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Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 5:52 pm
by Beancounter
We've built a home office/craft room/fancy shed type thing in the garden. It now seems a couple of rate have taken occupation underneath. Suggestions on how to deal with them please?
We have two Staffies who will chase/go ape at the sniff of a rat but more importantly who will eat anything including poison. We also don't want to stop feeding the birds which is no doubt attracting the rats too.
We don't have an air rifles and even if we did I'm a shit shot.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 5:58 pm
by Mr. Dazzle
I still haven't heard a good reason to not go with my answer when other people on here have asked.
Establish a population of Cobras.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 5:59 pm
by Le_Fromage_Grande
Let Bob Geldoff be your inspiration
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 6:04 pm
by Pirahna
Beancounter wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 5:52 pm
We don't have an air rifles and even if we did I'm a shit shot.
Practice makes perfect. A cheap scope makes it feel like cheating.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 6:09 pm
by Bigjawa
Know anyone with a ferret?
Failing that, old fashioned trap baited with the cheapest, most oily peanut butter you can find.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 6:21 pm
by KungFooBob
Bigjawa wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 6:09 pm
Know anyone with a ferret?
Failing that, old fashioned trap baited with the cheapest, most oily peanut butter you can find.
Yeah, they might have a Peanut allergy.
At least they're not in the Kitchen.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 6:24 pm
by Bigjawa
KungFooBob wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 6:21 pm
Bigjawa wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 6:09 pm
Know anyone with a ferret?
Failing that, old fashioned trap baited with the cheapest, most oily peanut butter you can find.
Yeah, they might have a Peanut allergy.
At least they're not in the Kitchen.
Far from it, the wee fuckers love the stuff, they can't get enough of it.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 6:25 pm
by jcr
kidnap a few cats. tie them in the garden with enough rope to reach the rats and dont feed them.
i shoot the rats in my garden. modern gas powered air rifles are extremely accurate and easy to use.
i have one of these and would recommend-
https://www.gunmart.net/gun-reviews/air ... ictory-cp2
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 6:27 pm
by MrLongbeard
A couple of little nippers will get it done
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 6:43 pm
by Beancounter
I forgot to mention I'm quite squeamish and think even rats deserve to live - just not in my garden.
I mean, where the feck have they come from? The shed has been up for about 6 months but it's not like they were driving through and decided to stay awhile. We don't live *that* close to a river but there is a football training ground in some open space close by. A few foxes too. More than a few cats as well but they don't venture into our garden since getting the dogs 18 months ago.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 7:13 pm
by Rockburner
Beancounter wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 6:43 pm
I forgot to mention I'm quite squeamish and think even rats deserve to live - just not in my garden.
I mean, where the feck have they come from? The shed has been up for about 6 months but it's not like they were driving through and decided to stay awhile. We don't live *that* close to a river but there is a football training ground in some open space close by. A few foxes too. More than a few cats as well but they don't venture into our garden since getting the dogs 18 months ago.
Rats are everywhere.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 7:48 pm
by Mr. Dazzle
I'm the same with mice...where do they come from?
Never seen one 'round here but now I have cats they're everywhere.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 7:59 pm
by Mr Moofo
Bait boxes - you can buy them off Amazon, they "lock" and poison put inside. The dog / fox/ wildebeest won't be able to access it. Commonly used outside food factories etc.
And re the Staffies -put a couple of bricks on the top
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 9:00 pm
by Mr Nozzle
Chicken wire at the bottom of the shed
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 9:06 pm
by Sadlonelygit
Rat poison is usually warfarin, which is used as a blood thinning agent in humans, so unless your dogs eat a pound or so of it, they'll be grand!
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 10:09 pm
by DefTrap
Poison seems to keep them at bay but the feckers seem to eat a lot of it, so you never quite know whether it takes a lot to kill one or if you just have a lot of vermin.
Traps more satisfying allow you to actually see what you're getting, but it's not very pleasant.
Re: Rats
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 10:20 pm
by Scud
We have chickens and live out in the open, rats are always about.
I use the wax blocks of poison, they have a hole through them, I then screw them to a length of wood so can remove them and they can’t be moved by the rats to somewhere the dogs or chickens may get them
Re: Rats
Posted: Wed May 15, 2024 7:32 am
by Felix
Lots of Peppermint spray. Apparently Rats and Mice hate it. I had mice living in my camper bus when the rain was bad and used the peppermint spray what sent them packing over the first weekend. Been spraying it every now and its been a few month sine i seen any sign of them.
Re: Rats
Posted: Wed May 15, 2024 8:19 am
by JackyJoll
Beancounter wrote: Tue May 14, 2024 5:52 pm
We also don't want to stop feeding the birds
Then you’ll have to be content with a chronic vermin problem.
Re: Rats
Posted: Wed May 15, 2024 8:29 am
by Pirahna
I'll just leave these here:
https://www.daileisure.co.uk/crosman-2250-ratcatcher
https://www.airgun-parts-shop.co.uk/
The air gun parts chap is still shipping, he posted my parts yesterday.