How do I deal with RATS?

[buckeye lady]

We had a rat problem a few years ago and we tried everything to keep those buggers out of the milkhouse, feed, barn etc.... No luck. We even poured quickrete down their tunnels and THEY CHEWED THREW IT! The cats were afraid of them and those Rats would actually fight with our Dogs! They evaded every type of trap we used. We eventually had to resort to poisoning them. We made bait boxes out of various tins and old metal lunch boxes. ( To avoid them carrying the bait out and dropping it where the other animals could get it) We put rat size holes in them and placed the "cake" type of rat poison in them. It took about 2 weeks of continuous "baiting" but we erradicated them.

 

[Sissy]

cats are the best have 3 from the shelter.

 

[key west chick]

We use bait and paint balls.

 

[ThornyRidge]

Quote:
ok dumb question but what are the paint balls for? do they eat them and get sick?

Yeahhhh.. tonight in doing my goat/chicken chores I stumbled upon the back half of a rat tonight.. it seems as if my barn cat has finally discovered the pests and apparently seems to at least have a taste for the front half of rats.. seems as if he does not care a bit for a rat's a#%

 

[CrimsonRose]

Quote:

At our last house we tried glue traps (rats where so big they would get loose) We tried poison (they took it but didn't die!) and finally we got a BIG old tom cat... I don't know if the cat actually caught the rats but within 2 days they where gone...

So now we always have 2-3 cats around and haven't seen any mice or rats in ages... Only problem with good mousers is they will kill almost anything... They once snook in the house and killed 2 of my quail...

I left the window open to let in fresh air and never even thought the cats would try to come in...

 

[key west chick]

Sorry, DH and our son shoot them with paint balls. They get in our shed. The shed is a lovely shade of pink, orange and lime green.

 

[mcforys]

I have a question. Do any of you know what happened to the rodetrol and safekill products? I had a rat problem a couple of years ago and used this bait, which was FANTASTIC since it only works on rodents and is non-toxic to everything else.

Now, I can't find any place to buy it in the states and the place in the UK that sells it is prohibited from shipping it here.

BAH.

Oh and one other thing. I heard from a friend that Cayenne deters them. Anyone know if chickens have capsacine receptors?

Thanks all,
Maureen in Oakland

 

[Tn Gamebirds]

Quote:
Thats the best way we found to get rid of them. Is to use the bait stations. TSC has some made of plastic with little metal rods that hold the bait blocks in place. That way the rats can get inside to eat the poison but can't carry or drag it out where the birds can get to it.

It may take a few days to get rid of them if you have several already. But after you get rid of them just keep the bait stations baited to prevent others from moving in