How to get rid of rats without endangering the hedgehog

Lostintheclouds

Hi guys. The usual problem, we have a 'wildlife garden' in order to help the local wildlife and ecology - we already have a regular hedgehog visitor.

Though we do not currently feed the hedgehog or leave any food out.

The trail camera has picked up a rat every day for the past 10 days (we think it's certainly killed the field mouse that used to live here) as the field mouse hasn't tripped the camera at all since the rat appeared and last night the rat tripped the camera and it had some kind of small rodent in it's mouth which it was presumably taking back to it's nest.

Everything I've read points to the fact that there is NEVER ever just one rat - so I presume that it's got a nest somewhere, possibly with young already.

Anyway, we'd like to get rid of the rat/s obviously before this turns into a bigger problem of multiplication and possibly even house invasion when the winter comes.

So, any ideas. As I said in the title, we have  a hedgehog (and they are pretty dumb by all accounts) any kind of poison or snap trap left out openly is likely to kill or injure the hedgehog whilst the more intelligent rats go about their business.

Furthermore, the rats will probably end up eating any hedgehog babies in the future. . . .as well as everything else.

Cats are useless by the way. We have 3 that regularly visit the garden at all hours and they obviously haven't deterred the rat one bit (all evidence points to the fact that cats hardly ever kill rats anyway, they just kill all the birds and a few mice).

Mutton_Geoff

Put traps in a small tunnel with sticks across the entrance to stop larger mammals getting in. I use Solway MK4s which are one of the few traps approved for humane killing (we have problem with glis glis in our area). Rats tend to run along boundary edges, never across open areas, so set a couple of  traps along the fence/hedge. Plenty of info & videos on the Solway website, no connection to the business, just a happy customer.

https://www.solwayfeeders.com/vermin-control/spring-traps/solway-mk4-spring-trap-p1905-c193/

Lostintheclouds

Mutton_Geoff said:

Put traps in a small tunnel with sticks across the entrance to stop larger mammals getting in. I use Solway MK4s which are one of the few traps approved for humane killing (we have problem with glis glis in our area).

I just had to look that up. Edible doormouse once eaten as a delicacy.

If Covid turns out differently then one might have to think about 'live trapping' them for the pot.

Lostintheclouds

Mutton_Geoff said:

Put traps in a small tunnel with sticks across the entrance to stop larger mammals getting in. I use Solway MK4s which are one of the few traps approved for humane killing.

Any tips on how to make this 'small tunnel'?

I have read that rats don't seem to go into these bait boxes that you can buy and generally avoid plastic things unless very hungry/desperate. I should add that I did put 2 baited live catch rat/mouse traps (used to catch the 'field mouse' last winter that had made it's way inside) along where the rat runs are. But after 1 week they haven't been touched.

The field mouse went in one the very first night.

Rats (as well as being sneakier) are possibly not interested in the traps as they are plastic and also quite small (and a rat wouldn't use them unless it was intentionally wanting to get in, rather than using them as part of a 'rat run').

greyteam1959

Use a live trap.
Then you can deal with whatever  is trapped accordingly.

https://www.toolstation.com/pest-stop-wire-rat-cage/p20682?bvstate=pg:2/ct:r

Apodemus

greyteam1959 said:

Use a live trap.
Then you can deal with whatever  is trapped accordingly.

https://www.toolstation.com/pest-stop-wire-rat-cage/p20682?bvstate=pg:2/ct:r

But how? Humane traps are all very well for a catch-and-release job but how is the average householder going to humanely dispose of Mr or Mrs Rat who they now have in a wire cage?

Mutton_Geoff

Apodemus said:

greyteam1959 said:

Use a live trap.
Then you can deal with whatever  is trapped accordingly.

https://www.toolstation.com/pest-stop-wire-rat-cage/p20682?bvstate=pg:2/ct:r

But how? Humane traps are all very well for a catch-and-release job but how is the average householder going to humanely dispose of Mr or Mrs Rat who they now have in a wire cage?

Exactly. I do the humane rat trap thing but then leave the carcass on the lawn. The sparrowhawks/foxes/kites come and collect it for their lunch so it's recycling at it's best although I'm not comfortable acting as judge of who shall survive and who shall not, I'd rather not have rats/glis glis in my house.

Lostintheclouds

Mutton_Geoff said:

Apodemus said:

greyteam1959 said:

Use a live trap.
Then you can deal with whatever  is trapped accordingly.

https://www.toolstation.com/pest-stop-wire-rat-cage/p20682?bvstate=pg:2/ct:r

But how? Humane traps are all very well for a catch-and-release job but how is the average householder going to humanely dispose of Mr or Mrs Rat who they now have in a wire cage?

Exactly. I do the humane rat trap thing but then leave the carcass on the lawn. The sparrowhawks/foxes/kites come and collect it for their lunch so it's recycling at it's best although I'm not comfortable acting as judge of who shall survive and who shall not, I'd rather not have rats/glis glis in my house.

Hi. Haha. I think you're missing the CRUCIAL part in the tale.

Lostintheclouds

Apodemus said:

greyteam1959 said:

Use a live trap.
Then you can deal with whatever  is trapped accordingly.

https://www.toolstation.com/pest-stop-wire-rat-cage/p20682?bvstate=pg:2/ct:r

But how? Humane traps are all very well for a catch-and-release job but how is the average householder going to humanely dispose of Mr or Mrs Rat who they now have in a wire cage?

Indeed. I've heard (and seen videos) that the rats go crazy when trapped and then approached - run, scream, bite.

I don't have transport either so I'd be having to walk anywhere with the unhappy rat - which I think would have to be at least 2 miles to set it free. That's really not possible.

Furthermore, I keep reading that rats can gnaw their way through anything and the majority of the traps look like they are made of cheap materials So I'd suspect a rat could gnaw it's way out if left in there for an amount of time. And supposedly they only need a 1.5cm gap.

I recently saw an Amazon review that showed one of these metal traps and a squirrel had made a hole in the trap when trying to escape.

greyteam1959

If you cannot deal with it then get a professional pest controller in.

bob_a_builder

So they are going to have to go' once and for all then 
A rat poison box and a bag of poison on ebay for less than £15 
Box will protect most animals from the poison - not field mice unfortunately

Example - not recommending, him just 1st one that came up on search
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rat-and-Mouse-Killer-Poison-Strong-Pasta-Blocks-Bait-Poisen-Sachet-Mice-Trap-Box/113149780592