Topic: RATS !!!

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Does anybody have any experience in successfully catching rats?   I'm at my wits end not having caught one for two weeks.  

My plot is No 4.  My neighbour has Plot No. 3 on which he has ducks, and Plot No 5. on which he has loads of chickens and two turkeys, and loads of food for rats.   I have three large boxes, two of which are full of Horse Manure, so perfect nesting sites.   Earlier this year, I had occasion to move a pile of Manure (the bin hadn't been built) and found two nests, one with 6 and the other with 7 pink babies whose eyes hadn't opened.

I have two rat traps of the spring variety, and I have had some success from time to time.   I've sited the traps where I know there is a rat run, and for the last few days, have placed them "nose to nose", and touching.   The intention is to make it more difficult to get to one bait without disturbing the second.   I use Mars Bars, cut a slice and tie it to the bait plate using green gardening string.

Each morning my first job is to check the traps,   Each morning, each are  tripped,  the bait is gone, and so are the rats.   I rebait and reset the traps.

I believe the rats slap the bait plate with their tails to trip the traps so that they can safely eat the bait.   I believe they are so intelligent that this is a trick that they are capable of.   Earlier this year I found a chicken egg in the middle of my plot, which I put down to a rat rolling it towards its nest.   On another occasion, Annie found a duck egg in a dip just on my side of the fence next to the ducks.   Again, it could only have been a rat that had rolled it through a crack in the fence.   I've seen a stoat (or similar) on the plots, but I reckon they are more interested in decapitating ring-necked doves, which we have found occasionally.

Has anybody got any ideas on how to outwit these devilishly cunning creatures?   Oh yes, I've even put down grain bait in a bag given to us by the Council's Pest Control Officer, which they studiously ignore.

[Suze_O]

Would you like me to despatch my two cats to you who are ratters/mousers extroadinaire?  I regularly come down in the morning and find just a gall bladder, a tail and some feet laid out on the doormat!  ;)

[Ozzy_aka_Pothead]

Yo Colin

Bait the traps with peanut butter,  they love the stuff,  Rats are clever mind and can navigate they way around a spring trap, best ones are those that "capture" them alive, then drive em out into the country and let em go.... or put e in a sack and drown em... I go with the first..

Another thing I have heard is that cats emit a signal that terrifies the rat, but dont remember much about it..

My Kittiens havent been born yet, sum1 (the owner of the pregnant cat) suggested that I take 3 kittens, just in case one cat dunt dig the other... but what if they all dont get on?  Maybe I should just get the one?

Hope the peanut butter advice is handy to you

cHeErS

oZzY %)

[legless]

my exflatmate studied psychology and apparently if you mix the peanut butter with marmite rats will literally bite their legs off to get it  :o

don't know any other was to get them than traps really. i think i have a rat in my shed, i'm hoping it'll move out before i have to think of trapping. i'm very scared of wild rats since growing up on a market garden and my mum telling me horror stories about them to keep me away from the stores! used to have a pet rat though, that was different!

[Beer_Belly]

Colin - how about this site (no affiliation)
http://www.trapman.co.uk/

greets,
           -BB

[LynneA]

One side of our site has a problem with rats coming over from the Dairy and a building site.  The foxes are fairly good at catching them, and the Magpies bully the foxes into hading the bodies over.  When we had snow in January I went over to do some track watching, and was able to see where they lurked.  But I suspected they may have got into my compost bins, so earlier this year (how much earlier will become obvious), I bought a tub Eradirat, a humane rat killer.

Imagine being fed dry, concentrated All Bran - that's what it's like.  Anyway, I left a few piles near where I suspected the rats had been.  That night is rained heavily, and did every time I put the stuff out.  When it expanded it looked hideous.  I just chucked it away.  Haven't suspected their return.

We did have our shed invaded by a mouse who ate his way through our bird feeder fat balls.  When disturbed he made a waddle for it out of the door!

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Thank you everybody for your useful advice.

I've looked at and added to my "Favorites" www.trapman.co.uk and I shall be looking at making a purchase shortly.

I like the idea of peanut butter and marmite - really sticky stuff which will need some effort to lick all of it off the bait plate.

Foxes are a no-no I'm afraid - they recently got 10 of our Secretary's chickens, and 12 of my neighbours ducks.   I'm very much in favour of fox-hunting.   Not the hooray-henry on horse back type, but seriously stalking them with a shot gun.   Sorry, I'm onto a delicate subject aren't I, but the excess foxes around us do need to be culled, and the Council Pest Control Officer is not allowed to do it anymore.    

Cats - thanks for the offers Suze O and Ozzy - but Annie wouldn't leave them alone - she adores cats and would like one of her own at home like she once had.   There are loads of cats from neighbouring houses which roam the allotments but I have no evidence of them catching anything except Annie's rapt attention.

If the spring traps don't work Ozzy, then perhaps I must invest in your recommendation for a humane trap.   But as the plot is almost "in the Country" I'm afraid drowning is the only option.

[Beer_Belly]

Now that I'm clearing my lot I'm noticing a lot of what I assume are mouse holes - one each side of fences etc. I have seen a mouse on my plot so I don't think they're rat holes (they're small holes as well) Are mice a problem for my produce ? should I try and get rid of them ? The only damage I've seen this year was a couple of gnawed beetroot but that could've been rabbits couldn't it ? Any ideas ?

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Hi there MEGA, I popped in late last night and read your message - thanks.   As usual, this morning the traps were tripped,  the bait was gone, and so were the rats - again!   So where the rat run is - the Council Pest Control Officer had explained that one to me - I've built a channel with bricks.   Inside the channel I've put the two traps, again nose to nose.  

Also, I've used Marmite,. Legless, which I think has potential.   Peanut Butter is on the shopping list, Ozzy, I think it needs this to give some bulk on the plate.

I was talking to  a neighbour on the allotment this morning, and he suggested bran with plaster-of-paris (dry).   When the plaster-of-paris is ingested it hardens, heats up and must create a most inhumane death - even for a rat I shudder at the throught.

Again, thanks everyone for your advice.   Watch this space tomorrow night for results.    

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT  :-[ :-[ :-[   Nothing has changed overnight.   I've come to the conclusion that the brick tunnel was too elaborate, so I've simplified it.   Wife got me some peanut butter today.   Worried that this rain could wash away the bait, so thinking over leaning a board over the traps to keep them dry.

Also worried that I might catch a girl thingy cat, or at least hurt it badly.    Once caught a blackbird which caused me some distress.

Sorry - watch this space tomorrow !!!

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Traps still intact this morning, but the rain had washed away the Marmite.

This morning, used peanut butter and marmite, simplified the channel, and placed a board over the lot.   I've also changed the direction of the traps, so that they are facing outwards.  Fingers crossed.

BTW - I hadn't noticed that last night I had used a "rude word" which had been translated to "girl thingy".   The "rude word" was in fact the word, beginning with "P",  that most people put in front of "cat".   The translation has had me in tucks - it never occurred to me that I had typed a "rude word". ::) ;D ::)

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Mega, message received and understood.

I've got to have patience.

Patience was a virtue;
Virtue was a grace,
Grace was a little girl who wouldn't wash her face. ;D

[ina]

Hi Colin. You may want to consider covering your traps with chicken wire. Birds love peanut butter too and it really would be ashame to hurt or kill them.

I wonder, what damage have the rats done to your crop? I could not find any reference to that. Now moles, that's a whole different matter. You won't believe the damage they have done to our allotment. I am not proud of the fact that I have become an expert mole killer. My partner had tried a whole season to trap moles, I did not like the idea at all but I got so fed up with finding whole rows of veggies pushed up and dead, something had to be done. So, I said I would try and had success almost every time. I did tell Clint if ever I would find one not properly in the trap as to have died instantly I would never set another trap. So far, they never knew what hit them. Still, I am not happy about having to do it.  Clint is proud of me but I made him promise not to tell anyone at our allotment complex of my successes even tho' most of the allotmenteers would congratulate me. So, now you all know. -Ina

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Hi Ina, thanks for your thoughts.   At the moment there is a board over the traps so I reckon they are safe for birds.    

Although the rats have done me no harm, we have houses bordering one fence, and the residents take exception to our rats entering their gardens and houses.   Who can blame them - I would to.    We all therefore have a "corporate" responsibility to do our best to reduce the population, which most do.  

As rats are carriers of disease, I would prefer not to expose Annie or myself more than is necessary.

I do appreciate your reluctance to cause death or suffering to any animal, and I admire you for it.

[Beer_Belly]

Hey Ina - I know you can buy live mole traps - you can then transport the moles away from your allotment and release them - you do need to check the traps daily though otherwise you'll find a starved to death mole in it. -BB

[ina]

Yes BB, I heard about those traps but................. I would have to take a day off to take the mole on the bicycle to a place where they don't do damage to someone elses stuff. I can't very well release it onto farmer's land or in town and the dunes on the shore don't seem a healthy environment for moles (also too far). Thanks for the tip anyway. Greetings. -Ina

[Mrs Ava]

Oh joy, :o we have the little loves setting up home in our compost heaps already.  Do rats hibernate?  :-/ They have made a lovely little path way through the top of the stable manure and then a nice little cosy burrow.  Are they moving in for the winter?  A large trap with a dollop of peanutty butty has been put in place tonite but I am not holding out much hope - I have been here before! :(

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

EmmaJane, I'm so sorry, and wish you every best wish in your trapping.

I've ha no luck since I changed things round - but they (or something) has had a lick of peanut butter without tripping the trap.

Each morning I go to check my traps, I'm expecting a little note saying something like "can we have Mars Bars back again please".

But, I will persevere a while longer.

[Mrs Ava]

The saga continues!  I have decided that my husband is fattening them up to keep them as pets (or the pot!) :o!  They love the different sweet treats he puts on the traps, lick the traps clean, but never spring them!  We had this last year also.  I used the compost around the garden..... I know....I know about the germs and risks so after I had mulched the garden with the compost I stuck the hose on for a bit, gave it all a good watering to settle it in and give it a rinse and nobody seemed any the worse for it, and the garden grew like the clappers this year!  It's all part of the great ecosystem I guess, wish they would get out of my ecosystem though!

[newboy]

Not the nicest things rats,(wild ones) I have kept pet ones for 10 years or so now and even used to feed wild ones when i lived by the river a few years back, so saying this hurts :'(. If you have a gas lamp and possibly little stove for warmth just sit patiently at night with an air rifle and shoot them. Personnally i couldnt do this now but many years ago i did and it was the only way we could clear them.