daniel.z.cox Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Hi - My neighbours and I have had rat problems over the summer, we've all but down poison boxes and the problem seemed to die down. We have our Eglu placed directly on soil, in a small enclosed areas in the garden with hard wood chips for the chickens to scratch around in when they're not in the Eglu. There is also a pile of logs for them to climb on, and a rosemary bush as its about the only plant they haven't eaten and killed! However, while clearing out the wood chips and moving the log pile, I've discovered a huge burrow leading up into the Eglu. The ground is really eroded away, and though I suspect it is a rat run, its getting to the size where I think a larger animal could get in. Any suggestions on how to deal with it? I've got a bag of postcrete left over from putting in some concrete spurs to support a damaged fence - but I don't like the idea of just pouring cement into the garden - and the rats could easily then just burrow around it. Another option might be to lift the Eglu, and lay overlapping sections of chicken wire down across the entire base area. Anyone tried this? I guess the final other option is to lay paving slabs under the Eglu - but I'm not sure how we'd secure the 'skirt' of the Eglu if we did that, and I wouldn't want to risk a fox being able to lift it up and get underneath if it wasn't flush to the slabs. Anyone had similar problems, and have a good solution? Many thanks! Dan & Sam (plus Joanie, Margot and Butter, of course!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I used eradibait in the run in little parcels of it in clingfilm with either peanut butter or nutella on the outside - little twists and dropped them down the run - they take them back to the nest and then they die! it takes a while but well worth it. This poison kills from the inside out and does not harm wildlife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Leia Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 We had the same problem with our Eglu Go and run. It stands on a bed of woodchips about 4in deep and they burrowed about 6ft laterally under that (from the field beyond the back wall) to come up under the house. Took the whole thing up, dug it over to collapse tunnels and laid a bed of 1in sq weldmesh down then replaced the run and put a layer of woodchip on top. They haven't got through that, although they probably would with chicken wire. They have tried tunnelling under once since but gave up as they couldn't get up into the run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel.z.cox Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 We had the same problem with our Eglu Go and run. It stands on a bed of woodchips about 4in deep and they burrowed about 6ft laterally under that (from the field beyond the back wall) to come up under the house. Took the whole thing up, dug it over to collapse tunnels and laid a bed of 1in sq weldmesh down then replaced the run and put a layer of woodchip on top. They haven't got through that, although they probably would with chicken wire. They have tried tunnelling under once since but gave up as they couldn't get up into the run. Great advice about the weldmesh - many thanks. Was worried about how hardy the chicken wire was, figured the stuff we had could easily be chewed through by a determined rodent. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I would (and have) lay paving slabs. The skirt sits on the slabs then I have heavy bricks on top of the skirt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
