RATS, MICE... help????

[Spring]

Any ideas how to get rid of rats/ mice without using poison? Traps are sooo hard to keep having to set and I just wish there was something. We live in the middle of orange groves (country) and we seem to have a lot of them lately! Even going up in my boys tree house. We have lots of mice/ rat droppings even in the coop and I want to get rid of them. CAN ANYONE HELP ME??? Thanks

 

[justusnak]

We live in the country...and mice seem to be just part of the life. I do set snap traps in the house. As for the coop. I just figure.....where there is feed, there will be a free meal for the chickens! They try to catch them and eat them. So, no poisons here. I do set an occasional rat trap. I guess there are live traps for rodents....but I dont use them mainly because..ok, you caught a live rat/mouse....then what? YOU have to destroy it. Ummmm, no thanks. Some people drown them....I just cant seem to do that either. Hope someone comes along soon with a better answer for you.

 

[CarriBrown]

Traps and BB Guns.

We have a huge problem, too, and it makes me so mad that I spend money on feed and all the %&^* rats eat it!

 

[eggzettera]

check out this thread..... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=13276&p=1

I put in my 2 cents on page 2......

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

glue traps.

http://www.pestproducts.com/glue_traps.htm

 

[SandraChick]

I use the rat zapper.

Works on 4 d cell batteries or you can also buy the plug.

Works great...clean...much better than snap traps.

Dh is so happy with it, he said I should buy another one to keep in the garage at all times.

Sandra

 

[ZuckermansFamousPig]

I have four cats. Three of them catch and kill mice, but Todd my twenty lb tabby, kills rats, I've also once saw the laying hens I had two years ago kill a young rat that ran through their outdoor pen. I've heard that if you have just one cat who isn't allowed in the house (Todd lives in the garage because he pees on walls otherwise) it's a lot more likely that they will hunt effectively, as opposed to a housecat. I think this is true. If I get mad at Todd he tends to find a rat and leave it on the front walk where I can see it as if too remind me he's earning his keep.
I only have bantams at the moment and when they are out in the yard they boss the cats, but that's probably because I had large hens first and the cats got used to chickens and seem to recognize that they are part of the family and not toys.

 

[Agilityscots]

I live in the country too, and mice hang around for the seed that falls from my birdfeeders. When they started invading the garage, DH tried glue traps, but we seemed to have only two results: either they got stuck and died gruesome, limb-tearing deaths, or they ate all the peanut butter off the traps and somehow managed to escape with their lives.

So, DH bought an electric shock trap. Mouse goes in, steps onto the metal to eat the peanut butter, and zap...gone. It's fast, humane and very efficient. And no worries about my dogs getting poisoned, either.

Amy

 

[arlee453]

I have three 'barn' cats - never been house cats (my vet hates it when we show up because they are all so ornery). The lady cats are mighty hunter kitties - they will kill mice, but absolutely refuse to get near rats. They are scared of them....

I used traps for a long time and finally had to resort to poison when the rats were winning the numbers game in my outbuilding.

There are 'humane' traps but as someone else said, then you have to figure out what to do with what you've caught.

Good luck with getting your rodent population under control.

 

[MayberrySaint]