said:
Japveesix said:
stuff
Agreed. We are in the country in the woods, with a stream and ponds. So we get literally everything: otters, rats, herons, badgers, all the birds of prey, and an army of squirrels. None of them actually cause an issue, they are all just trying to survive whilst passing through.
I've had much worse experiances with the homo sapien variety.
The latter is usually a sign that there is insufficient predators in that part of the world or too good conditions (food, water, shelter) and the population is booming.
Neighbour had chickens. We ended up with rats nesting in brick shed. The shed was need of repair anyway but issue had to be addressed.
Totally agree that when you see rats there will be 10 more per rate you see as the population has hit the point where they are everywhere.
Promised Land said:
I did say the Amazon ones would be no good.
DOC 150 were designed for New Zealand as they put a ban on Fenn mk 4 and 6’s as they suggest it’s not humane how they crush the target species body rather than a hammer blow to the skull like the DOC, as I said I’d swap my dozen or so Fenns for your one DOC, I only have one of them but it’s the most used, easiest to set up and easiest to dispatch of the catch after.
So i've had the DOC 150 out and set up since Friday.DOC 150 were designed for New Zealand as they put a ban on Fenn mk 4 and 6’s as they suggest it’s not humane how they crush the target species body rather than a hammer blow to the skull like the DOC, as I said I’d swap my dozen or so Fenns for your one DOC, I only have one of them but it’s the most used, easiest to set up and easiest to dispatch of the catch after.
This is the setup i went for
https://www.strangfordincubators.com/product/stran...
And this is how it how it looks when set out
Enty hole in to first compartment, entry hole then in to second compartment where the trap is and lies flat, this section open at far side of that with a place to put the food.
So, one way in at one end. Other end vented with holes.
Put it out on Friday with a lump of snickers chocolate bar in the food part along with some peanuts and sunflower seeds.
I wore gloves the whole time too.
The rats have had a look round it but havent went in.
I've moved it today here down a bit further and right beside where they come out of the hedge. I put some sunflower seeds - just one or two - in the front compartment to lure them in with a false sense of security.
Did that 15 mins ago.
To be honest - i thought we'd have had success by now.
Disappointed that we're well in to day 2 and nothing.
Is there any different bait i should be trying?
To be honest, up until now they'd have fought you for sunflower seeds and peanuts, so thought i was on to a winner with those....
Deep Thought said:
Promised Land said:
I did say the Amazon ones would be no good.
DOC 150 were designed for New Zealand as they put a ban on Fenn mk 4 and 6’s as they suggest it’s not humane how they crush the target species body rather than a hammer blow to the skull like the DOC, as I said I’d swap my dozen or so Fenns for your one DOC, I only have one of them but it’s the most used, easiest to set up and easiest to dispatch of the catch after.
So i've had the DOC 150 out and set up since Friday.DOC 150 were designed for New Zealand as they put a ban on Fenn mk 4 and 6’s as they suggest it’s not humane how they crush the target species body rather than a hammer blow to the skull like the DOC, as I said I’d swap my dozen or so Fenns for your one DOC, I only have one of them but it’s the most used, easiest to set up and easiest to dispatch of the catch after.
This is the setup i went for
https://www.strangfordincubators.com/product/stran...
And this is how it how it looks when set out
Enty hole in to first compartment, entry hole then in to second compartment where the trap is and lies flat, this section open at far side of that with a place to put the food.
So, one way in at one end. Other end vented with holes.
Put it out on Friday with a lump of snickers chocolate bar in the food part along with some peanuts and sunflower seeds.
I wore gloves the whole time too.
The rats have had a look round it but havent went in.
I've moved it today here down a bit further and right beside where they come out of the hedge. I put some sunflower seeds - just one or two - in the front compartment to lure them in with a false sense of security.
Did that 15 mins ago.
To be honest - i thought we'd have had success by now.
Disappointed that we're well in to day 2 and nothing.
Is there any different bait i should be trying?
To be honest, up until now they'd have fought you for sunflower seeds and peanuts, so thought i was on to a winner with those....
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