Washingtonians

[Chubby Chicken]

HI, have been trying for years to trap them and finally had to give up when they would steal the bait no matter how much i smashed it in the trap.....So am now using ONLY the poison that is a *blood thinner*. I routinely add liquid chlorophyl to the dog and cat food (source of fit K, health food store sometimes grocery pharmacy). the cats still try to kill and eat,then throw up the smaller ones....but they don't get sick if they were easily caught because they are dying.

The rats were climbing the chain link, killing then trying to drag my half grown and one grown chicken thru....They have also been tunneling around some of my big trees putting my coops in danger of toppling in the next big wind storm.....no these are not mole tunnels. I bricked in with 12 x 12 pavers the coop floors and they would tunnel under and then the pavers would tip creating open ways...... I built several upside down 3" T-tubes 18" in each direction. I would string bait blocks on a wire and insert in the top, replacing when gone.....This has finally given me relief. All my closed youngster area chain link walls are being replaced with 1" x 1" cage fabric....

Unfortunately must keep the bait traps loaded because new ones seem to take the place of the dead ones. don't place them in the coop thou incase the rats accidentally drop a few crumbs where the chickens can find them.........

Best of luck, eliz

Where do you live? Is it in the country? What a nightmare.

 

[Totalcolour]

. . .And so I have made the decision to NOT back away. I will stay right here. . . . I am going to test the "BLOCK MEMBER" button. So in case you post to me or try to comment and I don't acknowledge. You can rest assured it is simply because I don't feel that we are compatible enough to spend my time interacting with you.

GOOD FOR YOU CR!

Nobody should have to leave a "public" place because someone doesn't like them. if two (or more) people can't get along, much better to just keep away from THAT particular person.

 

[Nikki99]

Based on some recent events I have been advised to "back away" from BYC. I know that I have several very good friends here on BYC. Since I have been here I have met a lot of nice people. I figure that if I was really that bad I would not have the friends I do on here. Those who TRULY know me know that I will stand for what I believe in and I don't give up easy. And so I have made the decision to NOT back away. I will stay right here. I have decided instead to do something that I never wanted to do. I am going to test the "BLOCK MEMBER" button. So in case you post to me or try to comment and I don't acknowledge. You can rest assured it is simply because I don't feel that we are compatible enough to spend my time interacting with you.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with all this. I don't get why people can't just except the fact that everyone has their own opinions and beliefs, that shouldn't mean we can't all be respectful. My guess is, they just have to much time on their hands. Maybe they need to pick up a few more hobbies or somethine.
I like your posts, they're helpful when they need to be and funny too. I'm glad your stickin around.

Just a fast Hi to everyone, Ive been with my son at the Hospital the past few days, they might let him come home today not sure..
Husband called me Sun and said the washer wont drain GREAT! So now I have to find out whats wrong with it and try and fix it. Or at least tellhim how to do it..
Hope everyone is doing ok.

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry to hear about your son. I hope everything is ok and that he's able to go home soon.

 

[Zgoatlady]

I'm sorry you're having to deal with all this. I don't get why people can't just except the fact that everyone has their own opinions and beliefs, that shouldn't mean we can't all be respectful. My guess is, they just have to much time on their hands. Maybe they need to pick up a few more hobbies or somethine.
I like your posts, they're helpful when they need to be and funny too. I'm glad your stickin around.

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry to hear about your son. I hope everything is ok and that he's able to go home soon.

Thank you, we did get him out and he's home and happy now. Hated the food...

CR Im so sorry, I do understand

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Oooooh Chickeeeee Ladeeeee Here's yer fair warnin. Better be checkin yer security systems ! ! ! Rumor has it there may be a thief passin through yer area soon. And there is a possibility said thief may be spending a night or 3 in said area just to make sure he gets all the best selection of what the coasties have to (involuntarily) offer.

 

[RonB]

More on catching Rats ! Oregon blues. your idea of a plastic size shoe box is a great idea

Ten years ago I used rat bait (D-Con) the Rats ate it all including half of the box. Then one climb up my drain pipe under the house and died under our shower. What a job that was to fix

. So I was afraid to use the stuff again But then I solved the problem by using that foam that comes in a can. plus I now put those glue traps all around my pipes under the house. NO trouble since.

If you use the old fashion traps, here's the trick Do NOT put the peanut butter on Top of the trigger put it on the Bottom of the trigger between the trigger and the wood trap. That way the rat has to put his nose in between the trigger and the trap and push up. this will set off the trap. A rat or mouse can eat the peanut butter off the top of the trigger without setting it off! I wasn't catching anything with the food on top of the trigger. they would get it without setting off the trap. then I put it under the trigger and caught two in three days

 

[itsren]

Michael, that bucket trap looks so easy to build. Pretty cool - a trap the drowns them for you. No more looking at beady little eyes and bubbles coming from their mouths as they drown.

Ron, I'd love to see pictures of the rat trap you built - if you can get them online.

Eliz, thankfully I shouldn't have to put a rat bait box in or near the coop. The way our lot is set up, we have pretty open space on three sides of our yard. Only one side is near where the rats live. I want to put a rat trap or bait box on that side to discourage the rats from coming over to the coop. We intentionally put our coop where it is for a couple of reasons, and one of those reasons was to keep it as far away from the rat population as possible.

I'm thinking bait box because I'm trying to figure out a way to help the neighbors eradicate the family of rats that seems to keep coming back. But, I don't want bait blocks on our property unless I'm 100% sure we can keep the poison from getting out of the box. We don't need poison getting in our yard, and we certainly don't want to add to the danger of the neighbor's dog getting ahold of any more blocks.

 

[itsren]

Trish - looks like the new coop is going to be awesome!

And, I agree with you, no one should criticize you for buying sexed hatchery chicks. I doubt the owners of BYC would appreciate that, either, considering they advertise hatcheries here. Everyone has the right to choose their own method of getting chicks and for what purpose they get them for. Mine are feed store birds - which, of course, originated from a hatchery. I bought pullets, too - and got lucky that they really did grow up to be pullets.

Enjoy the newest additions to your beautiful flock!

 

[itsren]

Ron - so you have used bait boxes similar to the ones on Amazon? Do they keep the bait blocks contained inside?

Oh gosh, it must have 14 - 15 years ago... we used D-Con once, too. A rat tunneled through the pipes and died beneath our kitchen counter. What a stench. Took us forever to figure out where the smell came from. We finally cut open the base of our cabinets and found it. We decided no more D-Con for us, either. We've found that when our neighbor uses the bait blocks (Tomcat... I think...???) they usually die outside somewhere. The neighbor said they will seek out a water source and die near it.

 

[RonB]

Ron - so you have used bait boxes similar to the ones on Amazon? Do they keep the bait blocks contained inside?

Oh gosh, it must have 14 - 15 years ago... we used D-Con once, too. A rat tunneled through the pipes and died beneath our kitchen counter. What a stench. Took us forever to figure out where the smell came from. We finally cut open the base of our cabinets and found it. We decided no more D-Con for us, either. We've found that when our neighbor uses the bait blocks (Tomcat... I think...???) they usually die outside somewhere. The neighbor said they will seek out a water source and die near it.

I had to cut out the floor to get to one under the bathroom sink. when I made my boxes I put them together with screws. Before I screwed the top on I put a 3" screw up through the center of the bottom. the bait block has a hole all the wall through it. It sat nicely on the screw. then I just put the top on. very simple
No my boxes aren't similar to the ones on Amazon. thats not a bad price for that box on Amazon. I had a bunch of scrap wood around here. Made them more like the ones you get at Home Depot.