Rats in the garden

[Cogcog]

Had a problem this time last year as the weather turns cold, but this time I am on their case Day 1 while they are still just digging in the flower beds.

I paid Rentokil £300 last time to bait over a 5 or 6 week period as the infestation was larger and they were in the neighbours roof space.

I want to stop them in my tracks myself this time.

Ideas?

[Wacky Racer]

Get six or seven Wooden heavy duty rat traps, bait with peanut butter, (big tub around £2.50 from Tesco).....and check daily.

[tali1]

Have you got a wooden shed in your garden? as that is their favoured spot

[P700DEE]

Home cinema and hi-Fi !!

Rats will go any where the food is good, a big problem for those who have bird feeders around. Cats are the best solution , never had rats while we had cats.
Living in the country with a pond, two chickens and an ample supply of bird feeders the rats love it I bait with Wilkinson's Mouse and Rat sachets, £4 for 25 sachets. Takes at least 4, usually 8 to kill off the rats. Doesn't stop them returning if the conditions are good for them though but a lot cheaper than Rentokil !!

Make sure you put the bait where only the rats go as you will not be popular if you start wiping out the rest of the neighbours pets.

[Chrisgr31]

P700DEE said:

Make sure you put the bait where only the rats go as you will not be popular if you start wiping out the rest of the neighbours pets.

Although if you are my neighbour wiping out the local cats wiould be greatly appreciated!

[phil_cardiff]

I've got a rat in my kitchen. What am I gonna do?

[dirty_dog]

phil_cardiff said:

I've got a rat in my kitchen. What am I gonna do?

[Bill]

Im not keen on poison because the rats hide away to die and then stink, so I use traps and an air rifle.

[tali1]

P700DEE said:

Home cinema and hi-Fi !!

Rats will go any where the food is good, a big problem for those who have bird feeders around. Cats are the best solution , never had rats while we had cats.
Living in the country with a pond, two chickens and an ample supply of bird feeders the rats love it I bait with Wilkinson's Mouse and Rat sachets, £4 for 25 sachets. Takes at least 4, usually 8 to kill off the rats. Doesn't stop them returning if the conditions are good for them though but a lot cheaper than Rentokil !!

Make sure you put the bait where only the rats go as you will not be popular if you start wiping out the rest of the neighbours pets.

My shed has no food - rats will go for nesting /shelter.If it was food alone - then 99.9% would be by fast food takeaways.And i cannot block up the hole ... because rat will just make another one.
I have cats visiting in garden- only 1 rat has been killed.I've heard some cats ignore rats, whilst kittens are better killers.
And yes they WILL return

[TorqueVR]

phil_cardiff said:

I've got a rat in my kitchen. What am I gonna do?

That's no way to refer to your wife

[defblade]

Bill said:

an air rifle.

This, with home-made night sight.

(2 cctv cameras, one mounted to look down scope, other to give wide view and provide the IR (asuming you're at 10-15 yards from your bait the camera-mounted emitters wil be fine), screen on top. Battery or mains transformed 12v power required).

Peanut butter on a brick with the night sight zeroed in and it's only a couple of evenings before you have no rats

[phil_cardiff]

TorqueVR said:

phil_cardiff said:

I've got a rat in my kitchen. What am I gonna do?

That's no way to refer to your wife

Ah you've met Mrs Cardiff then.

[Willy Nilly]

Cogcog said:

Had a problem this time last year as the weather turns cold, but this time I am on their case Day 1 while they are still just digging in the flower beds.

I paid Rentokil £300 last time to bait over a 5 or 6 week period as the infestation was larger and they were in the neighbours roof space.

I want to stop them in my tracks myself this time.

Ideas?

Buy this http://www.ratbait.co.uk/neosorexa-gold-rat--mouse... pour copious amounts down their holes (try to make sure it doesn't get wet) and keep pouring it down the holes until they stop eating it. I have had to do it 3 or 4 times day before and they were looking at me pouring it in. It might take 2 weeks to get rid of them, but if you feed them enough it will kill them.

You can get it in sachets too. Slaymor is good too. You need to make sure they have a full dose, so don't let them go hungry.

[Cogcog]

Update. they are nesting under the flagstones in the communal bin compound (accessed by digging up my borders) and under the plastic bin cupboard where I keep my bins.

I have found their routes in and out of my garden from where they can dug under the fence.

I have put down poison bait from the local agricultural merchants in bait boxes along the 'rat roads' in and out, and set snap traps with peanut butter in the bin compound. I have set a live trap in the border baited with a tin of sardines.

I am raking over their burrow entrance nightly so I can se when they stop using it.

[Willy Nilly]

Just pour the poison down the holes and keep pouring it down the holes until they stop taking it. You don't want to disturb them too much. Once they are all dead you can do what you like to the holes and find what ever they were living on and remove it.

[Cogcog]

Willy Nilly said:

Just pour the poison down the holes and keep pouring it down the holes until they stop taking it. You don't want to disturb them too much. Once they are all dead you can do what you like to the holes and find what ever they were living on and remove it.

I have to be careful as I have dogs in the garden, I don't want them being poisoned as they have taken quite an interest in the holes, especially late at night. The bait boxes are secure and just outside the garden. I did think about dropping a bag down the holes but I think rats are pretty savvy about 'new' which is why I am using bait boxes which I borrowed from a neighbour and which he has had in his garden empty for 12 months 9and that's also free).

Only casualty today was a mouse this evening caught in a snap trap.

[Willy Nilly]

Best keep the dogs in. But dogs can vomit and most poison seems to have Bitrex in it to stop dawgs eating it. Rats can't vomit, which makes them easier to poison. Remember that they will need a full dose to kill them, so don't let them go hungry. You should start to see some result in a week or so. Rats are much easier to control than mice.

[Cogcog]

Willy Nilly said:

Best keep the dogs in. But dogs can vomit and most poison seems to have Bitrex in it to stop dawgs eating it. Rats can't vomit, which makes them easier to poison. Remember that they will need a full dose to kill them, so don't let them go hungry. You should start to see some result in a week or so. Rats are much easier to control than mice.

Digging is still going on but I will check and fill the bait boxes tomorrow. have only caught one mouse in the snap traps so far.

[Willy Nilly]

Cogcog said:

Willy Nilly said:

Best keep the dogs in. But dogs can vomit and most poison seems to have Bitrex in it to stop dawgs eating it. Rats can't vomit, which makes them easier to poison. Remember that they will need a full dose to kill them, so don't let them go hungry. You should start to see some result in a week or so. Rats are much easier to control than mice.

Digging is still going on but I will check and fill the bait boxes tomorrow. have only caught one mouse in the snap traps so far.

You will be forgiven for thinking that the poison isn't working because they seem to be scoffing it and carrying on as normal. As long as they get their full dose it will just stop. One day they will be digging like made then in 24-36hours all will be quiet. I put poison down every hole I can find.

[Willy Nilly]

Are they dead yet?