Help! RATS!!

[Mizz Tulips]

If big rats are at close range, can I hit them with BBs from a Daisy pistol and get them? They are in my basement after handyman too door off and didn't' put it back put it back.
Three weeks later, rats are thriving in there. Can't tolerate the rotting rat poison death smell. They are smart enough to trip the bar on Victor traps and feast on the bait although glued down. They are the size of small guinnie pigs. Omg i have no one to help. Can I do this? No gun experience but good girl-aim from basketball. Help!!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Actually managing to hit a scurrying rat without extensive practice in aiming a pistol? It's a lot harder than it looks. Learn and practise gun safety, if you plan on getting a gun, even a BB. Until then, leave them alone. (If you do hit a rat with a BB, you're most likely to wound it. It will either recover or die in your walls--which is exactly what you're trying to avoid.)

If you can borrow a rat terrier, that's a great option. If you can borrow someone's cat, that's a good option too. See if you can find a good mouser on Craigslist, if you're willing to keep a cat.

Or just use poison. It's still a better option than trying to hit a rat with a BB.

 

[AmazingRachel]

Don't use poison. If a hawk eats it, then that hawk dies, leading a possible re-infestation bc the population isn't properly controlled. Soda works, rats can't handle carbonated fluids.

 

[Shadyfarms]

Just use ye old bucket trick. Get a big bucket with a handle. Put a paper towel cardboard centre around the handle. Smother with peanut butter. Fill bucket with liquid. Rat goes up to the handle part to eat the peanut butter, cardboard swivels, rat falls into water. We used to use that one all the mice at the cottage over the winter. end up with a bucket of 50 dead mice by spring

 

[lazy gardener]

In this case, I would absolutely use poison. Rats carry a lot of disease. And they can also cause house fires by chewing electrical cords. It would not be safe to shoot even a BB or a pellet gun in the house. The anticoagulant poisons are supposed to be safer than the neurotoxin ones. So, I'd start with those. But, you may have to step up to the neuro baits b/c rats get smart to the baits. If you see one rat, you have a huge infestation. For every rat you see, there are most likely 10 - 25 that you don't see, and they breed like wild fire. Be sure all food items are put in rat proof containers. If they find their way into your kitchen, you've got a HUGE problem on your hands!!! If you can't bring this under control within a couple of weeks, you may need to call in an exterminator.

 

[Larry55]

Call an exterminator and let them help u. And dont wait .

 

[Howard E]

Tulips:

You came to the right place. Spend some time looking at these two links where you will find all you need to know to get started on solving your rat problem. The most helpful solutions start on page 2 of the thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rats-when-the-army-went-to-war-on-them.1216226/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-better-rat-trap.1212757/

I have plans in this last thread for a rat trap big enough to tackle your rats. One I'm hoping someone with big Ol jumbo rats will copy and test.

And lastly, there is this publication from U of Florida (probably 1,000 more like it but lets use this one for now) that explains how poisons work, and despite what a lot of folks want to believe, if you use the correct baits, you WILL NOT be killing hawks, owls, dogs, cats or other non-targets.

http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2016/01/29/controlling-rats-and-mice-around-the-farm/

So this is a multi-step process in which you clean up any sources of food and shelter (that may include rat proofing the target structure), which puts rats on the hunt for something else to eat. That something else will be poison bait blocks served up from secure bait stations.

The traps are only valuable to keep you occupied and thinking you are doing something useful while the bait blocks do their job. Traps are valuable after the fact to clean up any stragglers who didn't fall for the bait, and to monitor things.

 

[Mizz Tulips]

Actually managing to hit a scurrying rat without extensive practice in aiming a pistol? It's a lot harder than it looks. Learn and practise gun safety, if you plan on getting a gun, even a BB. Until then, leave them alone. (If you do hit a rat with a BB, you're most likely to wound it. It will either recover or die in your walls--which is exactly what you're trying to avoid.)

If you can borrow a rat terrier, that's a great option. If you can borrow someone's cat, that's a good option too. See if you can find a good mouser on Craigslist, if you're willing to keep a cat.

Or just use poison. It's still a better option than trying to hit a rat with a BB.

 

[Embden Geese]

Hang on ill have them rats are so cute !

 

[lazy gardener]

Thank you Howard for that well written material. I was looking for such an article that outlined the types of baits available, and discussed the risk of secondary poisons. Unfortunately, last fall when I resorted to using poison, the only one being carried at the store I went to was bromethalin. In your opinion, what is the safest poison to use, while still getting the job done?