Rats in garden...

[Deep Thought]

Ok, so some background.

We are enthusiastic bird feeders. We feed them all year round and theres a lot of birds come to our garden. 15+ varieties at last count. We do like to watch the birds in the garden.

However this year in particular that has attracted rats.

Big brown country rats.

It was one but now 3 at least.

They come out of the hedge and quite happily head over to the base of the tables / feeders and eat anything thats dropped.

I've stopped feeding the birds what seemed to be the rats main food interest - sunflower seeds.

That worked for a day or two but now they're just eating anything that gets to ground level that we put out for the birds.

I have a sonic deterrent and again that kept them at bay for a day or two, but they now know if they get past it (motion activated) and get to the other side of it, it stops after a couple of minutes.

I appreciate that the "easiest" way to resolve this is either to (a) remove their food source entirely by not feeding the birds or (b) kill the rats by poisoning them.

Neither of want to stop feeding the birds, and whilst my wife is all for killing the rats, i dont want to go down that route.

Any suggestions that would work as an absolute deterrent?

[Deep Thought]

Yeah, reading this i've resigned myself to having to bump them off.

Havent got an air rifle and poisoning isnt humane (for them or the predators that will pick up and eat the dead bodies) so have opted for external enclosed traps.

Have ordered a couple of these.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00XL33EB0/ref...

[Deep Thought]

Promised Land said:

Deep Thought said:

Yeah, reading this i've resigned myself to having to bump them off.

Havent got an air rifle and poisoning isnt humane (for them or the predators that will pick up and eat the dead bodies) so have opted for external enclosed traps.

Have ordered a couple of these.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00XL33EB0/ref...

Spending £30 on a couple of those is a waste of time, I’ve killed hundreds over the years, DOC 150 trap is the one to get, if you don’t want to spend that much then Fenn mark 4’s will do a job as well, no need to bait those if you know their runs, set one just below ground level with a bit of soil over the treadle plate, enclose it in a run through box and you’ll catch them.

I’ve got a dozen Fenn traps but would gladly swap the lot for just one more DOC 150, they are night and day better traps, in a box again as all spring traps by law have to be enclosed so you don’t catch non target species.

Thanks, i'll take a look

[Deep Thought]

Sadly an air rifle isnt an option as i live in Northern Ireland and an air rifle requires a fire arms licence.

[Deep Thought]

Caddyshack said:

Is it hard to get a firearms licence for just an air rifle?

A real ball ache.

[Deep Thought]

"The Plan" -

We've stopped feeding the birds and removed all the food.

Two of these ordered - arriving today.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00XL3P51C/ref=twister...

DOC 150 arrived.

Putting all three traps out this evening with no food in them and no trap - just the boxes. These will be put along the rat "run" along the hedge. Wont touch the cases will use gloves.

Tomorrow, put some food in the boxes, traps not primed.

Put the DOC 150 out when it arrives.

Saturday / Sunday, prime the traps with food and see what happens.

Will watch a few you tube videos in the meantime on best approach to fine tune the above.

[Deep Thought]

Turn7 said:

Not cheap, but allegedly very effective, and no poison...

https://goodnaturetraps.co.uk/humane-rat-traps/

Pricey.... and reviews say they are not always effective.

[Deep Thought]

Cant do air rifles - requires a firearms licence here in NI. A load of hassle to get.

Cant do cats - we have four indoor cats already. Cant let them out as we live near a main road and historically cats here get squished on the road.

Cant do dogs - open at the back of the house. Had dogs previously, dont want them again for various reasons.

So removing foodsource for the forseeable and running with traps.

[Deep Thought]

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.

Will get it set tomorrow.

[Deep Thought]

Promised Land said:

I did say the Amazon ones would be no good.

You did. And you were right

I'd ordered them by the time you first posted.

I'll return them.

Edited by Deep Thought on Friday 19th April 12:24

[Deep Thought]

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.

[Deep Thought]

usn90 said:

Do you have close neighbours?

No

[Deep Thought]

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.

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]

FMOB said:

You have made a change to their environment, I think it takes several days before they become comfortable with it let alone go for the bait.

borcy said:

Rats are very cautious, any change might put them off for a while.

Thanks, yes. Good point.

[Deep Thought]

Promised Land said:

Your first error is moving the trap, set it on a run line or where you think they are, next to a wall, hedge, fence as they take these routes rather than just going across an open space. Then leave it in that spot. Don’t keep moving it if you’re not getting a catch.

My bait is crunchy nut peanut butter mixed with bird seed, in a pot, rebait daily so there’s a nice smell of nose bag wafting around their area.

But more importantly than that is to get rid of all other food sources in the area, if they’re still about you’ll only get greys going into your trap.

Along with moles rats are hard to catch but once you’ve worked it out you can catch them quite easily, I then put them out in my woodland under a trail camera and either the local fox or a buzzard has them away.

Thanks. I'd moved it as where we "thought" was their entry point and run wasnt quite.

It'll not be moved again now.

We'll move to your crunchy peanut butter and bird seed mix and see how it goes from there.

Will update here with progress.

[Deep Thought]

The rats.... they mock me.



Showing no interest at all in going in to the trap.

Quite happily pottering around the garden.

I suspect even though we have stopped feeding the birds entirely there is enough reminants about OR natural food about that they dont have to bother themselves with going in to the trap.

They simply walk round it. Sometimes they sniff it, or stop to lean against it and sun themselves but have absolutely no intentions of going in to it.

Will go get some nutella tomorrow and try that.

Wife does a daily roll call and she thinks theres now more rats there than there previously were.

But feeling particularly despondent about the whole thing to be honest.

[Deep Thought]

Bill said:

Accuracy of a catapult is far lower so you're more likely just to wound it. Or miss outright.

Yes, that would be my thinking also.

Well, my accuracy would be.

[Deep Thought]

It seems my furry friends have now taken to burrowing UNDER the rat trap.

No intentions of going in to it.

[Deep Thought]

Evanivitch said:

Mobile Chicane said:

How about 'leave them alone'.

You shouldn't feed birds in summer anyway, as they will become dependent on the food you put out, rather than learn to search for their own.

A myth.

Its is a myth yes.

[Deep Thought]

And we have our first victim!

The mother rat finally tried to get to the bait in the DOC 150.

Changes made today - as per suggestions - i sprinkled some bird seed at the entrance and in the first chamber, along with a little peanut butter smudged in the first chamber.

She was huge.

Definitely a quick and instant death. Huge force with that trap.

The remaining five or so appear to be her offspring.

Hopefully now we have a successful and repeatable approach.