A rattus rattus problem!?!

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TandD

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Or they may be rattus norvegicus....can't say I've looked that closely! Nor had the chance as they move so quickly.

anyway my stable has a small population of rats that are determined to live in it! Unfortunately it's not my property and the YO isn't to concerned as the rats aren't affecting her horses. So obviously I can't kill them cos if they die in a hole/gap then I can't get them out, they will smell and YO has small dogs which may eat them!

stables are external ones....mostly wood with a row of bricks round bottom.....creating gap between inner and outer wood panels. Stable next door is empty, other side is a walk way. Horse has big bed of shavings, completely mucked out every day, swept, banks turned. However horse does like throwing food around which doesn't help!


can anyone suggest how I can prevent them getting into my stable? I've tried blocking up the holes with bricks...rats just push them away. Tried blocking up holes will smelly horse wee covered shavings.... Shavings disappeared over night!!!
i really don't want another winter with the rats :(
 
Rodents do not like the smell of peppermint essential oil, they will do ANYTHING to get away from it..... I sprinkle a few drops around and haven't seen any Rattus Rattus poos since. Quirky but true...
 
Thank you! Will try the peppermint first before having to try kill them! I've had enough drowned ones for a while......
 
This is serious are they getting into your horses water bucket ?
If they are you horse could get seriously ill.
Not to mentain the risk to you .
The YOer is irresponsible and out of order IMO
My MILs best friends son was a groom he died of a infection carried by rats picked up on the yard he worked on.
We have had zero tolerance of them since then .
 
Your correction was right - our native rat is the Norwegian rat (go figure) - rattus rattus (black/ship rat) is more European ;) I'm not being a pedantic arse, I just like wildlife lol :D

I've not heard of the electric taps but if they do what they say on the tin that sounds you reasonable. Poison is an awful way to die and even if you're not concerned about your target it's really dangerous for pets and other ('nice'!) species that end up in that food chain (or as you say, terriers!). Live traps aren't bad but then of course you have a rat to deal with! There is a special sort of hell reserved for people who think glue traps are an appropriate solution for any living creature ;)

Without wanting to sound too happy-clappy, are they doing damage or is it just their presence you object to? I shared space with a rat(s) for a while and was tolerant, just because they didn't damage anything and my important things were locked up safe from chewing and wee - but I'd have had to look for a solution too if they crossed that line!

Understand if you absolutely can't bear them, but if they're not doing much beyond upsetting you perhaps you need to think of them as nature's little squeaky hoovers? ;)
 
Is it possible to have someone dispatch with an air rifle? I keep mine at home so luckily it's my responsibility to get rid of any rats.

I guess your YO wouldn't be interested in getting a feral yard cat?
 
Goldenstar said:
This is serious are they getting into your horses water bucket ?
If they are you horse could get seriously ill.
Not to mentain the risk to you .
The YOer is irresponsible and out of order IMO
My MILs best friends son was a groom he died of a infection carried by rats picked up on the yard he worked on.
We have had zero tolerance of them since then .
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Oh no! He has a mounted water drinker....but he is a messy horse who likes 'swimming' so has a large tub trug underneath...fills with water over night.... Rat jumps in and dies!!!

Floxie - No they don't seem to make any mess...but they do dig up my bed! And I'm a bit OCD over my beds....it's more irritating than anything else. I also can't tell if they upset horse or not over night......

EC - I don't think anyone would be quick enough with an air rifle! And they do only come out at night.....around 11pm last time I sat there for a while. And no, no cat on the yard..... 3 yappy terriers are enough and would most likely kill a cat!
 
I got a live rat trap (baited with anything from chicken corn to peanut butter in a milk top) and when caught, I submerged said trap in old water (non drinking for any animal) until dead. Then tipped dead rat into bag and put into bin. Didn't touch rat, and no smell. Worked well, and caught about 10 this way. Dog got another 5 or 6, and disposed of them in bag in bin.
 
Floxie said:
Your correction was right - our native rat is the Norwegian rat (go figure) - rattus rattus (black/ship rat) is more European ;) I'm not being a pedantic arse, I just like wildlife lol :D

I've not heard of the electric taps but if they do what they say on the tin that sounds you reasonable. Poison is an awful way to die and even if you're not concerned about your target it's really dangerous for pets and other ('nice'!) species that end up in that food chain (or as you say, terriers!). Live traps aren't bad but then of course you have a rat to deal with! There is a special sort of hell reserved for people who think glue traps are an appropriate solution for any living creature ;)

Without wanting to sound too happy-clappy, are they doing damage or is it just their presence you object to? I shared space with a rat(s) for a while and was tolerant, just because they didn't damage anything and my important things were locked up safe from chewing and wee - but I'd have had to look for a solution too if they crossed that line!

Understand if you absolutely can't bear them, but if they're not doing much beyond upsetting you perhaps you need to think of them as nature's little squeaky hoovers? ;)
Click to expand...

Unbelievable. Research Weils disease, barn stored corn contamination and the cost to farmers. I will enjoy my special place in hell and continue using fen traps and poison to protect my stock, myself and anybody else on and around the property. OP, if you have a problem now it will escalate rapidly as the winter gets wetter and the rats are forced above ground as the water table rises.
 
If you want to be a total sod, report YO to environmental health. There is a Common Law obligation to control vermin and I'm sure there are other H&S laws. YO probably has an implied duty to provide safe stabling for your horse under contract law.

But a more diplomatic way might be to locate a ferret keeper and get some ferret poo to pop down the holes. I can assure you, the rats will shift -- hopefully to the YO's stables!

Edited to say that for poison to be effective, you ned to remove all access to feed stores and keep everything spotless so they have nothing to eat except your poison bate. There are "safe" poisons and I doubt if the corpses will stink much, if at all.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Unbelievable. Research Weils disease, barn stored corn contamination and the cost to farmers.
Click to expand...

You ignored the part where I said 'if it wasn't doing any damage', then? If you suppose your traps completely eradicate a problem then your optimism is commendable. However horses and farms and rural locations will always be exposed to and attractive to rats. I never suggested letting a problem get out of hand and I'm not unrealistic in thinking they do need dealing with when the risk becomes unacceptable. Some of that risk likely always exists, however, traps or no.

AdorableAlice said:
I will enjoy my special place in hell and continue using fen traps and poison to protect my stock, myself and anybody else on and around the property.
Click to expand...

I suppose it'll be nice and toasty when the water does rise :)
 
You can borrow my Miniature Poodle, my JR has no kill instinct at all (I am shaking my head in disbelief. But its true)
On the other hand the Poodle is both a thug and an enthusiastic murderer
 
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Ok I didn't mean for an argument to break out over whether rats should live near us or not! Just wanted some ways of moving them to next doors stable!

I'll have a go at the non killing options first! Dead bodies aren't really my thing no matter what they are..... I'd prefer they move to another stable then litter my walls with their decaying masses!

Unfortunately the dogs on the yard are jrt..... They aren't very nice...but instead of killing rats they bite your boots instead!

So I will be picking up over the next few days!..... Peppermint oil, ferret poo, trying to get hold of some expanding foam spray stuff. If this doesn't work I will resort to poision...... If this doesn't work I'll get one of those trappy things that kills them outright!

If none of this works....chorro can I have your poodle for night please? Little ******* only come out at night and you have to sit very very still!!!
 
Before going down the poison route if the other stuff doesnt work put the word about for a terrier man or an experianced air gun enthusiast - the latter like nothing more than sitting in the pitch dark taking down rats. It needs to be someone locally recommended of course for security

In the deep recesses of my mind i seem to think thar drowning a rat is illegal...

I personally use poison and have for years, i have never seen a dead rat - as i umderstand it they hide away to die. The bodies rot quickly and any smell vanishes in a couple of days. I keep the poison boxes away from the dog
 
If using traps (not the OP of course), you need to set them before the scouts arrive. The first (old wise) rats to appear will scout around and lay trails where it is safe for others to follow. Catch those and their followers won't follow! Simples.
 
Rattus rattus are limited to southerly temperate regions in th UK, if found at all, as they don't cope with our climate.

Rattus norvegicus aren't our "native" rats though - they were introduced in the 1700s I think (I recall reading something about dovecotes changing in design at the same time to evade the new rat population!).

Have no advice re getting rid of them though!
 
Always wear suitable gloves when handling dead rats because of weils disease a Rat is Like a Mouse it has no sphincter musle so trails urine wherever it goes and this is where the weils disease comes from it can make you very ill for a very long time or even kill you.

Symptons Flu like to start with then the weils apear on your body usualy legs first if caught early easily treated found at a later stage you can be in serious trouble.

Working in and around Canals & Rivers we are always on high alert stagnant water is worst for the risk of catching the disease.
 
A dead rat in the horses drinking water is disgusting and dangerous. OP you may be only seeing the odd rat, but it sounds like a major infestation. I use poison blocks in plastic boxes - B & Q has a good selection. I also have regular rat hunts with my JRT. If they are in your stable they must be disturbing your horse at night too. Tackle them soon, you will never keep them out of your stable, they will just eat through the walls if they want a way in.
 
We have only had one small family of rats on our farm in the 10 years of living here. Being a farm with dogs and cats, poison was absolutely not an option. We found their run, set rat traps with peanut butter, caught them no problem and that was that. I personally wouldn't be going down the route of trying to dissuade them, I'd be killing them and then they are gone, never to return. But not with poison.
 
I have a proper bait box with the bait blocks fixed inside, so inaccessible to dogs (and hens!). I did have a bucket full of blocks ready to use, on the day I went to set them in the box, I found the lid had been eaten and all blocks had gone. The man in the agricultural store said they will have taken them and established a larder (*rubs hands with glee, serves 'em right*) and they will be eating them for months to come.
I like the peppermint oil thing and I was told some time ago if you can get a barn owl in residence the rodents of all kinds will move house - pronto! I have pondered an owl nest box but couldn't decide where to put it - east for them access but out of the way so as not disturbed by humans. According to the Barn Owl Trust a fork in a big tree is ideal, I'm still working on that one.
And yes ALWAYS wash hands after dealing with stuff from the yard.
 
Hairy Old Cob said:
a Rat is Like a Mouse it has no sphincter musle so trails urine wherever it goes and this is where the weils disease comes from
Click to expand...

I know at the end of the day it doesn't really matter but this misinformation really bugs me! Another variation is that rats and mice don't have bladders...

They doooo! Despite the fact they don't pee out of their sphincter anyway, there is nothing physically special about them, nor are they incontinent - they just leave urine trails and scent marks.

I know I sound like a huge pedant but the 'incontinent mouse' thing everyone seems to know as fact is just silly :) The danger of Weils is still pretty serious, tho.
 
JillA said:
I have a proper bait box with the bait blocks fixed inside, so inaccessible to dogs (and hens!). I did have a bucket full of blocks ready to use, on the day I went to set them in the box, I found the lid had been eaten and all blocks had gone. The man in the agricultural store said they will have taken them and established a larder (*rubs hands with glee, serves 'em right*) and they will be eating them for months to come.
I like the peppermint oil thing and I was told some time ago if you can get a barn owl in residence the rodents of all kinds will move house - pronto! I have pondered an owl nest box but couldn't decide where to put it - east for them access but out of the way so as not disturbed by humans. According to the Barn Owl Trust a fork in a big tree is ideal, I'm still working on that one.
And yes ALWAYS wash hands after dealing with stuff from the yard.
Click to expand...

Ooooh a barn owl would be an awesome deterrent :D I'd love me one of these in residence.
 
I know I sound like a huge pedant but the 'incontinent mouse' thing everyone seems to know as fact is just silly :) The danger of Weils is still pretty serious, tho.[/QUOTE]

Having watched some one die from weils disease I can tell you it is serious and for every rat you see there are usualy about 10 more about.
 
OP, are you aware of the fact that rats can climb? You may fill all the holes at the bottom of the stable walls, but that won't deter the little *******.

If you decide to use the spray foam filler, a) the rats will just chew through it, and b) you could do structural damage if the spray is not applied properly. I have seen an entire window frame destroyed by the product when too much was sprayed into a hole in an acquaintance's kitchen.

We have several home-made bait boxes. They are about the size of a large shoe box and have a curved piece of plumbing pipe at the entrance. The top of the box has a circular disc, which pivots opened and closed, and where the poison is poured when open. I LOATHE using poison, but we were so inundated (we were seeing multiple rats during the day everyday) that we had no choice, really. I placed 7 boxes in safe, strategically located areas around the yard. The result was astonishing. We did find the odd rat in a couple of water troughs, which we emptied immediately. We were using Neosorexa granules mixed with extra wheat. I bought a container of poison blocks and put several of those in a couple of bait boxes. What we've just noticed this year, is that the new blocks are going mouldy and are not being eaten. The granules are being devoured, though. I've put a couple of water bowls near the bait boxes in an attempt to keep the rats out of the water troughs.

I do worry if a raptor catches a rat or mouse that has eaten poison. We have barn owls, buzzards, and loads of red kites. We, also, have vast numbers of short-tailed voles, particularly in one field quite distant from any buildings. Perhaps the raptors will avail themselves of the voles and stay away from the poisoned rodents.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.
 
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