Neighbor released feeder rats!!!!

[21hens-incharge]

Cannot use anything but the pellet gun being in town.....unless someone wants to bail an old lady out of jail.

 

[Doc Schoepp]

I would highly advise *against* poison and even glue traps. I have seen our hens gleefully rips an unsuspecting field mouse to shreds when it tried to steal their food one morning. It can also wind up poisoning other wild animals in the area. Any animal that eats the poisoned rats could be susceptible to the poison. Glue traps are also not the best option either unless well placed. There are quite a few cases of cats, owls, dogs, etc getting injured by glue traps from either curiosity or attempting to eat a trapped animal.

One of the best 'large volume' methods I have seen and used was one mentioned earlier. Large bucket or tote with a bar across it long ways and something over them to make rollers. Bait the center and have it designed to have enough rollers that the rat can reach from the edge to the bait. Tote is filled with water and high enough sides that the rat cant get out and drowns. Others probably get the hint and will still go for the bait and fall in. I got 5 field mice in one night but some people have claimed to catch dozens.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That is exactly my fear of poisons. I do not wish to harm my dogs or anything but the rats.
That being said... There is a hole that it dug to get inside the baby run. It came under the walk in coop and popped up IN the run. I can keep the chicks inside the coop while glue traps are in the run. I am not worried about anything other then the rat getting stuck.

Poisons freak me out because of the secondary poisoning risk.

 

[Doc Schoepp]

Yea, the risks with poisoned bait just doesn't seem worth it. If the glue traps are protected then probably safe to use them. Problem I learned is that rats and other rodents can sometimes go so far as to rip off their own skin to get away. Best of luck with not just the rodents but the neighboring 'rats' too

 

[3riverschick]

Peanut butter. rats love peanut butter . use chunky peanut butter so they can't just lick it. rats love it. put it on the snap traps. oh by the way, I agree with you about the secondary poisoning . with the rat poison. I would be afraid my dog would get a hold of one of the rats and Chomp on it or maybe even eat it.
Best,
Karen

 

[boskelli1571]

be aware that rats are neophobes - they won't go near anything new. leave your traps out in the same place so they become used to them, moving the traps will not help. Failing that a powerful air pistol should take care of them....

 

[21hens-incharge]

Glue trap results...
Traps were moved...not a single print in the glue.
New exit hole appeared closer to the pop door.

Rats carry diseases and rabies is common here. The rat I have seen is huge! Not like a pet rat in size or color. The neighbor got them from someone he knew so origin is not known.
My pop door is 12 inches wide and the body not including tail was nearly end to end on the door. I observed it at 4 am nearly a week ago trying to get in through the closed door. I have seen it several times since.

I doubt they will "drop out" since there were multiple pairs released. Even if only one female got out she would have been carrying young.

 

[Doc Schoepp]

It might we worth while to put a call in to animal control and get their opinion. As much as I would want to 'keep the peace' between us and our neighbors, if they are chewing through your coop and threatening your chicks it might be time to call in someone more on the professional end of the spectrum. I would hate to see a posting come up that says the rats attacked and took the coop to be their new home.

 

[21hens-incharge]

We were just talking about that.
Their offices open back up on Tuesday.
I am hoping I can get it before then.

I certainly did not build the coop to become a habitat for nasties.

 

[Blooie]

Since rats are neophobes - and I'm tucking THAT little bit of information away for future reference! - what if you find out from the culprits neighbors just what they were feeding their rats and try that in the traps instead of something new to them? Just a thought, and if it's a regular food that the rats are used to eating and have already filed away as "safe" in their little rat brains, it might lure them in better.