[moomintroll]

Hi all
We have had several sightings of a rat recently, hanging around and trying to get into runs of one of our coops. Also been in my garden shed, which I keep my feed bins etc in. I hang the chicken feeders from the roof beams of shed on night time, out of rodents reach. Today I have bought a rat bait station and bromadialone rat bait and set behind feed bins. I always make sure shed floor is free of feed etc.

I have made sure my outdoor cat cant get in the shed, but I am wondering about the rat bait now. How quickly would rat die after eating the bait? Would they die in bait station, or go off and take several hours to die?

I am concerned about my cat eating dead (poisoned) rat, and how harmful this would be

Thanks 

[sunshineband]

Rats tend to die in their burrows after eating the bait. It is not instant death.

We used rat bait in our garage winter 2011 as we had quite an infestation, that obviously died out eventually (took about 3 weeks  ) There were a lot!!!

Never saw one dead rat and the cats didn't find anything either

[moomintroll]

Thanks Sunshineband.
I know the box states to keep all animals away from the actual bait, but it doesn't state if harm comes to animals which may eat the poisoned rats/mice. It surely would have to state this if it posed a big risk.

So hopefully rat will eat bait, go off to burrow to sleep and die in there and not just die outside.

Eeeh i'm a worrywart when it comes to my cats and chooks 

[sunshineband]

You're not alone, there  

[Mum2mj]

We had the council round last year because of rats who assured me they go off somewhere to die & you never see them.  Unfortunately the biggest, nastiest rat decided to drop dead under a (tiny) tree on our lawn, it was disgusting and I had to get rid of it 

[moomintroll]

Thanks Mum2mj

I'm sure they will go off never to be seen again. I might just keep my cat indoors for few days, just incase. She's never eaten a rat, and i'm sure she wouldnt eat anything she hadnt killed herself, but better safe than sorry 

[moomintroll]

Update~

I set the bait trap up yesterday afternoon, and filled both clear tubes to the top with the bait. When I checked this morning, one tube had dropped bait by about an inch and was loose bait in end of trap. Checked again a couple of hours ago, and the other tube has also dropped by about an inch.

I was told it would be 3 or 4 days before a rat would use it 

I'm just wondering if he has eaten enough to kill him, or whether it'll take another couple of feeds?

[Tony H]

A rat /mouse will normaly die in there hole they store a lot of the food so may not die straight away  if a rat does die in its den the others will eat it  and die themselves, I couldnt use poison as i live by the side of the cannal ind a small brook which has water voles in it and i didnt want to acidently poison them so had to live trap them, wow what a size some were.

[moomintroll]

Sounds lovely living next to a canal Tony. I have a river at the bottom of a bank near my garden too but knowhere near where I have the bait trap set up (in my shed).

My poor cat is desperate to go out now, but I really dont know how long to leave her in for. I dont think she would eat anything she hadnt killed herself, and like you and the others said, they'll probably die in their burrows.

I'm just quite pleased the rat has started using the bait station straight away. Shouldnt take too long to get results 

[Dopey113]

You can get a no bait trap (electric) it will kill about 20 rats on one set of battery's and of course you dont have to then worry about cats and dogs eating it, when animals (rats and mice) are sick they go to where they know its safe, in there burrows, they die there, if the burrow is under the shed, then you'll find it will stink for a bout a week until it has rotted away, again with an electric trap, you would then just have to dispose of it, have a look on ebay for one (about£20) and youtube, and see how they work, Its a very clean kill and no suffering

[moomintroll]

Thanks Dopey113, i'll have a look on ebay