how do you get rid of rats without baiting?

[StormyMoments]

this isnt even at the yard - this is in my back garden and i live in the middle of a town

they came from a few houses up who have chickens and it seems they have taken residence under my shed and patio - the slabs are now rocking as they have dug out so much but i have a dog that is a ratter and every cat in our street hangs out in our garden so i cant bait

i have 3 large sheds which cant be moved and i just dont know how to get rid of them and a neighbour (rightly) is complaining about it and i just feel it isnt my fault

so how do you get rid of them?

 

[Merry Crisis]

Other than getting the Pied Piper I dont know.

 

[idx]

Not really got much idea BUT I would be speaking to the neighbour in case they are leaving any food out etc which may be attracting the rats (nicely of course!)

 

[Miss L Toe]

You can call in the local pest controller or buy some rat poison bait, this will work, but you need to be sure no other animals can access it, there are boxes which you can buy.
sometimes the local Environmental Health inspector will be willing to approach the offending chicken owner.
http://www.pestcontrolsupermarket.com/rats-22-c.asp?gclid=CIq2kqHNz6sCFQMPfAodKUOVTA

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

If it's somewhere confined then either use bait boxes (proper ones) which the dog/cat wont be able to reach the poison in. or use the classic snap traps baited with choc raisins (they love em) inside something the dog/cat cant reach. The latter are a lot more humane than poison.

I tried the 'safe' eradirat/eradimouse but neither worked for me despite following instructions scrupulously!

Seems a little unfair for neighbour to blame you! And anyway they should be aware that you're never more than a metre away from a rat in the town anyway, even if you dont see it!

 

[indie999]

A careful shot with an air rifle.

 

[StormyMoments]

the only problem is quite often the baited rats wonder off before dying and my dog is a scavenger and will eat anything and there are 10 cats within 4 houses of me and the rats are passing through all gardens just living in mine and there are alot as the cats keep leaving them on the doorstep

 

[StormyMoments]

A careful shot with an air rifle.

i have 2 my brother does competition shooting... are you allowed to use them in close proximity to houses?

 

[abitodd]

Ferrets!
They make lovely pets,and the rats will relocate.
Guinea pigs are also supposed to be a deterant,but they're not as much fun as ferrets.
Another thing worth bearing in mind is that rats are neophobic,so if you keep changing the environment by moving things and adding new things,they will stress and possibly move out.
I did know someone with a serious rat problem,who like you was rightly concerned for pets, and they made a bomb and blasted the rodents quarters.
I cannot help with the ingredients though!

 

[StormyMoments]

I HAVE JUST BOUGHT A GUINEA PIG YESTERDAY?! haha we ar planning on moving and land scaping the garden when the guinea pig comes in for the winter will be soon i juts dont want them moving under my shed!? as then i cant do anything

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

this isnt even at the yard - this is in my back garden and i live in the middle of a town

they came from a few houses up who have chickens and it seems they have taken residence under my shed and patio - the slabs are now rocking as they have dug out so much but i have a dog that is a ratter and every cat in our street hangs out in our garden so i cant bait

i have 3 large sheds which cant be moved and i just dont know how to get rid of them and a neighbour (rightly) is complaining about it and i just feel it isnt my fault

so how do you get rid of them?

A Border Terrier by the name of Bertie

 

[jodie3]

I agree with abitodd, ferrets!!!

You can get humane traps but then you'ld have to take them somewhere to release them and chances are they would be home before you. What about the ultrasonic deterrants they advertise in the sunday papers? Or a few more cats?!

Definitely have a word with the chicken owners as it seems a bit harsh you are taking all the blame.

 

[TheEquineOak]

How many are we talking?

It sounds like there is enough to be doing serious damage to your property/garden!!

I agree with the poster that suggested paying a qualified pest controller. My OH said you can use a firearm/air gun on your own property as long as the pellet/bullet falls within your property... so you could get your brother on the case. My OH shoots them around the farm. He also stabs them with rakes/spades if he gets the chance to.

Tell your neighbour to keep her cats in for a week or so while you put poison down?? It's a bit unfair that you are suffering because of somebody elses cats. We've tried the boxed rat traps, they didn't work.

I bet one of your neighbours is putting out food for other mammals/birds. A big no-no if you don't want a rat infestation!!

EDS - just seen the bit about the chickens. They'll be eating the eggs no doubt. You need to speak to the chicken coup owner. It's unfair that you should be taking all the flack

 

[Spyda]

Ferrets.....

IME only a deterent if they are loose and able to attack the trespassing rats.

I have a large covered area at the rear of my garden, half converted for the ferrets and the other half for the chickens at night. There is just 1cm square wire mesh dividing the chickens and ferrets and whilst I am SURE no rat survives burrowing up into the ferrets' area by mistake, there are bloody great rat holes dug under the fence-line at the back of the chickens side every night There's no food left laying about (OH paranoid about that sort of thing), so I dunno what the rats are after. The chicken droppings?

OH has put rat poison down in a safe container behind the fence, behind the chickens. We do have numerous cats and 2 dogs but I read that even if one of the cats attempted to eat one of the rats killed by the poison, the amount consumed would be negligable. In any case, our cats kill but never eat their victims.

 

[StormyMoments]

How many are we talking?

It sounds like there is enough to be doing serious damage to your property/garden!!


Tell your neighbour to keep her cats in for a week or so while you put poison down?? It's a bit unfair that you are suffering because of somebody elses cats. We've tried the boxed rat traps, they didn't work.


EDS - just seen the bit about the chickens. They'll be eating the eggs no doubt. You need to speak to the chicken coup owner. It's unfair that you should be taking all the flack

we have had a mice infestation in our house last year so the scary thing is they can get in

and i think there are about a million cats in our area with houses over the back of my house across the road around the corner and i dont know how many have cats that sit in our garden... also i think the crazy cat lady lives over the road from me as she has like 20 cats and she complains about the noise... when there is no noise

and the person with the chickens also has a cockrol (how do you speel that?) which he isnt allowed as it is in a residential area and its noisy.... and they arnt the kind of people you want to be friendly with... why do i live in such a crap area?!

 

[jodie3]

A couple of years ago I had a problem with rats in one part of the garden but when I moved the ferret cages and runs there the rats seemed to go so I assumed they didn't like the smell?

You could always talk to your local council/environmental health officer about the chickens, especially if there is a cockeral causing a nusiance. Not sure if you can do it anonymously but they shouldn't tell the chicken-owning neighbours who made the complaint so you wouldn't have to worry about a surprise visit!!

 

[TheEquineOak]

we have had a mice infestation in our house last year so the scary thing is they can get in

and i think there are about a million cats in our area with houses over the back of my house across the road around the corner and i dont know how many have cats that sit in our garden... also i think the crazy cat lady lives over the road from me as she has like 20 cats and she complains about the noise... when there is no noise

and the person with the chickens also has a cockrol (how do you speel that?) which he isnt allowed as it is in a residential area and its noisy.... and they arnt the kind of people you want to be friendly with... why do i live in such a crap area?!

How about chucking food over into crazy cat lady's garden and letting the rats move over there?! I'm sure her pets will see the rats off

Looks like your brothers gonna have to pop round with the gun... rat burger, anyone??

 

[Vizslak]

Ferrets will not work, I have no idea where that myth comes from, you can force them out of nests with loose ferrets but keeping ferrets will not deter rats, you should see the rat holes under my ferret run!

 

[StormyMoments]

How about chucking food over into crazy cat lady's garden and letting the rats move over there?! I'm sure her pets will see the rats off

Looks like your brothers gonna have to pop round with the gun... rat burger, anyone??

haha that sounds like an idea but cant see it happening somehow

and yeah there was a very healthy (other then being dead) rat left on my door step this morning and its not my cat as he is too lazy and also has dementia so i dont think he knows what a rat is anymore he just goes out and suns himself then comes back in and meows at the stairs

 

[Echo Bravo]

I'd just put baited traps down where you think they are coming out, I've had this problem and have 4 dogs which are 2 jack russells and they could never catch the ruddy things. So I've stopped putting out birdseed as my next door neighbour kept complaining about the rodents and put down baited traps, my dogs are fine, but my next door neighbour now has a rat problem

 

[You Wont Forget Me]

Air riffle sounds like a good idea Get rid of them once and for all haha! Doubt it'll be allowed in a housing estate tho

 

[Alltheprettyhorses]

I agree with abitodd, ferrets!!!

You can get humane traps but then you'ld have to take them somewhere to release them and chances are they would be home before you. What about the ultrasonic deterrants they advertise in the sunday papers? Or a few more cats?!

Definitely have a word with the chicken owners as it seems a bit harsh you are taking all the blame.

Take them somewhere to release them? Are you mad? Ha ha ha

 

[StormyMoments]

I'd just put baited traps down where you think they are coming out, I've had this problem and have 4 dogs which are 2 jack russells and they could never catch the ruddy things. So I've stopped putting out birdseed as my next door neighbour kept complaining about the rodents and put down baited traps, my dogs are fine, but my next door neighbour now has a rat problem

i know where they are coming out there are 5 flipping holes -.- they have started digging some more too ... chip is a jack russle- a ratter too but he is useless at home and its not just the dogs its the cats too if i gave my neighbough the rats i dont think we would hear the end of it. shes a solicitor so she would probably have something she can take us to court about we dont feed the birds because of the cats but they have been raiding the guinea pig food which is now inside but im scared they will get in with the guinea pig

 

[Tnavas]

A 'catch em alive' trap if they still make them. Find the rat holes and fill in with gravel. You could also try the good old spring type rat traps - rats are clever so you have to outsmart them so yoou may need to use several methods to catch them all. The chcken owners also need to smarten up their act too.

 

[stencilface]

We have an ongoing rat population at the stables that fluctuates year on year. We have a useless stable cat who doesn't catch a thing, and an ageing terrier cross who does his best - trouble is they eat hole through the kickboards (and my rubber matting ) so they can get away too easy.

I saw a v ill (obviously poisoned) rat stumbling along the grass at our stables, and yelled for my dad to come and finish it (well, seeing as he was there, may as well make him useful!) and the cat walked up to the rat, said hello by sniffing noses with it, then walked off Dad did the job with the shovel easier.

Can you get some guys out with some terriers and smoke them out - I'm sure there's a guy round here that does that with some bedlington terriers. Shame is though, think it will likely be an ongoing problem. Maybe get an air rifle yourself, might keep you busy in the winter!

 

[Ibblebibble]

Environmental health and council to deal with both rats and cockeral
there are also sticky pads you can get which the rats/mice stick to
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Procter-Pest-Stop-Rat-Glue-Boards/dp/B002J9GBHG/ref=pd_cp_d_3

Put them across their normal routes, when they walk across them they get stuck and you can then bash them over the head harsh but effective! you can hide them under things to stop cats and dogs getting on them

 

[stencilface]

Environmental health and council to deal with both rats and cockeral
there are also sticky pads you can get which the rats/mice stick to
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Procter-Pest-Stop-Rat-Glue-Boards/dp/B002J9GBHG/ref=pd_cp_d_3

Put them across their normal routes, when they walk across them they get stuck and you can then bash them over the head harsh but effective! you can hide them under things to stop cats and dogs getting on them

Is it wrong that I would love to see my dogs face if his feet got stuck on something like that - he would be so embarassed!

 

[MurphysMinder]

A few terriers would be your best bet I would think. If you can find someone with some decent ratters they would soon sort them, if you know they are under the flag stones just lift the stones and let the terriers have fun!

 

[MrsHutt]

I thought it was the council's obligation to get rid of rats in an urban area? Also, are there not rules about keeping chickens in a residential area, too? It might be worth a call to the Environmental Health Dept at your local council.

 

[LouandBee]

A friend of mine at work uses humane traps and then kills them quickly with a shovel. He's always getting rats because he feeds the birds alot and this seems to keep them under control.

Personally I hate rat poison and the spring type traps - I've seen rats bleeding out of their arses and one chew its own back legs off to get out of a spring type trap - you would get locked up if you did that to a guinnea pig!