Dry ice to kill rats

[aart]

I really want to get rid of the fleas.

Where do you live that you have fleas in the coop?
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[Karen Glatz]

Where do you live that you have fleas in the coop?
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2178640

I'm in Oregon. We have a Mediterranean climate (zone 8.5). No hard freezes last winter. I was surprised to find two fleas on myself yesterday and wondered where on earth I'd gotten them, until this morning when I let the hens out and saw a couple jump off of my white cochin. I've never had pests in the coop before.

 

[aart]

I'm in Oregon. We have a Mediterranean climate (zone 8.5). No hard freezes last winter. I was surprised to find two fleas on myself yesterday and wondered where on earth I'd gotten them, until this morning when I let the hens out and saw a couple jump off of my white cochin. I've never had pests in the coop before.

@casportpony knows about poultry fleas....sticktight fleas I think they are called?

 

[casportpony]

@casportpony knows about poultry fleas....sticktight fleas I think they are called?

How to Treat Stick Tight Fleas in Poultry with Permethrin

 

[Karen Glatz]

These are not stick tight fleas. They are jumping fleas. I seriously don't want to use permethrin.

The coop is small, but they are only in there at night and out in a large yard all day. The top of the coop lifts up and is completely open all day when it's not raining, and is open about 6" when it is raining. There is also a window and a pop door so it does get good air.

 

[casportpony]

@Karen Glatz, you might want to start your own thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/predators-and-pests.13/post-thread

 

[MichelleT]

my 10 chickens have a 2000 sf run to play in. They will be outside until the coop is aired in the evening (assuming that the CO2 part was the dangerous part).

Gotcha. I was picturing them all inside at night for some reason. If C02 kills insects, it might be worth a try.

 

[Al Gerhart]

The problem is you kill these rats and more will just move in to take advantage of the chicken feed. Why not just get a treadle feeder so that the rats have nothing to eat and are forced to leave?

If you want to try it though, Walmart usually carries dry ice, it is pretty pricy, take a cooler and get home quickly. If you want to do it a bit easier get a box of CO2 cylinders for bb guns. I did some granite countertop testing back in 2006/2008, we set up a 8 x 12 room to test for radon and had to know the air exchange rate. What you do is use a CO2 instrument, a data logger, and CO2. As the level peaks, the logger tracks the decline in PPM, that with the volume gives you the air exchange rate. Started out using dry ice, $$$$$, switched to the CO2 cylinders. Open the window to the room, tap a sharp screw into the end of the cylinder, toss it inside. Should work for a rat burrow too. Two small units would more than fill that 8 x 8 x 12 foot room, enough to kill anything in there.

 

[mailmamm]

Method for you that is nontoxic and it works. you will need plaster of Paris, corn meal and a small amount of water. Using equal parts plaster and corn meal make a dough. Roll into balls. Place where the rats run. They tend to run along edges of walls and such. Make sure your chickens can’t get to it. I placed it outside the hen house, under the hen house and when I discovered their nest I left two at their door step. I did this twice and no more rats.

so what happens, I rad, is that the rat eats the dough balls or takes it to its nest then it makes them thirsty but when they drink the plaster just gums up their system and kills them.

like I said it worked for me. I saw where they had eaten some then taken it away.

 

[mailmamm]

Method for you that is nontoxic and it works. you will need plaster of Paris, corn meal and a small amount of water. Using equal parts plaster and corn meal make a dough. Roll into balls. Place where the rats run. They tend to run along edges of walls and such. Make sure your chickens can’t get to it. I placed it outside the hen house, under the hen house and when I discovered their nest I left two at their door step. I did this twice and no more rats.

so what happens, I rad, is that the rat eats the dough balls or takes it to its nest then it makes them thirsty but when they drink the plaster just gums up their system and kills them.

like I said it worked for me. I saw where they had eaten some then taken it away.

Also I remove the chicken feed at night.