Help! RATS!!

[ironjerry]

Thank you.
I used poison years ago and a rat died in the basement. With air vents and at baseboard level in my old house, I thought I would die from the stench. Found it after it had decayed to flat fur. Thought I could shoot them cuz they're so damn big they don't scurry at all...but you're right I would probably only wound them. I am so depressed. One came up through my toilet yesterday. They are taking over. I have no money to pay an exterminator, and all they do is traps and peanut better anyway. I have caught 5. But this one big one trips the latch and then eats the bait. He is quite mature and wise, the little sh*thead, and has done that 4 times. There is at least one more too.. I hear them fighting and tumbling.
The depression shows on my face. Kids I tutor at the library ask me what's wrong. I can't tell anyone.
Thanks for helping.

 

[ironjerry]

Told that instant mashed potatoes and plaster of paris mixed will block intestines if dying in wall not a problem I use in barn so secondary poisening of dogs cats not a problem

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

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.

Seriously my mini dachshund is a better mouse/rat hunter then most cats. He has killed more little things and will very patiently wait for hours staring at something a mouse is under or behind. He went after a opossum once too.. see if you can borrow a kill obsessive dog is my opinion. Terriers were used on ships back in the day to kill the rats so they are good too.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

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

I am going to try this. I am pretty sure I have a rat in my barn and I didn't want to put poison down or traps due to my chickens free range.. how big of a bucket do you use?

 

[Shadyfarms]

I am going to try this. I am pretty sure I have a rat in my barn and I didn't want to put poison down or traps due to my chickens free range.. how big of a bucket do you use?

We just used a 5 gallon bucket but we were just catching mice. Never had to deal with rats but I would assume something bigger/deeper as they can swim a bit. Mice just sink.

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed, a good 6 - 8" inside the trash can should give them a nice LOOOOONNNNNGGGG bath.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

They are the size of small guinnie pigs.

Norway rats..
Buy these traps at TSC CHEAP!!!
Catch them live. Take em outside to dispatch!. NEVER SHOOT A BB GUN INDOORS!

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

We just used a 5 gallon bucket but we were just catching mice. Never had to deal with rats but I would assume something bigger/deeper as they can swim a bit. Mice just sink.

Ok sounds awesome! I can get a bigger bucket! I just want something safe for my hens so this sounds perfect and simple.

 

[Mizz Tulips]

Norway rats..
Buy these traps at TSC CHEAP!!!
Catch them live. Take em outside to dispatch!. NEVER SHOOT A BB GUN INDOORS!
View attachment 1271972

Thanks
(Always loved that movie!)

 

[Mizz Tulips]

Get rid of their food. After a dairy farm closed up the road from me I had a few rats try to move in outside. I trapped a couple in leg hold traps and a few young in live traps. The older ones are too smart to get caught. I finally got rid of them by making sure there was no dog food left outside at night and taking the chickens food in as well. After a cold bad winter never saw them again.

At this point, it seems to be you are well informed and up to speed on your options. But as for your hope that you may only have a small captive bunch left, don't count on that. A rat that dives through your toilet may be using that to come and go and if he is, others are too.

But that also begs the question......go where? Even if he is using a septic line / sewer pipe as his personal highway, where does that pipe go? Some older homes don't have a private septic treatment system (septic tank or lagoon). Some only have a hot line to some remote ditch. If so, your rat boy could be walking up that. Or perhaps going in and out of some vent pipe or clean out riser?

In addition to all else, you need to be hunting for their harborage. Where they live. Even if not in or under your house, they are somewhere near it. When the door was left open, they came from somewhere.

So while prepping for battle, do work to find and eliminate all entry points. Clean up access to any pet food, chicken feed or anything else they may be eating, and find out where they live. Do the last bit for certain.

And lastly, I would urge you to keep an open mind on the rat baits. When properly used, they pose little risk to pets, and time and time again, after all else has been tried, they have been proven to be the only thing that really works.

Ok, I understand....except that it appears to me that nearly everything qualifies as FOOD. (Although I'll admit I leave cat kibble out every night for the ferrel cat, so now must feed him in daylight.) Sooo rat 'food' : I had one of those neck wrap things to microwave and wrap on your neck/shoulders after a workout. I found it nibbled open..spread all out, apparently having been filled with rice, or white something. Big boy has been dining on that, ignoring nuts on traps. Who'd a thunk it?

Onto toilet--> septic. There is an abandoned septic tank used prior to 30 yrs ago, underground. Now am hooked up the city sewage. So...Ratty could have created his (their) own highway to the old buried septic??? Could they be creating their harborage in there? Oh gawd. This is endless. Patching all openings into the basement is impossible.