Rat / Mouse problem that has moved indoors

[Boonze]

I have outside budgies and chooks - the chickens' feed is only outside during the day (in the open) and at night is shut up in their rat/mouse proof coop with them - it used to be out all the time as I didn't HAVE a coop (bad me, I know).

So it's no longer the chickens that are the problem - it's the budgies. I don't have a budgie-coop I can close them up in, and their seed is in a deep flat saucer that hangs by a wire from the roof - would it maybe be worth just putting something large and flat (and weighted) on it at night to keep rats and mice out? I know they live under the aviary as I've found holes there and a few errant mice that I wasted no time in removing.


I saw a rat last night. Hunting. For chicken pellets. This is the problem outside


They've now found their way inside and last time I opened the pantry one jumped out (almost on me). They're living in the floor space between the 1st and 2nd floor.

I used to care about being humane - now I couldn't care less as long as whatever technique gets rid of them. I just want them gone, by any means necessary, before this explodes into a huge problem. They keep licking the bait off live traps so I'm having to experiment, but any method - glue traps, snap traps, etc.

The only thing I don't want to use is poison as I have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and while I've never seen them EAT any of the rodents they've killed, I'm not risking it.
I also don't want dead rats rotting in the walls / floor, so at the specific request of my brother - and I agree - no poisons.

Does anyone have any tips, indoor or out? I've heard of a bucket type trap and I've got a pest guy coming around tomorrow but I'm worried he'll give me the whole run-around with poisons cos of how the rats go outside to find water, etc.

PS - I'm on a bit of a budget at the moment so can't do anything drastic.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You may not want to use poison but your infested and that's the only way out. The tamper proof chunx bait boxes are what I use and highly recommend them. Chickens and pets or children can't get into the boxes, require two prong key. Rodents don't drop poison about like with the pellet bait as they need to chew off the chunx so only move whats firmly in their mouth.

 

[Boonze]

My concern with poison isn't my animals getting into it - it's the risk of my animals eating a poisoned rat. Plus I don't want them dying in the walls on their way out to find water.

 

[ivan3]

Victor snap traps are very cheap, just Google: Victor M154 Metal Pedal Mouse Trap - Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap M201 If not used to setting them, wear a pair of leather gloves (no "fine movement" required - swing bar into position and latch trigger rod to treadle "hook" - just hold trigger rod firmly in place as you slowly let bar press against trigger rod- pressure will "lock" rod in place - then move hands away). A mix of a bit of bacon grease & peanut butter is pretty irresistible. Use toothpick to slather on both top and bottom of treadle - then wrap a section of 3"x5" card around treadle and use twisty tie to anchor in place (vermin have to bite/chew to get ALL the goods - not just lick it clean and scurry off - almost foolproof means of successful "whack" - see "undoped" example below - be liberal in applying "bait" all over that treadle - card wrap will only disguise a bit). Once traps are set, cut 4"x4" holes in the end of shoeboxes - place traps in ends opposite opening, place lids on boxes and bricks on top of the lids perpendicular to length of boxes. This set-up can be placed in coop/run/etc. without having to worry about "collateral" damage to other species. Yes, remove/cover any feed items from cages/coop. Place several "boxed" traps along walls in house/cupboards (wherever the vermin tend to travel). Our cats act as our inhumane proxies... Good hunting!

 

[123RedBeard]

I like these better, easier to set, and harder for the mouse to get to the bait, having to reach over the trigger/paddle!



Set trap in front, un-set in back, there is a tiny piece of dog food stuck in the cup with a dap of peanut butter under it to glue it in!







This is a different version that also has a cup ... Although I like the first ones better ... Ignore the Tomcat on the far right, never caught anything!



Here you can see the piece of dog food in its little hidey hole! They have to stick their nose in there, which trips it off!

 

[critterkeeper25]

Awesome traps! Are they all Victor brand? We have the black sawtooth kind but they have a plastic cheese slice paddle that you have to smear peanut butter on and sometimes the mouse licks the peanut butter off and doesn't set the trap off. I wonder if they would work on voles? We have a really bad vole problem and have been setting the black traps along their tunnels but haven't trapped any yet.

 

[123RedBeard]

The beige and the dark grey are Victor ...

The black "jaws" is a TomCaty "Heavy Duty" I think they are cheaply made!