Major Rat Infestation

[WindingRoad]

Hey OP. Use poison. It's the only thing that gets rid of the nests as well with all the babies in.
I'm not trying to cause a stir, I've just proved it many many times.

I wish you good luck.

Edited as I've just noticed the thread is from the last century.

Anyways, the facts are still the same.

Which poison? I've tried about 10 they bypass it every time.

 

[WindingRoad]

Agreed. Poison is the way to go. Also hanging ammonia soaked rags around the outside of all the pens after the birds go to roost for the night works great. Simply retrieve the rags the next morning and soak them again for the next several nights. No more rats or mice.

I put out peppermint and my birds didn't lay for 3 days.

 

[dawg53]

Which poison? I've tried about 10 they bypass it every time.

I use Tomcat, Ramik and Just One Bite.
What 10 did you use? If they were ineffective, they may have smelled your human scent and avoided the baits.
Ammonia odor fills the air and messes up the rats/mice sense of smell and they go bye bye. It's a cheap deterrent, and no loss in egg production.

 

[KingD]

Which poison? I've tried about 10 they bypass it every time.

Any.
Use gloves when you touch it.
Put it inside a bait box. See how you go.
I'm from UK so I guess the brand's are different depending on where you live.

 

[Geena]

Which poison? I've tried about 10 they bypass it every time.

I had that problem as well. What I've found to work every time is an idea I got from a video that I believe HowardE posted long ago. Mix any of those poisons with just a little ground beef and I guarantee you they will eat it the first night you put it out. Of course you have to be extra careful to put it in a place that nothing larger than a rat can access and I would suggest that you only put out fairly small amounts at a time to ensure that there are no leftovers laying around.

 

[WindingRoad]

I use Tomcat, Ramik and Just One Bite.
What 10 did you use? If they were ineffective, they may have smelled your human scent and avoided the baits.
Ammonia odor fills the air and messes up the rats/mice sense of smell and they go bye bye. It's a cheap deterrent, and no loss in egg production.

Going byre bye just means they will breed and new crop. I used TomCat and they walk right by it. As for bait stations they are not child proof. All you have to do is pick them up and shake them just right and the bait falls out. A small child can reach it the channel and get the bait.

 

[WindingRoad]

Any.
Use gloves when you touch it.
Put it inside a bait box. See how you go.
I'm from UK so I guess the brand's are different depending on where you live.

I don't suppose the baits have scent from the factory?

 

[WindingRoad]

I use Tomcat, Ramik and Just One Bite.
What 10 did you use? If they were ineffective, they may have smelled your human scent and avoided the baits.
Ammonia odor fills the air and messes up the rats/mice sense of smell and they go bye bye. It's a cheap deterrent, and no loss in egg production.

Peppermint caused 3 days of no eggs during the summer a high production season.

 

[dawg53]

Going byre bye just means they will breed and new crop. I used TomCat and they walk right by it. As for bait stations they are not child proof. All you have to do is pick them up and shake them just right and the bait falls out. A small child can reach it the channel and get the bait.

What other poison baits did you use besides Tomcat? I had to use multiple poisons as mentioned.
I set out the bait stations and loaded up PCV pipes around the pens with poison.
Here, it was flooding rains last summer that brought them to higher ground (my pens.) Try the ammonia soaked rags, they work. They havnt returned, but I'm ready for them if they do. The bait stations and PVC pipes have poison waiting for them to return. If there are rodent holes around your pens, stuff a poison cylinder bait down the hole and cover it with a paver, like in the first pic below.
View attachment 2554475

 

[WindingRoad]

What other poison baits did you use besides Tomcat? I had to use multiple poisons as mentioned.
I set out the bait stations and loaded up PCV pipes around the pens with poison.
Here, it was flooding rains last summer that brought them to higher ground (my pens.) Try the ammonia soaked rags, they work. They havnt returned, but I'm ready for them if they do. The bait stations and PVC pipes have poison waiting for them to return. If there are rodent holes around your pens, stuff a poison cylinder bait down the hole and cover it with a paver, like in the first pic below.
View attachment 2554475

I repeat over and over I have done all these things over and over to no avail.