Rats

[bigpaul]

we have a rat or rats in the garden, havent actually seen it but have seen the evidence, rat hole in back fence-about 30ft from patio doors. how do i get rid of it?? cant shoot it-havent actually seen it, cant poison it cos of our dog, neighbours dogs and cats, does anyone know of a herbal type remedy to get rid of it??

[Metroyeti]

If you feed birds stop doing it for the time being. If you compost have you evidence of thrm there? Not sure about herbal methods, but they used to catch em with ferrets.

[bigpaul]

(4 January 2013, 12:13)Metroyeti Wrote: If you feed birds stop doing it for the time being. If you compost have you evidence of thrm there? Not sure about herbal methods, but they used to catch em with ferrets.

have tried in the past stopping feeding birds, they stop for a while then come back, there is a rat run from next street into house at back, then they come through our fence, as soon as we block up one hole they chew through somewhere else.

[Metroyeti]

There a bloody nuisance, good luck sorting the buggers out

[Skean Dhude]

Set up traps and kill them. Let them come through the hole into a tub of water or a wire trap. Shoot them with an air rifle.

[bigpaul]

(4 January 2013, 12:57)Skean Dhude Wrote: Set up traps and kill them. Let them come through the hole into a tub of water or a wire trap. Shoot them with an air rifle.

ok thanks, hadnt though of the wire cage, brilliant!!

[BeardyMan]

Explosives are required Sir.

Or if you see the hole they come in from a dead-fall trap or similar will squash the first one. They're very smart though - a worthy opponent in any battle.

[GrannyMike]

we ofren get rats as got livestock use poison in bait stations which work keep our dog away from them we stopped feeding birds rat traps are good but you need a good few
you can get a orangic bait based on holly berries ilex i think which will kill only mice rats and not owls pets etc its quite dear in devon mole vally stock it
i hate rats friend got wells from them near died they pee everywear
farm cats are good to but our dog kills them

[BDG]

On some allotments I had a place on years ago, it was very bad for rats at one point. A few people then got wire cage traps and buckets of creosote. Catch a rat, dip in the creosote and then let it go. It would go back to the rat hole and gas the baby rats.

Alas, you are only going to get your hands on creosote these days if you are in the timber or construction trade or claim to be...

I would poison them, remove any place they can have cover and remove any source of food.

[ICRCC]

I have heard that putting out Coke or Pepsi (not diet) in a dish close to where they enter will work but I have never had to try it. Rodents can't burp, so the carbonated liquid bloats and kills them.