Organic rat and mouse bait

[Mac in Wisco]

We have a serious rat infestation in our layer barn. I've been trapping them since this summer with Conibear traps and a rat zapper, but have only caught about fifteen of them. Lately when I go out in the barn after dark I see a at least a half dozen running in all directions as I open the door. It sounds like a whole herd of them is playing football between the walls. You wouldn't believe the racket they make at night.

I recently found a new rat bait on the market and it's certified for organic production: http://www.motomco.com/p_agrid.htm
It's a vitamin d3 bait that interferes with calcium regulation. It calcifies their blood stream until they die of renal failure after a few days. It's also poisonous to cats and dogs so you have to put it in a bait station where they can't get at it, but in lab testing they found that there was very little risk of secondary poisoning from dogs eating the dead rats.

I bought a 9 lb pail of the chunks and baited a half dozen areas around the barn right before dark this evening and went back to check a few hours after dark. They are scarfing this stuff down. They've already cleaned up several of the baited areas and have eaten at least a pound of the stuff.

Hopefully I'll have all of them killed off in the next few days. I'll let you know how it works out.

 

[ChookHappy]

Please do! I can only imagine how much noise they make. We had a real bad field mouse problem back in Denver. They were noisy as all get out but they were only mice! I have just found a few huge holes in our run and stuffed a garden hose down the hole. Filled it up for a good 10 minutes but I have no clue where all the water went. Hopefully I drowned them out. Anyways, I'd like to hear about this cause we have tons of dogs and stray barn cats out here and I really would hate to see any of them kick the bucket. I kinda doubt my water boarding really worked...

 

[purpletree23]

I'd like to know the results also.

 

[jhm47]

Organic poison? HMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

What's the difference between using this stuff and using "Just one bite"? They both need to be kept away from other animals, and it seems to me that the risks would be the same. The Just one bite stuff kills slowly also, and I have never seen a dead rat or mouse above ground after using it. Never lost a dog or cat either, and I live near a large grain elevator that uses poison 24/7/365.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
I assume it's organically produced vitamins and will naturally decompose without contaminating anything, as opposed to other poisons that could possibly leave toxic residues around for years and years.

Since we are USDA certified organic producers, before this, I was stuck with using traps. There were no baits on the market that we could use.

The last straw was when they flooded the barn this past weekend. The barn is built into a slight knoll and the back wall has a 2 feet concrete knee wall that is underground. They managed to make a small hole at the base of the wall and dug a burrow out to a low area behind the barn. We had a thaw this weekend and all the melting snow was funneled into the back of the barn through the rat burrow. I went in there Sunday afternoon and the back of barn was 6 inches deep in sloppy wet litter. I was out there for hours shoveling it out the back door.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
I've been doing some reading and it's not necessarily organically produced as Vitamin D3 is on the NOP list of approved synthetic substances. It is allowed in pest control only as part of an integrated pest management plan. It shouldn't be the sole means of rodent control in organic production.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I've got a slight mouse problem,& I need to "nip it in the bud" before they get out of control. So far I put sevin dust on the floor of the feed room & that seems to have slowed down the sightings. I'm trying the floating sunflower seed trap, but no drownings yet. I read that mint will repel them, & it just so happens, I ordered mint oil & it came in the mail today. I'll let you know how it works.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
If you can stand to be in the room after you use the stuff. I spray it around the outside of the house in the summer to help keep the bugs away, it can be pretty potent.

 

[GrannySue]

If you really want to remain organic, hire a couple of Jack Russell terriers!
(Only slightly kidding.)

 

[panner123]

Organic is just a word to charge you more for it, anything for that matter.
Now if you want to kill rats or mice, just mix some concert mix with some oak meal. You have to put it some place where the other animals won't get at it. If they are in the walls, drill a hole and pour the mixure in between the walls. Or you can pour it down the holes. DO NOT LET ANY OTHER ANIMALS EAT IT.