rats in the house, i like rats, but....

pineapple

I have a farm on one side where pest control leaves a lot to be desired and a neighbour on the other side who likes to scatter bird food on the ground. Surprise surprise we have rats in our gardens - roaming around in broad daylight too.
People in the area say the rats are more prevalent this year.
I have two rat cage traps - only caught mice so far which I released. One prebaited rat snap trap (8 more ordered). So far it has despatched mainly mice (which I hate) though possibly a couple of them were young rats.
I have poison down in a proper bait box in the outhouse. I got it from a local agricultural merchant and it's supposed to be 'professional' grade.
I also ordered a different type which is supposedly harmless if a cat or animal eats the dead rodent.
Have just set up a diy bucket trap. Watch this space.
Last year I tried a electric zapper trap. Tally a couple of mice and a slug.
I may end up calling the council - charge £40. But the issue is this is not a one off problem. Am surrounded by farms plus with the river nearby - it's rat city.

It's an old cottage undergoing renovation. Moved in last year and think I got mice in from party wall with next door (previous owner had knocked off the plaster to achieve a stone feature wall). Blocked off suspect holes with wire wool and sorted the problem. But the old cottage door still has difficult to block ingress points. Relying on peppermint oil and ultrasonic deterrent.
May end up with the ferrets or a terrier. Cat not an option.

carguy143

I have 11 pet rats, two cats and two house rabbits. Out of all the animals the rats are the most intelligent and unless you act quickly, they will run rings around you. Wild rats are actually more intelligent, bigger and stronger than pet rats. Make sure all food including cereals, rice etc is in sealed containers, preferably in cupboards, clean up your work surfaces and floor on a regular basis and look for and seal up any potential entry points to reduce the attractiveness of your home.

Rats can chew through concrete and copper wire. They're also drawn to human food and like a similar temperature climate to ourselves, too.

Good luck!

pineapple

I have two cage traps for a live capture and so far just a couple of mice.. The food in those cages is a veritable rat smoragsbord but they aren't fooled.
Ditto with the Big Cheese snap traps. I tend to see a rat around 3.30pm when the neighbour puts down bird food Yesterday I actually watched one casually ambling round the traps and totally ignoring them before setting off for the neighbour's free feast.:mad:
This morning one of them had caught a poor wee mouse.
The local farm supplier is reporting a run on poison - a lot more rats about this year apparently.

zaax

The OP has about 100 rats. Rat do not like being seen or being out in day light. Therefore if they are being seen it means their are over crowded and are looking for other places to infest. Use traps indoors, and bait outside BTW as they are vermin you have a legal duty to remove them.

pineapple

zaax wrote: »

The OP has about 100 rats. Rat do not like being seen or being out in day light. Therefore if they are being seen it means their are over crowded and are looking for other places to infest. Use traps indoors, and bait outside BTW as they are vermin you have a legal duty to remove them.

Well the neighbour and I are trying our best. Apart from them not helping by scattering bird food that is.. :mad: The only place I can safely put down poison (out of reach of other animals) is in the outhouse and some of that is being taken. Snap traps work outside but the problem is we get a lot of birds in the same spot. I literally have to lurk to shoo any birds away. Overnight I only catch mice. It seems they are less crafty and of course once the trap is sprung it won't catch anything else
Don't really want to put traps inside. I know there is nothing in the house at the mo. Am pretty careful about not leaving out food and the danger is that baited traps will actually attract the beggars.

ripplyuk

pineapple, it sounds like your neighbour is the real problem. Either the bird food is being put out somewhere easily accessible to the rats or the spillage isn't being properly cleaned up. You'll never solve the rat problem unless this neighbour stops feeding them.

You can put your snap traps inside tubes (like plastic drainage tubes) or under a bucket leaving a slight gap underneath. It helps stops birds going near them.

pineapple

They scatter bird food on the ground.. :mad::mad::mad:
I've tried talking to them. They are a lovely couple but the response is 'But we've been doing this 30 years.
It's the same with the 80+ husband still insisting on going up ladders to do roof repairs etc. It's 'but I've always done it'.

ripplyuk

They sound very set in their ways!

If I were you, I'd complain to environmental health. It's not fair for you to have to deal with vermin caused by your neighbours. No amount of snap traps or poison will work if there's an ample food supply next door. Environmental health won't say who called them.

Until then, if you know anyone with a good terrier or a ferret, I'd ask them to visit regularly. It might help a little to deter the rats from being on your property.

pineapple

ripplyuk wrote: »

They sound very set in their ways!
.

They have finally seen reason phew. The moment of revelation came when family rat came a visiting late afternoon with the young uns. :eek:

Sicard

Or you could take over the world like Willard tried to do https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_(2003_film)