4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[redcharlie43]

I need help with my rat problem. I have moved the eglu away from where they are nesting and take the food in at night. I have laid traps which caught 1 rat and then lots of birds. I have bait boxes out which they ignore. I have fed the chickens on the patio because when they are free ranging the rats run into the eglu and steal the food in broad daylight. My lovely OH has a pellet gun and when the weather gets better will start to use it to try and get the rats. It seems that the chickens are not the source of the rats. My OH lived in the house as a child and says when he was younger there were always rats in the corner of the garden and he used to shoot them (this was nearly 35 years ago!)

 

But yesterday I came across this and they really are taking the mickey now......

 

 

I am not sure what I can do at the moment whilst the weather is bad. I have been planning to clean up the corner of the garden where the eglu and run were and then put in a concrete base as they burrowed under and chewed the stable mats that were the run base. Any Ideas in the meantime????

[Princess Leia]

We had problems with them back before Christmas. Burrowing under the Eglu, etc. We moved the Eglu onto the patio and they followed, burrowing under the edge of the patio as well. Bought a very expensive ultrasonic repeller, all to no avail. Eventually, got the council pest control in. They sorted the problem with poison bait, but did it in such a way as not to put the dog, rabbit and chooks at risk (although you have to sign the normal disclaimer...). £30 charge covered three weeks of treatments, but I believe some don't charge at all.

[merlina]

I feel your pain

No helpful suggestions, but sympathy

I've got rats too - just found two tunnels into the coop, through the frozen earth, that weren't there yesterday

They tunnelled right next to one of the rat traps (in which I've only managed to catch a cute field mouse)

They've been foraging in my (allegedly rat-proof) compost bin for awhile.

Looks like the weather has made them more determined

[redcharlie43]

Thanks for the replies. I am a bit worried that if I get the council pest control in they will blame the chickens. Has anyone got experience of this? I keep the feed indoors in the garage so it would literally be the feed given to the chickens each day that is attracting them, although as I have said, historically they were there before the chickens and the ex-neighbours rubbish has not helped. (This will also be cleaned up when the weather improves).

Does anyone know if the rats can harm the chickens in the meantime?

[Princess Leia]

Well, they certainly didn't try blaming the chickens in our case. They were very understanding - the rats simply saw the eglu as a source of protection and food.

[Chucky Mama]

I would get a rat proof feeder as a permanent fixture (Grandpa feeders are good but expensive) and get OH out there with a air rifle pretty sharpish. If you have a compost or a neighbour feeding the birds it wont be helping.

[redcharlie43]

Thanks Chucky Mama. I didn't realise you could get such a thing. I now have my eye on e-bay and other second hand websites. If no luck in the next week or so I will bite the bullet and buy a new one. Gosh this chicken keeping is pretty expensive isn't it!!!

[jimnpaula]

If you are any good at diy there are instructions on how to make them.

 

I don't know if searching on "treadle feeders" would give any cheaper, already-made results?

[C&T]

Re the bait boxes...

 

Make sure you put them down on one of their "runs", against a fence or similar, and don't touch them for a week. They are very cautious about new things (I know looking at your photo you would think otherwise...) and if you keep touching it/moving it they won't go near it. And if the bait box is in the middle of the garden they are also less likely to find them - even if right by where they are digging.

 

But if that bad, call the council. You are taking all the right precautions re food storage, and they are very unlikely to point the finger. And best to do now before the neighbours start blaming you - even though you know it is not your fault!

[heth1986]

Argh, blinking things!

 

We had a problem with them last year, I found that peanut butter in the traps worked better than any other bait (chocolate for mice)... try putting the traps in some long grass / under some sort of temporary cover that would stop the birds from seeing it. I bought a couple of rat sized snap traps on ebay and they were brill but I found that these only caught the younger rats, somehow!

 

For the bigger rats, the only thing that worked was the air rifle. Can you have it on 'stand by' and ready to hand at the weekend maybe? Ours were so brazen that we could run right up to the run and they'd just sit and look at us until we actually opened the gate, at which point they'd scarper. This meant that hubby didn't have to have a stake out and we just peered out every so often and when we saw them, popped up.

 

Hopefully if you can get the big ones, you might be able to find a good place to keep a trap on a permanent basis which will help keep the others in check.

 

OR, do you know anyone with a jack russel you could borrow for a couple of days?! That'd sort them out sharpish!

 

I must admit, I was on the verge of calling the council but got rid of them just in time, although they may be able to give you some advice to help prevent them in the future, especially with them being a recurring theme.

 

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

[redcharlie43]

Well the air rifle has not been much use yet as my OH doesn't do patience and by the time he has got the gun out they have run away. I will get him to teach me how to use it properly and will happily sit on the back step waiting for the beggers! I have just got 2 rat proof feeders from Regency poultry which were much less expensive than the grandpa's feeders and quieter. They arrived yesterday and I put them out yesterday evening and took away the chicken food today. They have worked out how to use them in a few hours and so far there is no food spilt around and they are not scared of the feeders now they know what they are for!

I have left the bait boxes out where the rats run but they still won't touch them and I have had to take in the snap traps as the peanut butter was too tempting for the squirrels and birds and I could not hide them as we don't have long grass etc to hide them in.

The cold weather continues to thwart the clearing out of the area where the rats live but as soon as the weather gets a little better I will be out there getting the area completely cleared and cut back and a concrete base will be laid for the chicken run. I will get on top of the problem but it is taking longer than I had hoped!

[Valkyrie]

We had a very pretty one in the greenhouse pinching the girls food a couple of months ago. I put the food in the greenhouse because the girls shelter there in bad weather, and therefore no food in their cube run to attract pests down there. Seemed a shame to put poison down, but she did have a jolly good munch and we never saw her again. Then a few weeks later there was a bigger old mangy looking rat in there. More poison and we haven't seen any since. So many wild birds being fed so the animals are looking for easy meals. There have always been rats around the area and our neighbour had them under her decking before we even had chickens. All food is removed as soon as the girls trundle off to bed so the only time the rats or mice can feed is during the day. I wondered if there were rats about as our toad had disappeared from the compost heap and our wood mice had also gone. On the other hand the mice were a pain in the bottom because they chomped all my seeds in the greenhouse last year!

[merlina]

I've got snap traps in outdoor boxes dotted around, but am completely failing to catch rats

They've been there for long enough for the rats to be used to them.

I've baited with chocolate, peanut butter and cheese. 'something' eats the peanut butter - I suspect bugs of some sort as the traps don't go off. But the rats seem especially discerning/canny and aren't getting caught

Any ideas on what rats like to eat?

[redcharlie43]

I am really at the end of my tether now. Just watched a rat run and jump into the new "rat proof" feeder. It didn't come out so I went to investigate. I pushed open the door and one rat jumped out, ran over my hand and disappeared. To my horror there was also a full size dead rat in the feeder. I can't see how it died and it obviously hasn't been dead long but really... Will be contacting the feeder people to see what they have to say about their rat proof feeder now!!!!

[Tweety]

I would get pest control to sort it out tbh. I had a big problem with rats a few years ago, and haven't seen one since the professionals dealt with them!

[heth1986]

Charlie, are they big rats that you found in the feeder? I'm just thinking that, considering the size of the 2 big rats we had, they'd probably be heavy enough to activate the treadle in order to get in If so, then perhaps the treadle would be a good preventative in the future once you've diminished the population somewhat?

 

If it were me, I'd get a professional in now as it sounds as if you've tried all the tricks in the book. Don't be worried about them blaming the chickens as they'll be able to see all the precautions you are already taking and will be able to advise you further on making your set up even more rat proof. Plus, as you already explained, the rats were there before the chickens anyway!

 

Good luck and keep us posted!

[merlina]

I am really at the end of my tether now. Just watched a rat run and jump into the new "rat proof" feeder. It didn't come out so I went to investigate. I pushed open the door and one rat jumped out, ran over my hand and disappeared. To my horror there was also a full size dead rat in the feeder. I can't see how it died and it obviously hasn't been dead long but really... Will be contacting the feeder people to see what they have to say about their rat proof feeder now!!!!

 

So it looks like you bought a very expensive rat trap!

I'm using snap traps like these

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rat-box-trap-package-with-block-and-grain-posion-bait-Proffesional-grade-/181107140502?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Plants_Weed_Pest_Control_CV&hash=item2a2ad3a796

 

But I can't say I'd recommend them as my rats seem strangely wily and I have only caught mice so far. If you haven't tried them may be worth a go?

[redcharlie43]

Yes I have tried snap traps. Caught one very big rat the first night and then nothing but a few mice, some baby birds ( ) and very nearly a silly squirrel. I have just emptied the feeder into our empty wheely bin and there are 2 live rats in there! It does seem like an effective but expensive trap. My OH will dispose of the rats later.

I think I will take everyones advice and get in the professionals but do want to clear up the end of the garden before I call them. I had taken this week off to do that but the weather has been so bad I haven't had a chance. Hopefully I will get it sorted by the end of this weekend and will get the council guys in next week. In the meantime I am putting the expensive trap back out to see if I can catch some more. But not until I have had a very large G&T to get over the shock of it all!