suggestions for rat problems

[lowry075]

Hi, here's the situation: we have roof rats in our neighborhood. They are attracted to our yard because of an avocado tree, an orange tree, and our chickens.



This is what we've done so far:

Snap traps: Snap traps work occasionally, but these are smart rats and they do not alway spring them.

I remove all pet food and feed at night.

I don't leave rotten fruit laying on the ground. The animals actually eat them while they are still ON the tree. I cut down nine hollowed out oranges off my tree this week. I have one left that is not ripe.

I collect eggs daily, but have still found a few cracked eggs on the floor. I do not know if rats did that though.

Should I remove all the drinking water from outside as well?

I have considered glue traps, but they are so awful...what do you think?

Poison is out of the question, too many pets could get hurt from it.

I have a cat that catches animals well, but she doesn't know how to go outside on her own (we switched our doggie door and she won't go through it). I would lock her out at night, but she freaks out and howls and we have coyotes, and I have lost two cats to them already.

Soooo...yeah, I don't know what to do. I feel like it's an uphill battle.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Sorry. The only way I've ever gotten rid of rats and mice is with poisoned bait. Anything else just removes a few and the rest just keep on breeding and increasing.

 

[Highlander]

I totally agree with Oregon Blues. I have a constant rat issue and if I go for the wishy washy options ie catch one or two with traps or contraptions until they get wise to it then the population explodes almost out of control. Poison is the only way unfortunately. You just have to make sure the poison is out of reach of your domestic pets. I wouldn't worry about secondary poisoning too much, most of the modern poisons work so quickly it's not an issue any more.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Also agree that poisen is the only real solution. I use rat bait bars in a bait station that chcken, cats, dogs can not get into. I use a homemade bait station.Use a 2' long piece of 3 or 4 " PVC pipe I prefer 3". Drill a small hole in the center.I pass a wire thru the hole from outside to inside. I pull the wire to the end and wrap bait bar with wire. I then pull the wire back so the bait is in the center of the pipe and wrap extra wire around the pipe to hold bait secure. Place pipe bait down where rats travel. I prefer to set out 4 traps for a while then remove them for a while. Now that I have no problem I leave one out at all time to get the ones passing through.

 

[Kikiriki]

Hi lowry, i am so opposed to poison because it does still pose a risk to other animals: imagine a poisoned rat in search of water getting into your coop and being pecked by your chickens.... Plus, some of them always seem to finally die in some place where you cannot remove their stinking corpses! And I got to watch a great horned owl die of secondary poisoning, once. Pretty horrible itself. Poison is a painful way to die, and is not all that fast nor humane.

I was having a horrible problem, as I live between two collectors of stuff whose yards provide lovely nesting areas, and i have the fruit tree restaurant. The rats decided they wanted to be closer to the food and discovered my porch and attic. I tried snap traps with the same results: got a few and missed more, so in desperation I got the glue traps. No more rats. Not one. And no poisoned pets. Yes, disposal was a major yuck, but I see it as the price of being the person responsible for the animals under my care. I put the glue trap in a bag and killed the rat with a shovel. Yes, it moved, it squeaked, and I was utterly grossed out, but I did until all rats were gone.

So that is my perspective and I hope it gave you a realistic view of your options. None are great, so it is a matter of evaluating your own tolerance for death and risk.