koo2cat Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 We had Rats last July and called the council in and for £15 got rid of the lot in a week!!! Best £15 we've ever spent. We bring the food in at night now and don't put veggie trimmings in the compost bin either. So far, so good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthwenger Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I feel sad as have just found a black bird in the trap, not what we wanted at all Thanks for posting the bait box picture Egluntine, havent seen them before but they look just the job. All that rat poo looks but at least we all know what we are looking for now! I've had a rat problem for ages (probably even before the chooks) as my house backs onto a working farm. I had a little robin red breast that visited my garden every morning, that was until he hopped onto the rat trap, my wife cried for ages (so the rat trap has been binned) I'm afraid rats are very clever, I've got a bird table screwed high up on the fence to keep it away from rats but saw one on there the other night and they've worked out that by climbing up my neightbours fence somewhere and running all the way along the top of the fence and down onto the table. I've had to totally slab under my Eglu as they were getting underneath and burrowing through. Haven't seen any in there since except for one little mouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhoderunner Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 (edited) I haven't seen rats, thank goodness. But I am finding mice. First of all in the shed where I keep the chicken feed (which is now in metal containers). However today I saw a mouse under the eglu. He came and went as he pleased right in front of me and without any reaction from the three chickens. Besides the fact that I don't like mice, are there problems with having them living with the chickens? All the posts I find relate to rats. Does "Ooops, word censored!"ody mind mice? Edited April 14, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Shall I spend $$$$$ on calling out rentokil? I don't want to call the council as they will blame my hens....we live in a semi rural location and I suppose we are never far away from rats...I do take all foods in at night. I have a 4 year old daughter who will soon be playing out again in the warm weather when it does arrive and I don't want any rat germs....etc! Thanks Kit Your council are the people you SHOULD be calling - they will charge you less than Rentokill and they will not blame your hens, anymore than they will blame nextdoors compost heap - the people down the road with their fancy decking. We called the council when we had rats under the shed - the pest control man came and put down bait in all the right places, making sure no pets/children could get to it. He came back every week and topped it up until they stopped taking the bait and then he took it all away. We got it half price because Mum is an OAP so it cost us £20!!! My boss paid more than that for the poison he bought to get rid of his rats. He also wasn't as careful as the pest control man and sadly his chickens got to the poison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I have a bait box and tonite found a dead mouse in a plant pot..I know the poison is taken..havent seen anything but since chickens arrived am just keeping it topped up.. with hindsight i would only use a trap if it was ie in the run and removed before letting chickens out..mars bars are good for live traps as u can push the poison into it I think if i was overrun air rifle will be my next option. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyber Chook Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Aha, I always wondered how paper clips are made, Egluntine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
