Help me get rid of my nightly visitors!!!!!

[Lorimary]

I don’t have pictures right now. I could take some later (it’s roughly 108 degrees here today!!!) we haven’t placed the wire down very far. But the rats are digging tunnels and the piles of dirt they are pushing up is about a foot or more deep in places!!! And they are tunneling from all the way across the back yard (several hundred feet). I’ve tried everything from putting ammonia into the tunnels, moth balls, gopher gassers. You name it I’ve tried it. The last 2 weeks I’m completely worn out. I find more holes where they tunnel out or in. And they tear up my fencing. We have an old dog out back but he’s completely blind and bless his poor old heart, he tries to find them when he can. Every day I’m coming in from outside in tears because I don’t know what to do. I even told my husband we need to sit out there as still as possible and pick them off one at a time with a firearm.

You can try putting dog poop into any open holes. Sometimes a predator smell will do it. Cat poop works too.

 

[CogitoChickens]

Unfortunately, poison is the only thing that's going to work with that kind of pest. You won't be able to keep them out - previous post was accurate, they can squeeze thru incredibly small openings. There are premade poison houses (for lack of a better term) that you can get at HD or Lowes or Rural King. They have small openings that lead to an area inside where you can anchor down these cubes of bait/poison. Little chicks might be able to get in, but older birds won't. Just check them frequently to make sure crumbs from the bait/poison aren't near the openings. I don't ever see that with the sets in the barn, but just in case you know? Good luck!

 

[Debby R]

I wouldn't poison because other animals/chickens could be harmed.
We had a rat we couldn't get rid of trying various traps. We finally got a live trap at TSC and it worked like a charm. Just be sure to take the rats at least 2 miles away or they will come right back.

I am at my wits end. We tried to figure out what was getting into the chicken run and coops. Bought a trail cam and it’s rats!!!! And OMG there are quite a few!! Please tell me there is hope to get rid of them. The neighbors cats are trying but I think there’s too many. I know the exterminator is gonna cost me a fortune. Any suggestions to try first? You cannot imagine the horrible painful death I’m wishing on every one of them

I tried everything then resorted to “Just One Bite” poison in the rat hotel that nothing else can get into. Found one dead inside their pen and none of the chickens had touched it. I have hardware cloth around my pen but it tends to bow out a bit between staples. Poison took care of the five rats then and the single one that showed up this year.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have hardware cloth around my pen but it tends to bow out a bit between staples.

Try re-securing it with trim strips firmly screwed down.

 

[Audrey B]

I am at my wits end. We tried to figure out what was getting into the chicken run and coops. Bought a trail cam and it’s rats!!!! And OMG there are quite a few!! Please tell me there is hope to get rid of them. The neighbors cats are trying but I think there’s too many. I know the exterminator is gonna cost me a fortune. Any suggestions to try first? You cannot imagine the horrible painful death I’m wishing on every one of them

We have the same problem but my chicken coop is quite a ways from my house and I have checked with many people and the answer I got was if you have chickens you will have rats. I have put rat poisoning down inside the holes that they dug but only in spots that my chickens cannot get to and that did help.

 

[RZurek]

I haven’t read all the replies yet so maybe someone has suggested this already. We had a big mouse, and sparrow problem, think eating more than half our ladies feed. I even began taking the food away at night and only having as much as they would consume in the day, but our coop wasn’t small bird tight so it was a losing battle. The mice too were beginning to burrow into the foundation of our garage so something needed to be done. We tried all sorts of traps, but it never solved the problem completely until we removed the food source by getting the “ratproofchickenfeeder(.net).” Yes it’s an investment, but it paid for itself in three months of feed and still working three years later. Btw I don’t work for them or have any incentive to share this other than the great relief of my problem solved.

 

[Forceofnature]

I am at my wits end. We tried to figure out what was getting into the chicken run and coops. Bought a trail cam and it’s rats!!!! And OMG there are quite a few!! Please tell me there is hope to get rid of them. The neighbors cats are trying but I think there’s too many. I know the exterminator is gonna cost me a fortune. Any suggestions to try first? You cannot imagine the horrible painful death I’m wishing on every one of them

 

[Forceofnature]

I am at my wits end. We tried to figure out what was getting into the chicken run and coops. Bought a trail cam and it’s rats!!!! And OMG there are quite a few!! Please tell me there is hope to get rid of them. The neighbors cats are trying but I think there’s too many. I know the exterminator is gonna cost me a fortune. Any suggestions to try first? You cannot imagine the horrible painful death I’m wishing on every one of them

NEVER USE POISONS! You end up killing every animal that eats the poisoned rodents! You also risk poisoning ponds and water sources as a rodent that's poisoned feels horrible & seeks water. Poison is out of the question! You can easily set up live humane traps. Including 5 gallon (or larger) buckets. Add straw or shredded newspaper in the bottom to prevent injuries as the rodents fall into the bucket or tub. You can purchase a gadget that sits on top of the bucket. It has a bar or thick wire that goes across the top with a flat piece in the center that you place peanut butter on. You can add bits of dry cat or dog food too. When a rat or mouse scurries across to eat the treats he gets spun off & into the bucket.
You can catch multiple rodents this way. You can place a board up at an angle outside the bucket, to allow rodents to climb up the board then onto the spin designed bucket trap. You can set up multiple buckets. Add air holes near the top of the bucket by drilling holes or melt holes with a hit soldering iron. Put the lid on & drive the rodents out to a field or nature area near rivers, lakes or streams if possible. This allows the rodents a chance to live & die being a source of food for snakes, owls, fox, coyotes & other predators. You can buy these gadgets online or make your own. You squish flat a soda can. Then pierce it lengthwise with a wire hanger you've bent and twisted into a wide & long enough base for rodents to walk across. Put the peanut butter & a few pieces of dry pet food onto the top of the flattened can. Or purchase the type using a metal or plastic paddle-like design in the center of a thick wire or bar. Pets & wildlife are killed by second and first hand poisoned animals! Chicken wire is dangerous. Sharp wire edges can decapitate chicks, ducklings & injure all sizes of animals. Including harming eyes & even popping eyeballs out of heads! The best investment in the long run is building coops, runs & pens with 1/4" openings in hardware cloth. Which isn't cloth. It's a rolled or paneled metal product with holes punched all throughout. The holes come in various sizes. Go with the smallest size. This keeps out rodents, snakes & larger insects. Rodents hate the smell of IRISH SPRING (BAR) SOAP. Don't let it touch the ground where it can get pecked at or come in contact with water etc.. You can cut each bar into 3 chunks & hang the chunks in cheesecloth or plastic woven veggie little sacks. Hang these every 8 feet if possible around your coops, runs & feed storage areas. Poison baits are cruel, dangerous and a hazard to all animals, habitats & often get into the hands of kids. A small opening doesn't mean squat! Feral cats & pets do a great job as long as they are fed pet food too. Rat terrier dogs are hired put as pest control. Or get your own terrier. They dig up rodent nests & kill rodents. But raise that puppy with all of your animals from day one or that puppy will e a killing machine. Including killing cats, fowl and other animals. Rat terrier rodent services come a few times then as needed of needed. You can read articles online, see ads & videos about their high success rate. Even in large farms, wiping out rodents.
Hot wire kill & injure other creatures. The two best options are live trapping into tall tubs / buckets or using terrier rodent services or training your own terrier. Dachshunds are good too but back issues are a problem. A stout rat terrier or a similar breed is a wise option. Very sorry for the stress, injuries & deaths of your beloved chickens. Be sure you use the hardware cloth under your floor. Even if you pour concrete, rodents can chew the edges of concrete. Impregnate the concrete with hardware cloth & old chicken wire. Tortoise & turtle keepers must do the same. A sleeping or hibernating tortoise/turtle fall prey to rodent injuries and death. If possible remove food sources before sundown.

 

[rlhagan56]

I guess the sky is falling. Poison is usually the only solution using safe bait houses like Tom Cat.

 

[DannyD1123]

I am at my wits end. We tried to figure out what was getting into the chicken run and coops. Bought a trail cam and it’s rats!!!! And OMG there are quite a few!! Please tell me there is hope to get rid of them. The neighbors cats are trying but I think there’s too many. I know the exterminator is gonna cost me a fortune. Any suggestions to try first? You cannot imagine the horrible painful death I’m wishing on every one of them