Rat problem almost solved, and the one thats left...

[Yorkshire Coop]

We don't really have reds anymore.

Only because the greys have forced them out and taken over.

I fully accept your view on all things but just that it’s not for me so I will have to agree to disagree

 

[BelovedBirds]

Only because the greys have forced them out and taken over.

I fully accept your view on all things but just that it’s not for me so I will have to agree to disagree

That's fine, I know they drove them out, but they've still taken their place
I've only seen a wild red squirrel once. And that was while camping on an island, I want to protect them, there. And prevent the greys getting in or taking over their islands- but here on the mainland it is what it is

We can agree to disagree on it

 

[Krugerrand]

I'll update on how the kill methods work once it's all under control, I hate causing any pain to any animal, but I will always prioritise my girls health and wellbeing

While noble, keep in mind, animals won't think twice about causing you or any other animal pain. And, if you don't kill vermin, they'll still likely experience a painful death some other way. It's inevitable.

 

[BelovedBirds]

While noble, keep in mind, animals won't think twice about causing you or any other animal pain. And, if you don't kill vermin, they'll still likely experience a painful death some other way. It's inevitable.

This is true, the method that I'm mainly on now is poison, which, while inhumane, will likely get the problem overwith most quickly.
And the way I (am choosing to) think about it, the faster they're dealt with, the less future rats that deal with the harsh cull methods. Hopefully I can reduce the numbers before they multiply massively this spring.
Hopefully once the infestation is gone, I can switch to more humane options again to prevent another uprising. But we'll see what happens

They took every crumb of bait last night, but the worry I have is that they're storing it, not eating it. So I'm ordering an extra kill trap to position along their runway

 

[NatJ]

I'm also using home-made poison, I'm being careful about other wildlife of course,

They took every crumb of bait last night, but the worry I have is that they're storing it, not eating it.

Some kinds of bait are made to be secured so the rats cannot carry it away. For example, they have a hole in the middle, and can be put on a metal rod that's fastened at both ends. That way the rats have to eat it there, not store it for later (which might leave it accessible to other wildlife.)

I don't know what method might work with your homemade bait. The ones I've seen were a hard block with a hole in the middle. The rat could gnaw bits off to eat, but not break off a bigger chunk to carry.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Some kinds of bait are made to be secured so the rats cannot carry it away. For example, they have a hole in the middle, and can be put on a metal rod that's fastened at both ends. That way the rats have to eat it there, not store it for later (which might leave it accessible to other wildlife.)

I don't know what method might work with your homemade bait. The ones I've seen were a hard block with a hole in the middle. The rat could gnaw bits off to eat, but not break off a bigger chunk to carry.

That's a really good idea, I hadnt thought of it. I could possibly do that

 

[Geena]

That's a really good idea, I hadnt thought of it. I could possibly do that

Still keep an eye out for stored/dropped bait though because once those get chewed down biggish hunks can break off to be carried away.
I think you should get one of these Beloved

 

[BelovedBirds]

Still keep an eye out for stored/dropped bait though because once those get chewed down biggish hunks can break off to be carried away.
I think you should get one of these Beloved


View attachment 3423800

I have a husky cross, who is usually super upset about squirrels, birds, cats in the yard-- sent her out to chase the rats away and she just stood there like "it's cold. Please can I come back in?" Useless, but I still love her

 

[BelovedBirds]

Okay I think I may have done a clever thing, would be a first

Baking powder, mixed into peanut butter-
I put it out, waited, and sure enough, they came and licked it all up
I know it's not a humane method, but I'm running out of options here and need to get their numbers down before more arise and have to meet their demise

Good solution?

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

This is true, the method that I'm mainly on now is poison, which, while inhumane, will likely get the problem overwith most quickly.
And the way I (am choosing to) think about it, the faster they're dealt with, the less future rats that deal with the harsh cull methods. Hopefully I can reduce the numbers before they multiply massively this spring.
Hopefully once the infestation is gone, I can switch to more humane options again to prevent another uprising. But we'll see what happens

They took every crumb of bait last night, but the worry I have is that they're storing it, not eating it. So I'm ordering an extra kill trap to position along their runway

If you're worried about them storing the bait and some other animal getting it, there is a newer product I heard about called Rat X. Apparently it's not poisonous to anything except rats and mice because of how their digestive system works. You or your chickens could eat it and be just fine (apparently). I have no experience with this product but I was thinking of purchasing it because it already kind of looks like the chicken feed pellets that the rats like. I could just mix some in and they might not notice. You may want to check this out.

Edit because I think people misunderstood me: I meant mix the feed and Rat X together and put it somewhere separate from where my chickens go. I didn't even consider someone would think I would mix this in my actual feeder lol, so my bad. But the point was, the rats like the chicken feed, so if I mix the Rat X pellets with that, they might fall for it more easily.