gavclojak Posted January 12, 2016 Author Share Posted January 12, 2016 Haven't a clue how close they live together I'm afraid. Googled it and came across way too much rat info for my liking. That's hilarious because I thought about googling it but I want to pretend it isn't happening.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkirk25 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 I have the same problem - the rats tunnel under the hutch of the Eglu and then eat the chicken food. I spent £50 a week on rat poison for 2 weeks and the blighters ate it daily but still keep coming back. My guess is that there is a huge number in a block of flats nearby and they are foraging far and wide in the cold weather. Now I move the run every day. For the last week we see rats occasionally but at least they are not tunnelling into the hen run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 Funny enough last night was the first night I didn't see them. I have added an extra 2 bait boxes and will see if that has an impact. I'm not convinced they have eaten enough from the one box they have been visiting to do any harm as only 2 blocks have been eaten...ahhhhhhhhh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 Please help! I need some reassurance...its been a week and four days and I have for ur bail boxes out. Two inside the enclosure and trip outside. I have only had takers for one box and that was for the first two days but nothing since. The rats are still happily visiting despite covering the food area in ground sanitiser every night and not seeing or leaving any any food/water out! Getting desperate now! Should I leave well alone, move them, cover the bait box with something to tempt them in? Change the bait??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I don't know the answers to your questions but can see from where ratty has been in my run that only one feeder has been chosen, so maybe they do prefer one bait station to another. Hopefully they will eat enough bait and die soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I'd leave it all alone if I were you, it is usual for it to take about 3 weeks for them to go, longer if there are lots of the little blighters! Just make sure the bait is topped u pm all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 I'd leave it all alone if I were you, it is usual for it to take about 3 weeks for them to go, longer if there are lots of the little blighters! Just make sure the bait is topped u pm all the time. Thank you. I will leave well alone, it remains topped up as they are not eating any unfortunately:((( I will give it another couple of weeks and then I will have to call in the big guns aka "the terminator" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 Still no takers, I have tried painting the bait with peanut butter, I have left alone and not touched for a while, I have moved them next to a hole under the tool storage....I have not seen them in the enclosure for the last few days but I have seen them running along the front trying to get in and I fear it will not be long before they break the perimeter fence. Time to try a different bait or call in the ''TERMINATOR?'' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Could you try mixing some chicken pellets into it ? I hope you get the rat soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 We too are suffering with rats this winter. I have two bait stations which they seem to have taken bark chips into but not eaten the bait, although I haven't looked for about 5 days. The stations have been down for three weeks now. We have been removing the food every night but they have still been tunnelling in to take a look. I found a dead mouse in the garden but the eats remain unmoved. Some are living under our summerhouse, and some in a compost bin which we plan to move tomorrow. It had mesh under it but they had found a way around it, the same has happened with one in our front garden too. They do a good job of turning the contents over but this is no reason to allow them to stay . I haven't actually seen them but there are plenty of tunnels and holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 Funny enough I didn't see them for a night or two then night before last saw it just sitting there on one of the roosting logs I have in the enclosure and I swear to god he flipped me the middle finger in defiance I sought advice and I am "apparently" doing everything right. I have four bait stations I have changed the bait but still nothing....I have now escorted to a nasty looking trap that I will try over the next few days.....as soon as I block a hole the chew another in the sides or top of the enclosure that isn't corrugated...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Still waiting to catch ratty in my trap too. I guess the good thing is that we haven't seen any evidence of him either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 The rats aren't taking my bait, I am getting fed up with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Strangely the food has gone down again in the rats favourite grub but there is no evidence at all as to how he got in. I'm hoping the girls have been extra hungry and I hadn't filled it as much as I thought. Have set up a spy camera inside the run so we can see what goes on in the run at night time ( I got the camera for my birthday last week ) . Been wanting a camera for ages but not for watching rat features in my run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 If I hadn't seen them I wouldn't have known they were getting in, I have had tunnels. I have a cube inside a massive enclosure so it is a tad more difficult to see where the point of egress is. I can honestly say there is no access to the enclose via gaps but they chew through the very top part that is covered with thick fruit net. I have not seen them for a few days and have noticed next door, where I suspect they have been living, have moved stuff around the garden so they may have had the nest disturbed? I only ever saw them when I popped the back garden light on and caught them unaware...gosh I actually hate them as it's become a war of attrition!!! It's me or them...save yourselves I hear them shout!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Well the camera showed no sign of rat entry, just 6 little faces appearing down the ladder at 6.45 am. We are going to leave the camera in for a few more days just to see if anything is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 I think I spoke too soon.... There he was in the enclosure last night taunting me....he is not taking the bait so the 'Big cheeses super trap' is going out tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 Is that one of the nasty ones ? Make sure you bring it in before the chickens wake up in the morning. Still no sign of ratty on my camera so I'm pleased about that, but I'm sure he is lurking somewhere in the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 Is that one of the nasty ones ?Make sure you bring it in before the chickens wake up in the morning. Still no sign of ratty on my camera so I'm pleased about that, but I'm sure he is lurking somewhere in the garden. Yes it is one of the nasty ones in afraid:( I have to let the girls out so I remove the trap first thing...nothing has happened yet but it's only been out one day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Nothing wrong with using a nasty trap gavclojak. I was going to use one before in the run but was really worried that I might forget to bring it in. I hope you get the little blighter and soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 Well no wonder I haven't had any takers in the trap, I forgot to set it, it was open and locked so it didn't snap shut even if anything did happen to take the bait. What am I....a wholly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Probably better that way they are now used to it an think it's OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Probably better that way they are now used to it an think it's OK. Funny enough that's what I was thinking...still an empty trap this morning despite evidence of them getting in again ( bite hole in the fence) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 thats not good. When we had them we used Eradibait and wrapped it in a little cling film with peanut butter inside and out and dropped it down the hole they were using and in the compost bin - they died and did not come back. Then we had another lot years later- I bought bait boxes and put them where they were running to get to the eglu - the hopper we used pushed food out the back and the rats were getting that - My husband sorted that and they ate the bait and lo and behold never to be seen back since then. The hopper was my way to go and i had to rat proof the bird feeders by putting a cover over them ( small round plastic tub) so the rats could not slide down and help themselves so again they have disappeared for the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
