would cayanne pepper repel a rat ?

[bokboklady]

thanks for answers, might try the hot pepper recipe, wow, sounds real HOT, like i said, even if i do manage to block all the holes this darn rat will just walk in the open door, he is a brazen little bugger, OH says he will get a pellet gun and try and shoot it as it runs through the outside run with out a care in the world, its like its challenging us, so far i have put down poison traps in the shed next door as i know it gets in there as well, so far he's still alive and kicking, i think i might try the bucket trap next, wish me luck, so far only seen the one, but knowing rats there will loads more hiding in the drains.

 

[Ohhhdear]

I'd get the rat with a live trap and not mess with poisons around my chickens. With the proper bait, a live trap is irresistible. Rats like peanut butter, grain, cheese, and sandwich meat.
My father in law has woodchucks and oppossums underneath his barn, which do terrible damage to his crops (and are chicken killers, too). He live traps them and puts the trap in a barrel of water so he doesn't have to shoot the trapped critter. He was a cop, so shooting an animal isn't a problem. It's just that ammunition's expensive.

Once you've eliminated the rat, try to fill in the drainage system if possible. Set a tiny, very smoky, contained fire in one of the entrances and let the smoke help you find all the openings, then plug them. Use big chunks of cement capped by fresh cement, or lots of rocks. Rats can squeeze through very tiny holes!

Your chickens might be ignoring the rat right now, but rats kill and eat chickens and eggs, and spread all manner of nasty diseases. Rats are nimble, clever, wary, and learn from their mistakes.

Here's two website about using live traps and what kinds of baits work best; http://www.animalsheltering.org/resource_library/magazine_articles/jul_aug_1998/how_to_set_a_live_trap.html

http://www.pestproducts.com/animaltrapping.htm

If you really must use poisons, get something like D-Con blocks and set it far off the ground where your chickens won't get at it. Rats climb easily, so on top of the coop roof is ok. A rodent poison which contains coumadin (warfarin) is most effective. I'd also put some of the poison blocks in the drainage tunnels, far enough in so the chickens won't be able to find it.

 

[Andy Wayne]

Rats can squeeze through very tiny holes!

I've read that a rat can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter. So, imagine how small of a hole a mouse could fit through!

 

[GodofPecking]

It will not work. You must physically prevent the rats from entering the chicken coop.

Rats are very different to mice. Mice can be trapped one after the other in the same way in the same trap forever.

Rats will only sacrifice one or two low ranking rats to a trap or bait, then they'll avoid it entirely.

They'll pick out the good food and move on to the chooks, if the rats are hungry, then one bite on the chooks foot will see a blood meal issue forth which can be eaten without further disturbing the bird. Chicks are a take home meal. Rats are smart enough to push an egg until it drops and gives it a good meal.

Physically stop them from entering the coop.

You could trap one or two with a tilt trap before they get wise and the next one would take a month to catch....





the door of the trap is propped open with a stick or AA battery etc. Immerse the trap in water, to get rid of warning scents that may be left behind. You can use the pellets the rat loves already, though I usually use a tiny amount of two minute noodles out of a packet freshly opened. They smell great to the rodents and they only need to investigate the smell and the trap has them. There is no fiddling with a trigger or anything like that as there is with a regular trap. If you make it from aluminum squarish tube like for windows or doors, it will last forever.

The wire catch goes on the side of the tube.