Nasty critters in hay barn! How do I get rid?

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SpruceRI

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They have arrived early this year. Went to get some feed and there was a rat scuttling across the floor and dived into the hay.

In previous years I've put bait down - but owners of field have now got cats so I don't any more.

Also bought a larson trap last year and in the main the rats scoff the bait and the trap door doesn't shut!

Can't do splat traps. It's bad enough setting mouse ones, but a rat trap would have my finger off if I slipped!

How do I repel the bl**dy things?

Can't keep them out of the barn because of the material its made out of.

So, should I

Put down Rentokil bait inside the barn?
Or outside the barn?
Of there's some 'humane' stuff you can get isn't there that stops them breeding?

If I use any of that stuff and the cats get them will it make the cats ill?

Or carry on just trapping them and then drive them 100 miles away and let them go?

p.s. thought about putting a cap flap in the door but don't think the cats are upto catching rats!
 
An old method used to be a tub of water with oats/corn floated on the surface, rats drop into tub to get the cron and drown.
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Sounds a bit cruel though
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An Air rifle can be effective if you have patience and are a good shot.

Poison apparently makes the rat taste bad, but guess there is always the danger that a cat may still eat a poisoned rat. Bait is put down at our yard in lenghts of drain pipe to stop any of the dogs getting to it.

JR's can be quite effective ratters (mine usely and on the rare occasion he catches on he brings them to me live
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).
 
hi i have a company come and do it they put down these black boxes then come a few days later and take them away got rid of all mine ( ii dont want to know what happens to them in that black box)
im a head in the sand kind of person tee hee
 
Thanks all

Hipp: do the rats stay and die in the black boxes or do they crawl off first? Please have a look!!!

ChristmasSparkle: I could borrow an Air rifle off Dad. Would be a bit concerned that my hay would end up full of pellets though!!

Might try the tub of water/oats thing. Friend of mine traps rats in a cage and then drowns them in a dustbin of water. She says they scream like mad! I can't do that.....urghhh.... but I suppose if they fall in and drown when I'm not there, I've only got to fish their bloated bodies out....yuk, yuk YUK!!!

Owners of field have just bought a JR puppy. He came off a farm so one would hope he's got good ratting capabilities but they'd be horrified if I asked to borrow him for killing purposes!

Can anyone suggest a quick and effective poison?

I used to buy those Warfarin covered oats and fed bags and bags of it and only found 2 dead rats. Think I was feeding the rat population of Kent with the ton I must've put down!!
 
You can buy boxes for the bait from places like Scats. They protect the bait from other animals getting to it. The rats will take the bait from the boxes and I think they usually die in their holes a few days later.
I have a terrier, and a really big strong killer cat (!!) but still one year had a few visitors in our stables.
Like you I am not that keen on killing things (well am fine if the dog or cat does it for me!). I don't really like the idea of poisoning being a longer drawn out death but in the end it was the only thing that worked. Had no probs since we used it and that was a few years ago.
 
I think I'm going to have to go for the poison. But hope they crawl off and die somewhere else away from me, pet cats and JR puppies!

Don't have a Scats round here so will see what my local Feed merchants have to offer
 
I'd never shot anything before we got a plague of rats in our garden. Just used to sit down at the table on the patio with a g&t and a tin of pellets and wait... Surprisingly I was quite good at it, AND I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW SATISFYING IT WAS. Then out with the poopicker to scoop up the corpse(s) and dispose of in the septic tank. Quite a good method combined with the poison as the poison gradually slows them down (before they die). Main thing is make sure there is a constant availability of the poison as per the instructions on the pack. Apparently that's where a lot of people go wrong which is how rats have built up immunity.
 
i had a terrier man come with two patterdales.he found nests under the wood pile.had to dig the tunnels out,some were 4ft long.dogs were v quick and all were despatched.
he done it for free cos it was his hobby.
 
The ones that were poisoned at the farm didn't die in the bait box. I kept finding them littered around my tackroom
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gross. Poison did get rid of them though.
 
Yeah, you see this is my problem. If the little blighters died in the 'poison box' I wouldn't be too worried - even pleased. But I can't risk poisoning field owners cats.

Could borrow an Air Rifle but that would mean climbing in amongst the hay and getting face to face with the bu**ers - which I'm just not prepared to do. And anyway, the hay's stacked upto the ceiling.

If I got a 'terrierman' in would I have to unstack all my hay for terriers to find them then having scared the rats away and back to square one?

Gawd, this is so difficult.... what should I do?

Perhaps it going to have to be the drowning in a dustbin with oats floating ontop. I suppose I could make a ladder upto it to help them along a bit!!
 
ferrets can be good, i had two that were great ratters, small and flexible enough to get right under the pallets, there is also a new trap on the market, made by STV it is a black snap trap that you simply step on to set, you don't even have to touch the dead rat to release it either....
 
Ooh lilym - that sounds like a good idea. Hate setting tiny little mouse traps as when they go ping by accident they scare the life out of me....a bit like touching electric fencing! I'm a wimp I know!!!

That foot trap thing sounds more the ticket, then I can wear by big bovver boots to set it. Do you know what they're called and where I get them from, or do I order online? Any idea on cost?

Thanks v much
 
Think the idea of the poison box though is that it is designed so other animals can't get into it...ie your yard owners cats The rats wouldn't die in the box cos the poisons not that fast acting and they will only be in there to feed.

I agree that it is much nicer that something is killed quickly and outright, by a dog preferably, but this isn't always feasible...the rats may be occupying a spot a dog can't get too or it will not be able to sort out the whole colony.

Speak to your agricultual merchant who you get the poison / bait boxes from and they will be able to give you advice and then you can make your mind up!
 
We had an invasion of rats in an old farmhouse, called in local 'expert'. All he did was put poison about. Trouble was, they died in inaccesible places and stunk the place out! For the haybarn trouble, yes, I'd recommend a JRT.
 
wat JR puppies Jo(i want 1-dont tell stu)i will say i rescued it from pikeys!!!! iM SERIOUS!!It can be our little eventing pup for 08 when we win all those classes??????(im still asleep dreaming)
be very careful re poison mate,unless its a humane trap thing where they go in eat,then die in trap???
driving bk from cobham in dark last night,i saw prob 20 lil critters scattering across the rd from yard.I think where-ever theres animal feed,there will be rats!! no matter how clean u keep ur feedbarn/room.
xx
 
A variation on ChristmasSparkle's idea is to get a large plastic tub, smear the sides & bottom of tub with grease and put in some cornflakes or similar cereal-type stuff. The rats get in the tub to eat the cereal, but can't get out because their paws are too greasy to climb out. Then you come along in the morning and shoot them or otherwise dispose of them.

A JRT that loves ratting is a good idea, but cats seem to keep them away better, if you have a cat living in the barn (will need to be a cat that likes to hunt). The farm next-door has 3 JRTs, but since they got two barn cats the rats have been seen even less than ever. Quite often Cats Protection rehome semi-feral cats to barn homes so it might be worth enquiring.
 
Thanks CSYMolly! I'd have to borrow you as well cos I'm scared of ferrets too!

Prudunce - Yard owners have just bought a JRP. He's teeny weeny at the moment....about the size of a rat!!! But very cute.

The girls wanted a dog so they can dress it up in stupid clothes and the little boy wants someone/something to play football with him in the garden!

So you can imagine if I asked to borrow it for ratting purposes, they wouldn't be best pleased when it came back and whiped its bloody face all over its pink jacket and the football!!!!
 
Hmmm we had a fair few GIANT MUTANT rats last winter... living under wooden stables and under our old tack room. The two JRT and the cats were always round there but not sure if they ever caught much. They seem to have scarpared as haven't seen/heard them lately. We do however have tonnes of mice!
 
Right, I've gone the whole hog.

Been down to local feed store and bought various things and this is what I've set down, so it will be interesting to see what works. None of it I bet cos I think rats are pretty wise:

'Eradirat' poison stuff that's not dangerous to pets if they eat the rat

Larson / humane trap with cereal bait

Plastic 'splat' trap you set with your foot

Dustbin filled half way with water and sprinkled with oats on top. Parked next to hay bales

Plus, I borrowed field owners air gun and stood poised for half an hour tonight, but didn't hear or see a thing. I guess ratties were watching and waiting for me to go!!

Can't go down the feral cat route as my stables are too near the road and relatively near to owners house so they wouldn't want me getting a cat that might fight with theirs. Also, I don't visit the place every day because most of my grazing is on another property.

Might put a cat flap in barn though and encourage their cats in!!
 
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