Rat Control in winter *edited with pictures

[Beer can]

I follow this same rules. And if you are setting and leaving traps baited to catch a nocturnal creature like a rat, be prepared that you may catch a skunk instead. People tend to forget about skunks and their unique ability to counter-attack you from within the cage

Had a skunk get in and kill a bunch of broody hatched chicks last summer, two different coops. Caught it in a havahart. Knew it was a skunk cause saw it on trailcam. When I set the havahart I had the bright idea of just dropping it in our pond and no prob not getting sprayed. After I caught it, nope not happening, will spray for sure, what a IDIOT! now what am I going to do with it!!
Heard not to pop them between the eyes, will spray for sure. (pop them through the guts and they wont spray) wasn't perfect but not as bad as I thought, some smell, but not as horrible as I have run into with live skunks....

 

[Beer can]

That is good to know, BC. What did you use for bait?

We are in a rural area. No trashy houses around us, but there are horses within 1/4 mile, and an other horse resuce farm 1/3 mile away, as well as several places with chickens. So, where ever there is unsecured animal feed.... there are bound to be rats. Garden produce would also be an attractant. So, it's not unreasonable to assume that if I eradicate the ones that have found me, others will fill that void.

I used what looked like short chunks of corn cobs the first time, had a hole in the center. Couldn't find them this last time. Got a big bag of the green blocks from TSC, they had the holes, picked up some from either Lowe's or Home Depot, no holes not as handy. I toss the bait station away (corn cob one's didn't have the bait station) and long sheet rock screw them on a board and put a big coffee can on top with a hole cut out. If they ain't screwed down the rats just take them and come back for more. Screw them down and they have to chew them up and don't see them around anymore.
First time I started just with traps and caught ten, few more by putting them in runways, and few more hiding the traps, then nothing and still rats, they get smart. Didn't want to use poison but didn't want rats either.

I hear you on sources, they come from somewhere. First time we had a couple hundred acres of corn planted right behind our house, after the corn was chopped the rats appeared. Farmer has rotated it over to clover timothy and alfalfa so probably part of why no rats after.
This last time neighbor up the road had what we called a puppy mill, probably wasn't but what we called it, tons of dogs barking sometimes. They sold german wire haired pointers. The husband died a few yrs ago heart attack, and then this last summer the dogs disappeared and the wife moved out. House is decrepid, pretty sure rats may have come from there this last time, anyway none now.

 

[SnowyChickenMomma]

This link is to a video from one of my trail cams I set up in the coop to check and see what was going in there. What do you think do squirrels burrow under ground? I thought they were tree rats

 

[Boonie Stomper]

Squirrel will dig up flower bulbs and nuts and anywhere they think they buried a nut in the fall for eating in winter.