How to get rid of rats!?

[MimiChick]

Once you feel you've gotten the immediate problem (numbers) under control, plant mint around your coop and run. Rodents HATE mint and will avoid it. Since even the roots are minty, they won't tunnel either. It's not harmful to chickens or other pets, so you don't have to worry like you do with poisons. And it has many culinary uses. It spreads rampantly and quickly, so you don't need a lot to start with. Has worked like a charm for us. Certainly can't hurt to give it a try.

Good luck.

 

[Hotspurious]

I like the idea of mint! Does it really work? Grows like a weed out here and you can't hardly
get rid of it, however... If it reduces the possibility of rat/mice issues in the coop, its definitely
worth a go.

Hotspurious
Walnut Creek, CA

 

[AlyssaK]

That would be my only issue is that mint is sooo invasive ... it will spread everywhere!

 

[angelica15]

I also am having rat issues. I have tried traps, poison etc...they are eating through are water pipes walls etc..I have 2 dogs as well, however the rats just seem to get away...please any ideas anyone?

 

[angelica15]

That would be my only issue is that mint is sooo invasive ... it will spread everywhere!

. Is this true mint works?

 

[Ripsnort]

When I lived in Montana I had rats in my barn that were as big as a small dog. They were too smart to be caught in a standard "pedal" snap trap... they just flipped them over and took the food. They were also too smart to allow me to shoot them; whenever I came into the barn with a gun, they would be absolutely silent. The one trap that worked flawlessly was as follows: take a 5 gallon plastic bucket with a lid that closes tight (like a paint pail). Cut a hole about 3"-4" in diameter in the lid. Place two #0 leg traps (the smallest you can buy), in the bottom of the bucket. Make sure to attach the trap chains to the handle of the pail or the rat will just run off with the trap. Place half an onion (because they smell and attract the rats) in the bottom of the bucket in between the traps. (I also added peanut butter in case the rats didn't like onions.) Finally, make sure the bucket itself can't be hauled off by a large rat. (I set it inside an old car tire.) The rat crawls down through the hole and, because the traps take up all of the floor space in the bottom of the bucket, they can't step anywhere without getting at least one leg caught. Each time I caught a rat, I found it the next morning sitting on top of the bucket with one leg in a trap, but unable to get away because the trap's chain was attached to the bucket handle. (You then need to be ready to shoot the rat, or dispatch it some other way.)

 

[mountainlover]

No mint doesn't work in my experience. We once rented a house virtually SURROUNDED by mint. Yes it IS invasive, that's for sure. That house had more mice in it than any place I've ever lived. It was horrible. We moved out as quick as possible. Now we have no mint, and no mice. If mint worked, that house shouldn't have had a mouse within five miles, but it was infested! I've heard that old tale about mice and mint so many times, I think it's just an old wives tale perpetuated by people that don't want to just poison the dumb rodents and be done with it.

 

[Hotspurious]

I believe that the question still outstanding is... "Whats the best possible rat 'medicine'?"

Any takers? Inquiring minds and all...

Hotspurious
Walnut Creek, CA

 

[Folly's place]

I had rats in the barn a few years ago; by the time you are seeing, them , threr are a LOT of rats!! My barn cat felt that rats weren't in his job description, so the war was all up to me. The small live traps didn't work at all; critters much too smart. Snap traps also failed completely. A few young dumb rats died in partly filled pails, but finally I confined the cat, locked up the chickens, and used rat poison. (Broudificon) Problem solved!! If you use poison, be really careful!!! It's too easy to poison pets and non- target wildlife. Good luck! Mary

 

[Sphinx]

I thought I'd update.

I haven't seen a rat, or evidence of a rat in about 4 days. I think the poison worked.

I have some very invasive mint in my front garden. I wouldn't mind having a bunch of it by my chicken coop, so I may put some out there too, just for fun.