Garage - Rats

spurdog1

It feels shameful to admit that we have a rat in our garage, we put in a false ceiling as the roof leaks slightly. However it does add extra storage,  my fishing rods, tools.

Sadly like most we cannot avoid rats, but we don't want them nesting.

I see there are a number of sprays traps etc available. We have tried a humane trap with Peanut butter to no effect (yes, it was against a wall). Next I suspect is something like a peppermint spray, but "what really works?"

Has anyone suggestions or recommendations. (A link for Amazon or Ebay would be helpful.

As usual I am grateful for any feedback

Albermarle

They like fish bait/pellets/groundbait ( as I found out !) so make sure there is none of that in the garage, or anything edible at all.
Also they do not like activity so not sure how many times you go in the garage, bang on the door etc
Cats and dogs are good rat deterrents .

Emmia

spurdog1 said:

It feels shameful to admit that we have a rat in our garage, we put in a false ceiling as the roof leaks slightly. However it does add extra storage,  my fishing rods, tools.

Sadly like most we cannot avoid rats, but we don't want them nesting.

I see there are a number of sprays traps etc available. We have tried a humane trap with Peanut butter to no effect (yes, it was against a wall). Next I suspect is something like a peppermint spray, but "what really works?"

Has anyone suggestions or recommendations. (A link for Amazon or Ebay would be helpful.

As usual I am grateful for any feedback

What were you planning to do if the humane trap had worked? Keep the rat as a pet? 

Releasing vermin (rats) is illegal, and fundamentally makes them someone else's problem.

If you want rid, I'd get the professionals round.

njkmr

Bit of chocolate/ peanut butter on a rat trap.
Quick and easy.

Slinky

We had a rat and several mice in our garage when we had building work done and the back of the garage just had some rough timber fashioned into makeshift doors. The rat gnawed a six inch hole in the plastic box we kept bird food in. I realised we had a problem when I spotted poo all over the shelves.  We dragged everything out of the garage and cleaned it all out, took the food supply away and set some mouse and rat traps - the kill them dead kind.  We caught a few mice, but the rat obviously didn't like the disturbance, plus the food had been removed, and we never saw any sign of it again.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

I'd get a rat trap and 50p bottle of ketchup:

https://www.roshield.co.uk/product/roshield-professional-rat-traps-pack-of-2/

Whilst I hate to kill any living creatures, mice are bad enough, rats need to be dealt with effectively  

spurdog1

Love the info.Kill traps better than roshield, above? What about recommended sprays, mint, garlic
such as...https://www.amazon.in/PESTERO-Rat-Repellent-Car-Protection/dp/B0CHQBTD67/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=rat+repellent+spray+for+home&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

tacpot12

There are humane methods of killing rats that don't use poison e.g. Goodnature® A24 Automatic Rat- And Mice trap Starter Kit (electricfence-online.co.uk)

chrisw

I've tried the peppermint oil thing but it didn't work. The only thing that worked was removing any food source, grass seed and some bird pellets in my case, and blocking any gaps with chicken wire and cement.

prettyandfluffy

I used to keep chickens so this was a perennial problem.  Remove all food sources or keep them in a secure locked metal container (a metal dustbin with a heavy weight on the lid is better than nothing).  The only way to keep on top of the problem is to put down bait boxes.  At first, check and replenish them every week then move to monthly.  If you have a compost heap, get rid of it - it provides food and warmth.  Humane traps are a waste of time and money because you don't have just one rat, you have a nest somewhere.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

spurdog1 said:

Love the info.Kill traps better than roshield, above? What about recommended sprays, mint, garlic
such as...https://www.amazon.in/PESTERO-Rat-Repellent-Car-Protection/dp/B0CHQBTD67/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=rat+repellent+spray+for+home&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

I just picked a link at random, those kind of traps work for us but we are only catching mice rather than rats.

I don't know if things like oils work but my concern would be if you deter them from the garage will they go for the house instead?