There's a rat in the garden, what am I going to do?

[Busterbulldog]

Jasandjules said:

Busterbulldog said:

Oh yeah , they are fast , really fast and act like they are rabid. Last 2 I caught I slung one in a barrel fire and shot the other.

You threw a live rat into a fire?

I did not feel good about it , but if you had seen the damage they done and the effort I had to go to to catch them you would appreciate it. Try going into your attic and finding your electric cables stripped of insulation. Besides that once it was in a cage u wouldn't want to open the hatch to let it out it really was mental.

[Sonie]

When they get in your house...that’s another matter.

First call, the council
Second, screw fix for rat traps/boxes.
Third, message all the neighbours asking for info, ie if they have them, check their lofts for droppings
Forget YouTube videos with drums etc, it doesn’t work. Some poison works but not all. If you do get on in a trap alive, drown it in a dustbin then discard it in a bin, rats will eat rats.

I had rats in a previous house, they were only young, a friend had them in the cavity of the flats they rented, they moved out as nothing was done.

Act now, they will only multiply.

[Boosted LS1]

Jasandjules said:

Busterbulldog said:

Oh yeah , they are fast , really fast and act like they are rabid. Last 2 I caught I slung one in a barrel fire and shot the other.

You threw a live rat into a fire?

Yes it's what civilised humans do.

[so called]

55palfers said:

I have one of these.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-electronic-ro...

Very effective.

Bait with peanut butter.

Thanks, thats very interesting.
Will check that out for sure for my garage.

[so called]

Radec said:

This gets good reviews and very effective, bit pricey though.

https://youtu.be/6s2PcbFu0nw

Looks very efficient.
Another to check out.

Thanks for all of the replies.

Just to say, my volunteering of my daughter was a little tongue in cheek.

[Emmapuma]

so called said:

That's why I've volunteered my daughter.
She used to have pet rats so thinks there all cute, lovely and cuddly.

I have had pet rats (amazing creatures). They are not the same. Wild rats are NASTY creatures. Like someone else said, you will struggle to relocate it if you catch it. Needs killing

[Jasandjules]

Busterbulldog said:

Jasandjules said:

Busterbulldog said:

Oh yeah , they are fast , really fast and act like they are rabid. Last 2 I caught I slung one in a barrel fire and shot the other.

You threw a live rat into a fire?

I did not feel good about it , but if you had seen the damage they done and the effort I had to go to to catch them you would appreciate it. Try going into your attic and finding your electric cables stripped of insulation. Besides that once it was in a cage u wouldn't want to open the hatch to let it out it really was mental.

Well I spent rather a lot of money getting my car re-wired (TVR Chimaera) due to mice getting in and chewing stuff up. Never would I throw them on a fire alive though that is quite awful.

[so called]

Jasandjules said:

Busterbulldog said:

Jasandjules said:

Busterbulldog said:

Oh yeah , they are fast , really fast and act like they are rabid. Last 2 I caught I slung one in a barrel fire and shot the other.

You threw a live rat into a fire?

I did not feel good about it , but if you had seen the damage they done and the effort I had to go to to catch them you would appreciate it. Try going into your attic and finding your electric cables stripped of insulation. Besides that once it was in a cage u wouldn't want to open the hatch to let it out it really was mental.

Well I spent rather a lot of money getting my car re-wired (TVR Chimaera) due to mice getting in and chewing stuff up. Never would I throw them on a fire alive though that is quite awful.

I've got a Tuscan.
I've seen what a rat/rats can do to the interior of a Cerbera when left alone, what a mess.

Late last year I was preparing to winter my car and hapn't been in the garage for weeks.
Opened it up and couldn't believe how much rat poop there was!!!
Placed 3 different makes of electronic repellent in there and checked daily. Worked successfully thankfully.

[Busterbulldog]

Jasandjules said:

Busterbulldog said:

Jasandjules said:

Busterbulldog said:

Oh yeah , they are fast , really fast and act like they are rabid. Last 2 I caught I slung one in a barrel fire and shot the other.

You threw a live rat into a fire?

I did not feel good about it , but if you had seen the damage they done and the effort I had to go to to catch them you would appreciate it. Try going into your attic and finding your electric cables stripped of insulation. Besides that once it was in a cage u wouldn't want to open the hatch to let it out it really was mental.

Well I spent rather a lot of money getting my car re-wired (TVR Chimaera) due to mice getting in and chewing stuff up. Never would I throw them on a fire alive though that is quite awful.

Ok so you have a rat trapped in a cage , it's going mental freaking out like a lunatic thing , blood coming out of its mouth where it's trying to chew the cage fast as hell , its taken you months to finally catch the bd. You have had professionals in setting traps , you have had people in with ratting dogs , you have set up cameras and trigger lights in your attics and garage , you have replaced wiring and all your newly fitted insulation has been ripped off your rafters they are chewing through your cavity closers and running through your wall cavities in the garage you are building , you can hear them in the loft , they eat all the poison you put down as if its smarties but don't die , so you finally trap it with some home made curry there happens to be a nice barrel fire feet away from you...seriously what would you have done?

[Jasandjules]

Busterbulldog said:

...seriously what would you have done?

Well firstly I won't trap a rat in a cage in the first place. But secondly, go to the bottom of my garden and release him into the woods. But I can assure you under no circumstances would I throw a live animal on a fire.

What is amusing is a chap around here has mice. Every other day he catches them, walks them about 300 yards up the road to a forest and releases them. A day or so later they are back in his garden. The cycle is repeated....

[Busterbulldog]

Jasandjules said:

Well firstly I won't trap a rat in a cage in the first place. But secondly, go to the bottom of my garden and release him into the woods. But I can assure you under no circumstances would I throw a live animal on a fire.

What is amusing is a chap around here has mice. Every other day he catches them, walks them about 300 yards up the road to a forest and releases them. A day or so later they are back in his garden. The cycle is repeated....

Well it was quote a few years ago now , wh as t you dont get is just how much trouble these things caused me , it went on for ages they would chew through anything they wanted, you could cement up a hole next morning they had eaten back through the cement. They would take items of clothing even , which I didnt realise until I eventually found where they were nesting, thanks to one of the CCTV I set up to catch them. If you ever wondered where your mis placed socks and pants were...maybe rats stole them too as they did mine. Lol . Bloody horrible things. We have had a few sightings again in recent weeks...how would you suggest I catch them ? I no longer have an air rifle.

[Oilchange]

Idiot wife and neighbours were throwing food out ‘for the birds’ but was getting eaten by a family of rats, luckily our cat (old but fearless) was a master rat catcher and I had my air rifle. Big buggers too. I would have no qualms about tossing a live rat into a fire, i might have qualms about picking the damn thing up in the first place though...

[Boosted LS1]

Busterbulldog said:

Jasandjules said:

Busterbulldog said:

Jasandjules said:

Busterbulldog said:

Oh yeah , they are fast , really fast and act like they are rabid. Last 2 I caught I slung one in a barrel fire and shot the other.

You threw a live rat into a fire?

I did not feel good about it , but if you had seen the damage they done and the effort I had to go to to catch them you would appreciate it. Try going into your attic and finding your electric cables stripped of insulation. Besides that once it was in a cage u wouldn't want to open the hatch to let it out it really was mental.

Well I spent rather a lot of money getting my car re-wired (TVR Chimaera) due to mice getting in and chewing stuff up. Never would I throw them on a fire alive though that is quite awful.

Ok so you have a rat trapped in a cage , it's going mental freaking out like a lunatic thing , blood coming out of its mouth where it's trying to chew the cage fast as hell , its taken you months to finally catch the bd. You have had professionals in setting traps , you have had people in with ratting dogs , you have set up cameras and trigger lights in your attics and garage , you have replaced wiring and all your newly fitted insulation has been ripped off your rafters they are chewing through your cavity closers and running through your wall cavities in the garage you are building , you can hear them in the loft , they eat all the poison you put down as if its smarties but don't die , so you finally trap it with some home made curry there happens to be a nice barrel fire feet away from you...seriously what would you have done?

Set it loose in a field perhaps?

[Busterbulldog]

Boosted LS1 said:

Set it loose in a field perhaps?

David Bellamy I am not.

[Boosted LS1]

Busterbulldog said:

Boosted LS1 said:

Set it loose in a field perhaps?

David Bellamy I am not.

You mean this bloke?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bellamy

[Who me ?]

Forget all the modern ways. Go back to the old ways, like some folks we meet in the park. They live near a canal+river and often saw rats at the bottom of their garden even with a dog. They then got first a female Border Terrier and then a male. Since then no sign of rats. I've got a JRT/Yorky cross and when we spot a large rat in th park, even thought she can't get near it, the rat panics,as it knows that a terrier is death to rats.
Not the first time she's shot into a bush and we find a rat fleeing for it's life.
My old Cairn spotted a squirrel, which are said to be fast and with a nasty bite. Being a terrier he knew just how to get hold of it .Fortunately he let go when I told him to as a woman and child walked past . Not good dog press"dog kills little fluffy in front of child".

[mywifeshusband]

Rats are nasty disease ridden vermin and poison or a good ratting dog are the only answer.

We keep chickens and rats put in the occasional visit. Poison where only rats can get at it is my answer. We have an old shed and the rats burrow into it so I leave poison in there for them where it is secure from the cats, dog and birds.

I wouldn't corner a wild rat as they will give a nasty bite. Squirrels are only rats with a fluffy tale and good PR. I had one destroy a Saab's wiring loom in the engine bay.

[LargeRed]

mywifeshusband said:

Rats are nasty disease ridden vermin and poison or a good ratting dog are the only answer.

We keep chickens and rats put in the occasional visit. Poison where only rats can get at it is my answer. We have an old shed and the rats burrow into it so I leave poison in there for them where it is secure from the cats, dog and birds.

I wouldn't corner a wild rat as they will give a nasty bite. Squirrels are only rats with a fluffy tale and good PR. I had one destroy a Saab's wiring loom in the engine bay.

..... I bet that rat could tell some 'tales'

It's TAIL !

[hyphen]

mywifeshusband said:

. Squirrels are only rats with a fluffy tale and good PR. I had one destroy a Saab's wiring loom in the engine bay.

Squirrels were probably there before the Saab. You should only buy squirrel proof cars

Its just like people moving to near Brands Hatch and moaning about noise

We have loads of grey Squirrels in London, they keep to themselves and cause no issues.

Some are very friendly and pet like though, as some people hand them food everyday. Those have a daring and cheeky character.

Worst they do in my garden is scratch and bite top of fences. As do neighborhood cats.

LargeRed, they both have tales too.

Edited by hyphen on Thursday 4th June 10:56

[pikeyboy]

My terrier has currently destroyed the lawn along the hedge digging for rats. My only neighbor is a bird feedling loon and has refused to stop even until the rats are caught. So, not much chance of them feeling like eating poison or anything on a trap as they'll be brimmed with bird seed. I've got poison bait boxes down, snap traps and fenn tunnel traps under the decking.