am I the only one that rats found edge of apron?

[SandyRiverChick]

My feral cats keep all rodents away but in the past when we had a rat problem, like you the problem was already here when we moved in. If I couldn't take care of it naturally, ONE BITE does work. I let go of the concern that a cat is going to actually eat a rat and then get some of the one bite through the rat. Cat's do eat moles and mice but rarely rats. So I just seriously doubt it will go from one dead rat to another animal as long as you put it where only a rat can get it, not a dog or cat. Like under my coop foundation which is low. Rats take it back to the nest and everyone dies. Knowing that they go looking for water, I placed a bucket of water close to where I knew they were coming from and checked it quite often. I only had to do this once to knock down the population because they ate my hot tub and truck! After the ONE BITE took care of them, the Feral cat's have detoured any newcomers for many years.

 

[junior67]

Yikes, not sure what to suggest at this point. I've never heard of rats being able to find the edge of the apron to tunnel in (the one time I had a rat tunneling, it was trying to tunnel OUT - no my run is not rodent proof). Even if the food is what lured them in, at this point it sounds like they just want to get in because they find it a comfortable/safe place to hang out at night.

If it's a single super smart rat, setting up snap traps and giving it time to work should get rid of it - rats are super cautious so you may need to leave the traps set and undisturbed for weeks. To make the traps as safe as possible around the chickens I put them under pavers held up by bricks (so there's only rat sized openings).

there is more than 1. We have caught a few, we have one of the "humane" traps (but we get rid of the rats and don't release them) so it is safe for the chickens. I have left it set and there seems to always be 1 that will NOT go in it. I also tried bait stations with Rat X (don't think they have touched that) and also PB and baking soda (don't think that did anything to them). UGH! going to have to try snap traps. I did put the bait station with rat X under a milk crate in case any came out I didn't want the chickens getting to it even though they say it is safe for them, so that may be why the rats haven't touched it? so thinking maybe snap ones with something over it may not work?

 

[rosemarythyme]

so thinking maybe snap ones with something over it may not work?

Hard to say. I had a rat that was determined to go into a certain spot, and I tried Rat X but it just ignored it, so I tried a snap trap under a paver held up by bricks. Didn't even bait it, I just left it in the path the rat was taking and left it alone. I'd peek in on it but otherwise avoided disturbing it so that it'd just become part of the scenery, at least from the rat's perspective. Took several weeks, but peeked in one morning and sure enough, the rat was lying dead in it.

 

[Al Gerhart]

You control rodents by controlling the feed. Here is a post from Howard E. a few years back and some links to some of his earlier posts on rodent control:


Here is Howard E.'s past post:
"To the OP (and others like them), if you will spend the time, everything you need to know about rats and how to get ride of them will be found in the links below......

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rat-control-the-video-series.1337456/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rat-control-101.1283827/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rat-proof-feeder-review.1180514/#post-18610285

This last one is a review of a rat proof chicken feeder built and sold by a BYC member, who is a staunch advocate for the plan of getting rid of rats by starving them out. Remove all sources of feed and they will be forced to move on or starve to death. If you are firmly against the use of poison bait blocks......for whatever reason.......then this is one of the best actions you can take. Bulk food in metal trash cans.....chicken feed in metal rat proof feeders. Can't get to the feed and birds do not spill and waste feed that the rats can survive on."
End post.


And the short version of Howard's post? Sanitation, exclusion, elimination.

Sanitation, bulk feed in metal cans or barrels with tight fitting lids, a treadle feeder, clean up the avenues of movement so the rodents have no cover to protect them from their natural predators. In my opinion and experience this is the quickest, surest, and cheapest way to solve a rodent problem.

Exclusion, plugging the holes and building a Fort Knox chicken coop and not leaving an opening for free range. Tough to do and expensive but it could work for rats.

Elimination, poison and traps. Problem is that rats are smart and will quickly learn to avoid both traps and poison bait. Were you to clean them out, the lack of sanitation would mean a new population of rodents would move right in. And there is risk and no end to the process, keeping fresh bait out. However, if you have done your sanitation using poison becomes effective as the rats are starving and will likely try the poison bait. Not needed though, they will leave in a few days as long as you are not feeding the rodents with a compost pile or other animal feed. Not all will leave, your area will have a natural carrying capacity for rodents, natural feed, but that natural ability to sustain rodents is quite small and the natural predators keep them in check and under cover as the rodents hustle to find this natural food.


Do a forum search on "rats chickens" and you will find most of the old wives tales exposed and read of long epic battles against the rodents. Sanitation, exclusion, or elimination all have associated costs but you are already paying for the feed and will recover the initial costs quickly with the first method.

Good luck and remember, it isn't just the stolen feed, disease and predators come with rodents.