Rats

[piphens7]

I am freaking out now , I am going to plant a massive amount of mint, everywhere,

 

[RMHiggins]

As someone who used to raise and breed rats, I will agree with the fact that relocation is very very likely not a possibility. You can try, but the rat will definitely not do it on her own. Not when there is grain to be eaten!

Rats don't live by many rules, but one rule they stick to is "when there is food around, BREED!". With many animals I am definitely in favor of relocation (because the way I see it, yes they are a nuisance, but this is their home planet too!), but with rats it is a battle you are 99% sure to lose.

 

[Twinklin]

We have roof rats here in AZ. I've known about them from friends and family who have citrus trees and get them. When we moved into our new house there was a rat trap in the cabana on the patio and so we assumed at some point the previous owner must have had a problem with them. I only ever saw one dead in our pool since we moved in but they have since discovered that the chickens spill food. They have been coming at night and eating the spilled food in the run. I've seen no sign of them in the coop but we don't ever have food in there for that reason. I made PC feeders that close for out in the run to prevent spilling but last night the rats came and since they had no spilled food to eat they tried to chew through the PVC. I don't know how persistent they are but I'm assuming they'll just keep trying to get into the PVC tube until they get to the food so starting tonight I'll be bringing the feeders into the house or garage at night.

We have huge bushes that surround our property that the rats use for nests and a highway. I try to keep the branches thinned out and the leaves raked out underneath but it's seriously impossible to keep up with. The girls spend the majority of their day under those bushes. I want to use something like Just One Bite poison to finally get rid of the rats. I'll be putting it in bait houses or PVC tubing but do I have to put it in the run or under the bushes where I've seen them or can I put it like 20ft away from there so it's no where near the chickens?

 

[Cmhschwartz]

Any advice on how to get rid of roof rats. The geese are the alarm system and honk when they enter the coop. the geese hate them.
I thought I was smart putting down hardware cloth, with paver stones over them. the rats built a nest under the hardware cloth or under the pavers.

I'm tempted to try poisions but worry if small pieces are left for the poultry to get, not to mention secondary kill for owls, etc.

Is there a small pistol pellet gun that would work?
Snap traps were hard. I had to unsnap them in the morning before the hens were up, that was before the geese. Don't want to get my feathered friends.

Open to all suggestions of how to rid the coop of these unwelcome rodents.

 

[aart]

Put your snap traps in a box with a big enough holes for rodents to enter but not chooks.

 

[waldeneffect]

We started having a problem with a rat in our chicken coop.

Some lessons took a while for us to learn in regard to rats.

here's a blog post that sums up what we've learned to date on combating rats in a chicken coop.

http://www.avianaquamiser.com/posts/Temporary_chicken_fencing_for_the_backyard/

 

[Janabell2000]

While I was at work on Friday, my husband worked on raising our coop off the ground. He cleaned out the poultry pudding from beneath the coop and he said a rat popped out and shook the poop off and ran. We also found rat droppings in our garage, it is everywhere. He went to Home Depot and bought two traps and laid down poison bait. The next morning the bait was emptied, so we know we must have killed at least two or three, maybe more. I am so glad that I wasn't home for that, they freak me out. Mice I don't mind so much, rats I do mind. I hope we get rid of them soon.

 

[aprophet]

Any advice on how to get rid of roof rats. The geese are the alarm system and honk when they enter the coop. the geese hate them.
I thought I was smart putting down hardware cloth, with paver stones over them. the rats built a nest under the hardware cloth or under the pavers.

I'm tempted to try poisions but worry if small pieces are left for the poultry to get, not to mention secondary kill for owls, etc.

Is there a small pistol pellet gun that would work?
Snap traps were hard. I had to unsnap them in the morning before the hens were up, that was before the geese. Don't want to get my feathered friends.

Open to all suggestions of how to rid the coop of these unwelcome rodents.

I snare them with picture hanging wire if you try the snap traps you do not need bait just set them where the rats are running and you will catch them I also use a # 1.5 Longspring trap and 110 conibear bodygrip trap no bait just in the trails /runs they move in.....

daisy 880 works well 25 feet and closer

 

[tinalupan]

I am from Ontario, Canada, will mint survive the winter and regrow? Are they annuals or perennials?

 

[nickers]

Maybe that's why you got them.
Someone relocated them to your house.

There is no relocating of rats.
Killing them, is the only way to keep them out

Caleb my friend says,"That is wrong!" (he is rat crazy)

he also says "you should keep them as pets and how would you like someone trying to kill you" ( I think you should re-home them)