Dang rats!

[DuckBoy323]

Yesterday when I got home I opened the coop door and heard little running and when I turned on the light I saw at least like 15 to 25 rats maybe 30 going up the corner. I was pretty amazed how many there were. Anyone know the best way to get rid of a bunch? We've trapped em but haven't lately. The bait doesn't seem to work anymore.

 

[2greenboyz]

OMG - I remember once I opened my patio door just in time to see a family of them dive for cover. Ugh! I've heard a pellet gun works. You could set traps but just remember to disarm them before the chooks come out. Best one out there is one called T-Rex Trapper. I mail ordered them and they work great. I also heard,never tried, about setting up a drum partially filled with water, put a covering of paper on top, then bait on that. (Like food bait). make a ladder or ramp leading up to it. Let them feed for 3 or 4 days, then score the paper and remove the top two rungs so they must leap up to the top. They fall through and drown. You'd have to google that one get directions it's out there.

The ones in my patio I got them outside (they were in a box) by sandwiching the box with a metal plate. I put that into a trash container with a steel lid. Dragged it away from the house and dropped in two bug bombs! Came back to look three days later and one leaped up and escaped! So I didn't touch it all summer and left them alone. So - bug bombs have no effect on rats!

 

[Jadnils]

Will rats kill chickens? I know they will kill smaller birds....

 

[Erica]

Hi DuckBoy323,
if baits don't work, trapping is probably the best option. Baits don't work for me either (the rats know what it's about).

I find the best traps are live traps with no spring door, i.e. they have a funnel entrance made of vertical rods. Rats go in but can't get out, and you can catch several at once.

The only way to trap is to make a campaign of it. Remove all other food sources (especially chicken feed) overnight, and use chicken feed as bait (because they're used to eating it). It helps greatly if you can open the door to the trap for the first few nights and let them come inside and gorge, then on the third night you shut the door and they'll come in via the funnel and get caught.

Also try not to touch the trap with bare hands, use gloves. The human smell will put them off going near the trap. If you leave the trap in the same spot for several days before baiting it, they'll be used to it being there.

best of luck
Erica

 

[2greenboyz]

Erica, that sounds really cool, who makes it and where can I find one?

 

[PamelaTX]

Someone posted this a while back.....Get a five gallon bucket and fill it 1/3 with water and float a full layer of seeds on the top (sunflower seeds work well) so that you don't see any water. Create a little ramp for them to climb up to the top of the bucket and put a little board across the top of the bucket. The rats climb up the ramp, across the board, look down and see the seeds, think they've found a bucket full of seeds, and jump right in. Then they drown! I haven't tried it myself but it sure seems simple and others have said it works great You might give it a try before you spend any money. Good luck!