RATS!! too smart to get caught, help!

[DianeB]

The only surefire way to get of rats it to shut them out and then set out live traps. First make sure all trash, feed, compost, birdfeeders and other foodsources are sealed and out of reach of rodents. Once foodsources are illiminated work on nesting and hidding areas. Deconstruct and remove if nessecary any wood piles, clear heavy brush and mow high grasses. If you have any piles of 'junk', deconstruct and/or remove. Also, make sure to seal any areas they enter your home, garage, barn or animal housing. You can consult a professional exterminator or some type of qualified professional. If it is a really big problem, they can help you locate areas that need improvement on your property.

After they no longer have a food source or place to nest, then you can set out live traps. Poison and kill traps don't always work and can be dangerous for humans and animals. Once you have caught most or all of them, continue to deny them a food/housing source.

This works for all other pests. Traps/poisons only work for a time. You have to eliminate any reason for them to come around.

As a side note, red pepper works very well to keep rodents out of poultry and bird feed. Birds can't sense the heat.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
So what are you doing with all of your live rats?

 

[DianeB]

Quote:
So what are you doing with all of your live rats?

You can either release them somewhere else or well you know...

 

[technodoll]

make a nice rat roast

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
So what are you doing with all of your live rats?

You can either release them somewhere else or well you know...

It's not feasible to release them unless you do so on your own property. In my state it is illegal to release any animal on public land and you can only release on private land with permission of the landowner. IMO it is easier to just use a kill trap. You can make sets that are pet proof or use pet proof traps. No poisons here, it's all certified organic.

 

[Chickenfortress]

Dirtdoctor has the right idea. We used a similar trap as kids. We put a slicked board with a pivot point set at the edge of the bucket and slightly more weight outside the bucket. A bit of peanut butter on the underside of the board out over the bucket made a good bait that the rats could never reach. They walk out to get to that yummy smell and the board tips their rear ends into the drink. After they fall off the board falls back into place ready to entice the next one to its doom. We used old hinges riveted to the edge of a metal trash can to pivot the board. This made for easy cash when the grain elevator guys gave us a quarter a rat bounty. No poisons this way...

 

[jmc]

Quote:
The poison could, but Gail Damarow says that a housepet or whatever would need to ingest a whole bunch of such to be harmed--depending, however, on the poison used.

As for plaster of paris, once the rat gets in into the system it becomes a rock once mixed with the internal water/fluids. So another creature which did the long shot thing and actually found it and ate it would be getting the equivalent of a chocolate candy with a nut inside. Crunchy, but already spent and NON toxic.

It seems to me to be no other way with the POP. Once it hits water, its action is over!

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
Good info, thank you!

 

[Fudgie]

Quote:
A little off a side track....Check craigslist in your area for free wood and supplies.

 

[technodoll]

I've been scouring freecycle, craigslist and all local online ads for free building supplies, to no avail.

That's what you get when you live in the boonies... I need to make friends with some farmers and scrapyard owners!!