Best rat bait

[chicknmania]

For traps; any ideas? I know whatever you use you have to leave out for a few days before the rats will venture in, but we have tried peanut butter, tuna fish, marshmallows, no dice. The rats are driving us nuts. They are almost tame.

 

[RoostersCrow]

For wood rats use bananna.... Thay go ape for it..

For Norways... Use real fresh doughy bread...

 

[Farmerbetsy]

be very, very careful with rat poison should you decide to use it. it's absolutely delicious to dogs, as we found out to our detriment. Fortunately our dog survived as we caught her in the act of eating it, but it was a Bad Scene.

also be careful where you locate the traps -- observe where the rats are running -- look for the greasy black streaks along the walls. they don't cross open spaces, they tend to creep along edges. We've had luck with peanut butter and oatmeal combo. Good l uck.

 

[RoostersCrow]

Forgot to add..

Norways will also go after pieces of raw bacon...

 

[Miltonchix]

If they're that tame..........Ruger 10-22 or equivalent.

 

[ams3651]

try sticking sunflower seeds, whole, in the peanut butter. My dad stored seed in out basement one year (I know, smart) and they got in the house for it.

 

[panner123]

Mix oatmeal and cement and put a bowl of water close by. In a few days the odor will be bad, but this goes away, as does the rats. They eat the oatmeal, which hardens and blocks the intestine. I have used this method on rats for over 50 years abd my grand father used it before that. You must place it in an area that only the rats can get to it. It is safer than poison, but WILL KILL anything that eats it.

 

[ams3651]

thanks for sharing that, I have a young son and a dog and we get mice, I hate to use poison because the dog will kill them if she sees them.

 

[chicknmania]

Yeah, we will not use poison, I don't want our chickens, pets, neighbors pets, or the wild critters to find a dead poisoned rat and eat it. And, I want to use something humane, even for rats. I read a while back about someone else mixing plaster of paris with powdered sugar; basically the same thing as the oatmeal idea, and we may do that, but I would rather use a snap trap if they will go in or even invest in a rat zapper. And.....this is funny and/or gross, but our rats do NOT run around the walls. I mean, they will, but they also boldly come out in the middle of the floor when we are in the barn! Sit and stare at us and wonder when are we going to put out more grain for the chickens! We can close up our biggest indoor coop so the chickens can't get in, and that is where we have the traps, or we set em at night and pick em up before it gets light in the morning. This afternoon there was a dead rat in a trap; the others have retreated.....

 

[chicknmania]

Oh, also, I don't know what kind we have, if they are Wood, Norway, both, or a combination...they are a variety of colors. My husband would love to shoot em, but too risky...neighbors are too close. We used to have a pellet gun which would be ideal, but since we moved to this house it is lost.