No more rats! Whee hee!

[amenfarm]

peanut balls worked for me, just took too long. but until I find something that doesnt kill what eats it the second go around-- i'm stuck.

 

[CoopChick719]

I've been using the PoP mixed with rice & instant potato flakes for the last 2 nights. They've taken the bait & emptied the water dish. Haven't seen any dead ones but I'm going to keep doing it until I do.

 

[amenfarm]

I didn't just fill the holes. My husband wired over the holes with hardware cloth. The peanut balls were slow, but combined with nightly removing their feed almost never see a mouse. This weekend while we are winterizing, he's adding hardware cloth over the 1x2 welded fencing we are currently using. My hope is that will finish off them getting into the coop. Fingers crossed!

 

[bothfeetnumb]

What size are you making the balls? Pea size? Olive size? Coconut size? (just kidding on the last one). I assume they have to be small enough to take away and consume easily but large enough that one is enough?

 

[RonP]

Make them the size of a marble.

 

[Liftedhigh77]

I'm gonna try this tonight. We are overrun! Thanks for the idea! I hope it works!

 

[dindonuffin]

Sorry, posted in wrong place.

 

[dindonuffin]

Ground squirrels don't live on the East Coast... this is why jjthink doesn't understand. Ground Squirrels are a special treat just for the west coast, california in particular (I am from the Bay Area and only recently moved).

jjthink -

ground squirrels are horrible, overpopulated rodents that live in holes in the ground and DEVASTATE gardens and orchards and have zillions of babies and carry many diseases. They are particularly known for carrying the black plague... yes, like the one from Europe in medieval times. They are nasty critters and can transmit diseases to other animals and people and are truly devastating to yards and gardens, etc. They are a huge pest. I battled with them constantly when I was there. And they're not cute - more like fat rats with slightly fuzzy tails. Nasty buggers.

Tree squirrels are fine, and I actually like rats when they aren't causing me problems... but ground squirrels? Blech.

If you do run out of ground squirrels, come to Alabama, we have them here by the truck loads-----pesky little boogers!!!

 

[Sam_W]

One note here. If the balls are too firm, the rats carry them off and take them back to the nest. When that happens, they may not eat them for days. By then, they are too hard and the rats won't eat them.

That's the reason most commercial block baits either come with a trap to place them in or have holes down the middle that you can put a nail or wire through. It's so they can't run off with them, but have to eat them where they are.

If putting them outdoors, drive something to use as a spike into the ground and form the ball around the spike. That way they have to eat it off the spike. Or you can use a piece of coat hanger wire or bailing wire attached to something and form the ball around that.

 

[ndgeller]

One note here. If the balls are too firm, the rats carry them off and take them back to the nest. When that happens, they may not eat them for days. By then, they are too hard and the rats won't eat them.

That's the reason most commercial block baits either come with a trap to place them in or have holes down the middle that you can put a nail or wire through. It's so they can't run off with them, but have to eat them where they are.

If putting them outdoors, drive something to use as a spike into the ground and form the ball around the spike. That way they have to eat it off the spike. Or you can use a piece of coat hanger wire or bailing wire attached to something and form the ball around that.

Oh, my God, you are brilliant. I have been wanting to try this, but ive been so worried sbout them carrying it away and leaving it where the chickens might be able to get it