westleigh Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 oh no i'v got a rat,has anyone got any idea's as to what bait to use,i'm hoping its a lone ranger but not sure,i dont leave food out overnight and have asked my neighbour not to put food on the grass for the birds which she has agreed too as she hates rats as much as me,at the moment it has mars bar on the trap but thats not working so if you know of a real rat treat i would love to hear from you thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I've heard that peanut butter is good in traps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Chicken feed ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Gave up with traps - went with the poison. Too clever for traps, but they can't resist the poison . Didn't want to use it (local wildlife, cats etc) but was either that or have a load of rodents in the garden... There was only one choice to make! Kept the poison away from other animals (ours were in the enclosed compost heap, or you can buy special containers that only rats/mice can get into) to minimise risk to other animals or children. And some poisons I believe are friendly to any animals who may eat the dead rodent - others may be able to tell you more about that - so you dont upset anything else in the food chain. Good luck with getting rid though, with whatever method you use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Good luck! We've found rats in our garage. Eradibait didn't touch them, we've now set up three traditional wooden rat traps baited with bacon. Caught two baby rats so far. Tonight the traps are coming out and three of my best hunting cats are going in! They spend most nights out anyway so I've decided to shut them in there and we'll see how they do. I'm amazed that with seven cats and a Jack Russell the rats have felt brave enough to set up camp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I've tried every trap under the sun...with no effect. I have tried peanut butter, chocolate, cooked meat, raw meat, bacon, bread....you name it...and the rat could remove it from the trap in a flash. I put poison down now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Rat-Traps seem to work with younger rats, or when it's really cold and the rats get more desperate. However, as others have observed, the more savy rats are just too clever for traps. I use the ratbait (poison) you can buy in a tub at Homebase/B&Q, which is placed in a heavy stone dog bowl in my (covered) compost heap. From personal experience, it seems to take at least 7 days to get rid of the rats, you just have to keep putting out more poison each night until activity stops. I would say to keep an eye out even once they seem to have gone, I went four days without a sign and thought I'd won, but then they came back (or a new lot moved in ). Sadly, if you've seen one rat, there are more around. Some say there's seven for every one you see . Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Raw bacon tempted my rats for a while, but they got wise to it. A bait box did the trick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggmayo Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 If you're using traps the trick is to get something that's not too easy for the rat to remove from the trap, so you've got a better chance of the trap going off before the food is taken and setting the trap so it is as sensitive as you can get it without it going off when they approach. Things like peanut butter, sticky chocolate bars (like Mars) and lard usually work well. Rats will tend move staying as close to walls etc as they can, so they feel safe, so setting the traps alongside walls or something else they are running alongside can help. They are also suspicious of new things in their environment-you may be more successful if you put the trap down with food on it for a couple of days before you set, so they've got time to get used to it and see the food source as safe. They do learn how to get the food of quite quickly without setting the trap off and you won't get them anywhere near traps if they've had a near miss before. Personally I'd only use bait as a last resort, you never know what else may eat it. Good luck! Let us know how you got on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Things like peanut butter, sticky chocolate bars (like Mars) and lard usually work well. I've tried all of the above.....to no effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackiepoppies Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 No contest......POISON This can be placed very effectively where it will not harm other species. I WILL NOT give houseroom to these horrible vermin I don't live in their fields, they are NOT going to live in my house SO THERE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge77 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 We had a rat breaking into our rabit run and mugging the poor bunny for food every night. The neighbour spotted it and told me (he HATES rats so was keen we sorted it out). I called the local council who sent a rat-man out. The rat-man did nothing more than put a bait station under the hedge - this was a month ago and as the rat-man never came back (as he said he would)) i had a peek in the bait station last night and not even a nibble has been taken from the block of poison ! Have now put a wire mesh 'skirt' on the bunny run - which i am planning to do on the chicken run too - so the little blighters haven't been able to burrow under and get in. So far no sign of a rodent - i even left the bin bags on the decking on sunday night by mistake and in the morning not a tear or rip or anything. I personnally think that poison will only work if you remove ALL other possible sources of food as well - then they even eat the poison out of desperation or wander off to find a different source of food i.e. someones elses garden ! Or you could take my fathers tack of sitting on the back step with an air rifle and a pile of ham !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I'm on the look out for someone with a pair of working terriers. They do the job very efficiently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 My Jack Russell hasn't a clue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge77 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I have a plummer jack russell and she goes wild around the decking every night and has worn away all the grass along the hedge as she chases them along it every single night - she's never caught one though in fact i doubt she would know what to do with it of she did (she's a little challenged in the brains department) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 If you know anybody with one of these They are wonderful ratters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Ooo I must borrow Lottie my friend's Scottie. Mum may not be impressed with my reasons though...... I like the Grandpa with the air-rifle idea, we do similar but sit in the office & watch the birdtable, the "R-words" like the bits & bobs the birds drop on the ground. We've put a rubber skirt around the edge of the table to stop the little blighters from climbing the leg of the table & helping themselves from the top. Can't do it near the compost heap as they sneak in & out on the ditch side - I have no intention of sitting in the ditch in order to get them. I've put a bait box with eradibait in the compost heap & covered the heap with windproof fencing to stop the chooks going in. They are not impressed!! Apparently they don't like a good soaking (although ours swim along the ditch), so a hose down the runs is supposed to be a deterrent; compost was a little dry last time I looked, so will try this one! Also they don't like to be disturbed, so I'm trying kicking the sides of the heap every time I go up there. Hadn't seen/heard them for a few days last week but was out for most of the weekend & didn't kick, so I got movements again yesterday, yuk yuk yuk!! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol U Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 When we found a rat I got the pest controllers from the council round (a free service). The chap said that they found traps never work for adult rats and bait boxes were the only answer, together with depriving them of food and housing. Worked for us, although no doubt they will return one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
