Dealing with rats

[Ash0587]

I live in the city and our neighbors have a bad rat problem, which means I have a rat problem. My snap traps have had limited success, the rat zapper always got triggered by bugs so the rats made off with the bait, and the poison i got for the rats in my shed has gotten no bites. I saw a ratinator recommended and thought "why not" but then i realized drowning them is going to be challenging for me because i have a guilty conscience about how long it actually takes for them to die. What else could I do with live trapped rats to take care of my problem? If I have to ill drown them but just hoping someone else has a suggestion i havent thought of.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Limiting feeding opportunities for rodents in first; no food of any sort left outside, ever.
Rats are very smart, and will avoid traps after one capture, so trapping won't ever eliminate a colony.
Poison bait, set out safely to prevent non-target critters from getting to it, will work. The bait type needs to be changed every week or three too.
Traps depending on drowning won't get more than a few anyway.
I've never had one in a live trap, but if I did, my 22g would work fine.
If your neighbors are feeding those wild rats, something could be done about that. Have you talked to them about it? How about your public health department, or animal control? Wild rats are a menace and need to be reduced in numbers, at least.
Mary

 

[JaeG]

https://thisnzlife.co.nz/takes-kill-rat/

This is a novel idea, not ideally suited to large outbreaks but something I'd like to try one day, and would be perfect for someone who doesn't want to leave poison out.

We had to try a few different brands of bait before we found one they go crazy for.

 

[cmom]

We had to try a few different brands of bait before we found one they go crazy for.

Same here.

 

[Kat2141]

https://thisnzlife.co.nz/takes-kill-rat/

This is a novel idea, not ideally suited to large outbreaks but something I'd like to try one day, and would be perfect for someone who doesn't want to leave poison out.

We had to try a few different brands of bait before we found one they go crazy for.

That's a novel idea - using a rat as "bait" or rather - a lure. It does make sense but I would have to have my niece take care of it for me... she likes pet rats... YUCK! But I found it hard to imagine that it stayed in that wooden box for long.

 

[JaeG]

That's a novel idea - using a rat as "bait" or rather - a lure. It does make sense but I would have to have my niece take care of it for me... she likes pet rats... YUCK! But I found it hard to imagine that it stayed in that wooden box for long.

Yes, seeing as how I've had rats chew through really thick pieces of wood to get to my poor quail I do think that box would've needed some steel reinforcement (or at least some hardware cloth) to keep its occupant inside.

 

[cmom]

The picture might be misleading but the rats here do go in and eat the baits. I check the baits regularly and replace the bait as needed.

 

[Debby in france]

I purchased a rat proof feeder which seems to have got rid of the rats we had. I also keep all feed and bedding in metal dustbins with strong lids (and a weight on the lids). All bits and bobs are in a lockable cupboard outside. I take the water in at night the same as the feed.
Here is a picture of the rat proof feeder.
Good luck.

 

[Ash0587]

Thanks for all the responses. I have a grandpas feeder so the only thing the rats are going for as far as i can tell is the chicken poop. They also aren't going for any bait in the electric trap im currently trying to use now that its colder and the bugs can't set it off. I know theyre still digging to my run cuz I'm filling in the holes to track their activity. Ive switched back to limiting poison to our shed they chewed into but they arent touching it amyways. Also its the neuro poision in a lock box for rat poison since I wanted to reduce the chance of anything other than rats getting it and to reduce chances of secondary posioning. So for now any suggestions on good bait? Ive used peanut butter, chocolate, cashews, dog, cat and chicken food, and dog treats. Also for the person who asked about the health department, another neighbor has called multiple times and our health department is doing nothing.

 

[JaeG]

I know that rats can be very cautious of anything new in their environment and it can take awhile for them to try something new. Do you know what they are eating in your neighbourhood? You should wear gloves when setting and baiting traps as the smell of humans can make them avoid the traps. Some species of rat like carbohydrates and some prefer protein, so perhaps do a combo of the two and see if that ups your chances of catching some. I'd use the same bait for a week before switching it. Hopefully you can start to get on top of this awful problem, and I'm sorry you aren't getting any help from your health department. That makes it even harder.