Getting rid of a rat in our shed

twopenny

Section, the jeyes fluid sprayed where they came in did work for me.

But they found another way in.

I did use a smelly flea spray (for dogs because it was to hand) across the attic floor to deter mice that were nesting there. That worked.

I would think it's there because it's breeding time (don't tell your wife that) and they want somewhere safe. The more disturbance and noise the better. Can you go and stamp about and move stuff a few times a day? Spray the floor inside?

Borrow a cat?

bjorn_toby_wilde

There are an awful lot of urban myths on this thread. I’m guessing most of the posters have never been near a farm or had anything to do with rats in that sort of context.

If rats were put off by loud noise or strong smells then don’t you think that farmers and pest control companies would be using these methods to get rid of them? Instead they are either shooting, trapping or poisoning them because those are the methods that work.

Rats are in the shed because either 1. It provides shelter and/or 2. There’s food in there or close by. Most urban rats come into gardens for bird food. The birds drop enough on the ground to make a good source of food for them and we feed birds much more than previous generations. Removing sources of food will help but if the sources are on your neighbour’s property there’s not much you can do there.

Don’t make your shed utterly unpleasant by soaking it in Jeyes Fluid. The rats won’t give a fig, any more than they’ll care if you burn incense in there.

Either kill them or put up with them. There are no kind/humane ways to get rid of them.

Giraffe76

I can confirm that there is 2 of them and at least one of them were in my neighbours house but he got rid of them and then one of them found a home in our old shed.

We live near a local park and think that's where they are coming from. I have tried blocking up all the gaps I can see with bricks and other concrete blocks.

As i said earlier I'm planning on calling pest control as I don't want either rat in our garden

bjorn_toby_wilde

A rat’s gestation period is around 21 days and they have between 6 and 12 offspring. They’re then capable of breeding again only 24 hours after giving birth. There will be a lot more than 2 of them believe me, but you won’t necessarily see them as they’ll be most active after dark.

Blocking up entrances, whilst it seems like the right thing to do, will have little effect. I’ve watched them in my garden run up a 6 foot fence and along the top of a trellis to eat from a squirrel proof bird feeder.

You’re doing the right thing by calling out the pest control team. That’s the only way you will get rid of them. Try also to limit any food sources like bird seed, stored seeds in sheds etc. That will also help enormously.

Rosa_Damascena

If its me or a rat, humanity is not a consideration. Better a rat in the shed than a rat in mi kitchen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jausD8qsnKU

(^^ artisitc depiction of me with a rat in my kitchen).

PixelPound

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81901382#Comment_81901382

Blocking gaps won't work. I put a mesh around the bottom of my perimeter and a few inches into the ground, they just dug a tunnel under it. You need to use a thick wire mesh and go quite far down before it's too deep for them to bother.

If they are coming it's because there's food source and they will find ways round it to get to it. I took away food sources and then instead fed birds on top of a concrete garage, until one day I saw from an upstairs window they managed to get up there.

Emmia

Whilst I'd like to see more birds in the garden, I don't feed the birds at all because of the risk of attracting rats.

Eldi_Dos

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81903462#Comment_81903462

Quite agree with this sentiment, if you want to see a variety of birds in your garden plant shrubs and plants that will provide a food source for the birds and they can then follow their natural instint and forage for their food.

subjecttocontract

I find the bird feeders also attract the rats which gives me the opportunity to shoot them. So it's a win, win for everyone except the rats

BlobCore

easy. Air rifle. Job done.