rat bait boxes bait vs food

[sueandthe6]

I slightly hijacked an earlier thread about my now visible rat problem and someone suggested bait boxes. I was concerned with glue or snap traps due to the birds and other critters. I love the bait box idea and have now been reading for over an hour about them. seems most people have good luck but some do not. I work two jobs so i usually fill the chicken feeder and they go for at least two days on their own. From what I am reading here- that isn't going to work if I really want the rats gone...picking food up in the evening and putting it back out in the morning will be tough for me with my schedule. Am i fighting a losing battle if i leave the food and hope the rats like the bait better?

 

[TelfTheElf]

If you can totally exterminate the rats in one go the food will be safe.
If you can, try purchasing commercial dry ice and pour it down the hole. You will need to seal the exits but don't worry if you don't seal them all. As carbon dioxide is heavier than oxygen, the oxygen will be pushed out and the rats will suffocate. You could wait near the holes with a spade and hit the rats as they come out, because they will try!!!

 

[TelfTheElf]

Or you could rat proof the run.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

.... Am i fighting a losing battle if i leave the food and hope the rats like the bait better?

Unfortunately, yes you’d probably be fighting a loosing battle by leaving the feed out. You want to give the rats no options but the bait station... and even then it can be a challenge to get them all to use it depending on what other food options they have... but removing the feed is the right move, at least for a while.

 

[sueandthe6]

Or you could rat proof the run.

Believe it or not they are digging into the coop- not the run. It sits about 5 inches away from the back of the horse barn so can't get behind there to do anything. I am trying to decide if it will be easier to run wire on the ground 2 or 3 feet out from the 3 sides I can access and hope that's enough, or try the bait boxes and picking up the food. I'm wondering how long it would take to figure out what the birds eat in a day and only put that much out.. then I don't have to stop twice a day but there's also not extra food for the rats. Decisions-decisions.