This is WAR. RAT HELP...

[DominaPullorum]

Well, being rather trigger-happy for vermin, I staged a stakeout. Killed THE rat. A big male. ^___^ I must say, i'm rather proud of that shot.

 

[wolftracks]

Oh this one again.

Buy a bottle of Coke and pour in a pan or bowl and let them have a party.

It kills rats.

 

[UrbanEgg]

We're having a rat problem too. They haven't hurt the birds because we had them in a brooder until they were big enough to go in the my adult chickens, but they are making tunnels everywhere and eating the chickens food. I literally watched 2 rats yesterday to back and forth from the feeder (that was in the run) to thier holes and back with mouthfuls of food. So I placed 4 DeCon trays (an entire box) strategically around where my kids or chickens or rabbit couldn't get to them, but I've seen the rats go to (behind my shed, under the privacy fence that goes to the greenbelt (and subsequent road--no one lives behind us), etc. This morning, every single tray was empty!!

Has anyone seen this method work immediately and for the long term? I'm pretty sure its the rats that found the food because every one was right next to a ground tunnel. The box says the poison is sufficient to kill 3-12 rats....but I have no idea how many I have. But man, if the rats like it this much, I'd suggest it for your rat problem as well!

BTW, I was against poisoning them in the first place, but they have licked the peanut butter, mashmallows, melted tootsie rolls, etc off every snap trap I've set, and we did kill one with a deadfall my dh built, but then they wised up and didn't fall for that one again after one of them was flattened between 2 slabs of concrete. I'm just trying to rid them before they find a way into my shed and the feed bin.

 

[DominaPullorum]

I had traps set last night...sure enough, peanut butter licked right off. Only in ONE coop, too...
Yesterday morning, one of my Phoenix babies was injured. Its back had a DISTINCT rat bite on it..chick's doing very well, but i'm trying to figure out how the rat got to it. I had them in a wire cage. UGH.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Another idea is peanut butter and plaster balls. Here is the forum thread on the subject: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=183374

Good luck in the rat battle!!

 

[wolftracks]

Seriously the coca cola WORKS

 

[Beekissed]

There are neat little PVC Ts that one can construct that allows rats into poison but no other animal. I like the JustOneBite poison that comes in cakes or bars that you can break off and leave out. They can't really carry them off for storage and must nibble the food off the bar right then....and they die within a day or two. They crawl out in the open, I imagine they are after water.

I can't imagine fooling with live traps and such when the rats are eating chicks...this needs to be dealt with quickly and permanently.

I love the JustOneBite!!!

 

[dragonlair]

My dogs (Malamutes) make short work of any rats stupid enough to walk thru their pens. I had a cat who was deadly to any rats also, but she died of old age and I don't have any more barn cats. I use the rat poison blocks when they get over populated. Basically, I like rats. I think they are cute and I love to watch them. However, I reach a point where I have to do away with them for the health of my animals and my wallet!


I shove the bait chunks in the holes in the walls and tunnels under the barn. I have yet to find the bail out in the open where the other animals can find it. The one big problem is dead rats in the walls. I had one die in the walls of my back porch last week. The smell was awful for a few days. Gag.

 

[nonseq]

I have a terrier. It kills anything that moves.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Quote:
Lol That is why I plan to use the peanut butter plaster balls if the time comes that I need to deal with a rat problem.... They don't stink when they die. The moisture is pulled from the body so as it decays there is no decomp smell