Neighbor wont mow his field. Having problems with rats.

[chilling in muscadine]

Let some rat snakes loose but if you have biddies you gotta pertect them. Good luck!
S@R@

 

[twentynine]

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Got to agree with this.

You are already cutting back 15' of property.

South La, you gonna have rats and mice anywhere their is food available for them, you could have bare concrete and they will still be there.

One day when I have time I'll tell you about eradicating rats living under the slab of my dog kennel. Long story but matches, gasoline, explosions and singed dogs were a commonality.

 

[aprophet]

a barrel trap or bucket trap will kill hundreds on the barrel type I normally cut a hole on either side so they can be picked up by a tractor if you do not have barnfuls of rats a coupla 5 gallon buckets will do the trick most homeowners object because a pest is drowned most farmers I know are just glad a problem is solved

I have mostly used the 55 gallon drums here

here is a fair picture of one

http://www.huntingblades.com/barreltrap.html

if you scroll down to page 126-127 it gives a good description instead of the oats on top of the water thing I have used peanut shells with good results too

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17093/17093-h/17093-h.htm

 

[Bengalcats1]

I agree there is not much you can do, it is his property and if he doesn't want to mow it he doesn't have to, complaining to the state will do nothing, the only thing they may do it mow by the roadway if it's blocking your driveway or something like that but they certainly don't care that you have rats by your chickens. I think you have rats Because you have chickens not because of the long grass. I HATE rats but I see an occassional one in the chicken run eating food off the ground

.....I won't put poison out because I also have squirrels and chipmunks and don't have the heart to kill them in such an awful way....Chickens and rats/mice go together I'm afraid, I guess if you bare seeing A Lot then you will have to do something about killing or trapping.

 

[Dar]

depending on whee you live.... (geographical) it may not be the fact that he has long grass it could be the season

Here in Ontario the farmers have started working their field and our mouse population has skyrocketed it happens 2X a year.. spring and fall...

make sure YOU are not bringing the problem home... make sure ALL feed is in proper storage cans... metal NOT plastic
make sure you are not giving them a place to hang out with a free buffet, take the food up at night

set traps up outside the coop, use as many remedies as needed to deter them from coming to play at your coop

prevention may ease your rat problems

 

[mjuenem]

?? Rats don't live in tall grass.

 

[Mgui35]

The barrel idea sounds great. I will be trying that one.

 

[HHandbasket]

In some places, such as here, unmowed tall grasses are a huge wildfire hazard. Maybe you should call your local fire marshall and report the tall grasses as a fire hazard. That'll get him to mow. But bear in mind, mowing may DRIVE the critters even more to your side of the fence.

And whoever said rats don't live in tall grasses, bear in mind that is a regional issue. Those gigantic field rats live/nest in the tall grasses here & you can't walk through a field without running into a few. So I think it depends on where you live and the type of rodentia that inhabit your particular area.

 

[willkatdawson]

I was speaking with a gentleman yesterday at the feed store and he was talking about a huge rat problem he had last summer. The farm next to him sold to be developed and was of course foreclosed on. The field contiguous to his barn grew almost waist high in grass. He called the bank that now owns it, and they were more than happy to give him permission to bush-hog the field. He said the rats left almost the minute he started his tractor. He also said as he cut he could see nests made of straw and trash.
Maybe your neighbor would be happy for you to maintain the field, even cutting two times a summer would help. Have you tried contacting him?

 

[chickened]

It depends on the region rats live in fields during dry times but move to structure during rainy seasons.
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