Rat infestation-What to do?

[daze333]

We seem to have collected some rats! They were eating the chicken food. I have tightened up my security there. But we seem to be infested with them. My kids found hundreds of tunnels in our pasture. We have caught 2 in traps and found two more dead from? My dogs have caught 2 more. I don't like poisons as we have pets and kids. Besides traps and poisons does anyone have any good ideas?

Now one is under our house chewing up things! We can hear him early in the am!!

I don't like cats, but thinking of getting one! Which ones catch rats??

 

[bluebirdfarm]

you are going to have to use poison if they are that infested .
i know you don't like the idea , but which do you like better rats or using poison.
If you use it responsibly it will be ok.
you can make a bait station to hold the bait that is only big enough for a rat to get in , that way nothing else can get the bait.
We had them really bad and we used black cat rat bait from lowes.
it worked like a charm.
Aslo before that we tried traps and shooting them , these work in conjunction with the bait ND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THEM GONE , HURRY , OR THEY WILL ESTABLISH THEMSELVES NEAR THE NEAREST NEW FOOD SOURCE !!!!

 

[daze333]

Do you have kids and pets and didn't have any trouble with using the bait stations? I am always afraid that if a rat ate some poison then the dogs get it, they could get poisoned. Although both rats they caught they didn't eat or open, just killed and carried around.

 

[daze333]

Just noticed all your pets listed!

PS Where do find donkeys? I would really love one!

 

[jforsness]

I highly recommend bait stations. I too have animals and oor neighbor had rats. An pest service was hired, and used preoperly, they are safe and effective. And do it asap

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

I agree with the recommendation for the use of Bait Stations. They prevent inadvertent consumption by non-target species and work very nicely by giving a dark area for the rats to feed.

We have several around our farm and they flat out work!!!

Jim

 

[The Chicken Lady]

You could also try powdered sugar mixed with Plaster of Paris, but you need to keep that away from pets or small children that might be tempted to taste it.

 

[daze333]

Thank you for all of the advice! I will get to work right away!

 

[Guinea Goonie]

we used live squirrel, rat traps baited with cooked bacon.
They seem to really enjoy the bacon until I dispatch them
in the trap.

I still have one, I call him Rambo Rat because I can not seem to
bait him or get him in my sights. Lord knows I have put enough 22
bullets in his direction !!

 

[TXmom]

I'm really against using any poison...my best friend's husband put rat poison out and her dog died within a week. The poison was absolutely NOT where the dog could get to it, but apparently he ate a poisoned rat or mouse.

I have a cat and 2 dogs that hunt mice and rats, so the problem isn't too bad here. I also set out humane traps for the mice (Mice Cubes) and release them several miles away in a wooded area.