Gray Digging Animal

[Urlec]

Unless you count the holes an adult will dig. I end up with severaldead cattle or horses a year given to me for bait. All broken legs. Shoot on sight in these parts.

 

[MichelleT]

It is most definitely a rat. I went out first thing and looked over (our deck is directly above the run) into the run... it's very ratty tail was sticking out of the hole. So I waited.

As rodents go, it's actually a beautiful creature. It's a brownish gray with district white markings on its sides...

So I have big big problems if I have one rat because that means we have more rats. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh!!!

Funny how I thought what I saw isn't really what I saw!

 

[Intheswamp]

Victor's rat-sized snap traps...the kind with the plastic "cheese" platform for the trigger. Lay 1/2 to 1 dozen out and about *NOT* set. Lay a 1/4" slice of hot-dog wiener on top of each one's cheese platform. Do this for a few days until you're seeing most of the slices gone the next morning. That night bait and arm all the traps. Hopefully you will get the majority of rats in one sweep. If you only use a couple of traps or try to bait them to start with the other rats will see what happens and will be wary of the traps. Let them get used to the "free" meal, then....SNAP!!!!!!!

Ed

 

[MichelleT]

I am all about the trap! Last year I had a huge mouse infestation. I was queasy, but eventually I got tired of seeing them everywhere and knowing the damage they could do. So I bought six of the heavy duty mousetraps, set them all, and emptied them twice a day… I probably got 4 to 6 mice/day. And then, they were gone! I figured I would have to start again soon, I just think I would have to do it with rats instead! But, I'm used to it now. Queezy no more!

I also have a rodent zapper that I never used... I may pull that out and put it in the line-up.

 

[MichelleT]

Is this it? The Victor traps didn't work well for me with the mice... I got the Snap-E brand and they worked like a charm!

 

[Kasilofchrisn]

They make a bigger rat sized trap. That's the one to use.
Or a gopher trap that actually fits in the hole and kills them when they try to surface.
I know they used to make a poison gas stick for tunneling critters.
Light one end and stuff it in the hole and the critters would die in their tunnel from the fumes.
Might be a good option after trapping to make sure you got them all.
Either that or fill the hole with water and drown the remaining rats then fill in the hole.
I once bought a ferret to rid my barn of rats.
Man did he like killing and eating rats.
Just some thoughts I had.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[MichelleT]

Ferrets hunt rats? The tame little cuties you get at the pet store? Hmmm... How on earth does that work? Not saying I'm interested so much as curious!

 

[Birdydeb]

I'm curious also because ferrets would also love a chicken dinner.

 

[bobbi-j]

I believe ferrets are part of the weasel/mink family. Pretty sure they'd eat your chickens before they'd eat a rat (easier picking).

 

[Intheswamp]

Is this it? The Victor traps didn't work well for me with the mice... I got the Snap-E brand and they worked like a charm!

Yeah, that's the ones. Hmmm, I've always had good luck with them. You realize that the slot the trigger sets in has a light and heavy setting to it? Anyhow, they've always worked pretty good for me. I've never used the Snap-E trap before...I had to google it...looks interesting...rather "high-tech looking". So they work pretty good, eh?

Ed