Rats nesting under coop, help!

[cmom]

I use the poison in bait stations. Nothing but rats and mice can get to the bait. Like Mary I had a coop that was infested. I had nests in the ceiling and walls of the coop. When I tore out the ceiling and walls, dozens of rats of all sizes poured out. I put the bait stations in our barn which is behind the coops. There is a little window above the bait so it can be checked frequently and replaced as needed. I tried a few other things but I was still seeing rats so I resorted to the poison in the bait stations. There is a partition in the middle of the bait box that the rats have to go around to get to the bait.

 

[luvmychixandducks]

With poison you cannot control where they go to die or what might eat them. Mix the peanut butter with dry plaster of paris and make balls that will kill the rats by binding up their digestion. There will be no secondary poison victims with the plaster peanut butter food . Let us know how you make out.

 

[luvmychixandducks]

The recipe calls for a 1:1 proportion of peanut butter to plaster with either olive oil or veg oil added to keep it moist without water . Water would set the plaster and defeat the purpose. Plaster sets up when the rats drink water. Intestines of stone ! Roll the balls about marble size and spread them around. Inventory next day to confirm they are gone. Repeat until they no longer disappear.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Poison means you have to keep spending money on poison and you also poison the natural predators that will help keep rat populations down. Stop feeding the rats, get a real rat proof chicken feeder, not a hanging feeder, that will not stop a rat. Get your bulk feed put away in steel containers too. Once you stop feeding the rats and mice they will leave.