[wolverine]

hi guys long time no post been pre occupied with the new baby.
well the title says it all really we have rats ! I saw one drinking out of the waterer yesterday.
Borrowed a humane trap of my mate and need some advice
The missus insists we let them go when we catch them but that sounds stupid. I'm gonna kill them but what's the least crule way to do it my mate said just put the trap in a bucket of water with a brick on it. I'm thinking more like air riffle pellet head shot.
How do you guys dispose of these little * ?

[Casey76]

If you use a humane trap it is illegal to release it.

I would use an airgun pellet to the head.

Drowning is very cruel as rats are good swimmers, and they would have to be exhausted from trying to keep their head above water before they drowned

[finleyfreyaseth]

cant beleive people want to release these pests, the damage ,disease that they spread,if they drinking water collecting on youre allotment only matter of time before youre toddler could get seriously ill as the rat pee in the water is splashed in youre toddlers face and then into is mouth via is hands,once caught just kill as fast as poss wether by drowning or by airgun just get it killed then burnt!

[wolverine]

I totally agree. the missus doesn't see them as pests as she used to keep pet rats which at the time was the subject of all the arguments in our house. I'm gonna keep the peace by saying they ate released and then kill the blooming things anyway.

[finleyfreyaseth]

totally agree only good rat is a dead rat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kathie]

When we saw rats helping themselves to the chicken food a few years ago, we got 2 cats, problem solved.  The only rats we saw for a while were deads ones.  Cats are still working and often leave little "presents" on the path.

[wolverine]

hummmmmm the trap seems to have been set off in the mornings but it's empty?
Is it possible that slugs can set it off? I'm sure that if a rat did it would not be able to escape.

[hillfooter]

Problem with trapping is it will take a long time to get them all.  If you can identify their runs you can poison them provided it's outside the chx run.  You will need a poisoned bait and a dispenser which is like a long drainpipe with baflles to prevent the spread of the bait.  They will take bait back to their nest and that way you get a lot rather than the odd one or two.

I had a rat problem a few years ago and put poison down and they were gone within a few weeks.  6 months later I was emptying a compost bin and came across a nest of dead rats with around 8 rats in.

Just make sure the bait is outside the reach of your chx and any other pet or child.
HF

[ManicMum]

We are starting to see the annual winter invasion of rats as the fields are harvesrted & geting colder & wetter.

We put down poison in drainpipes under sheds & behind the greenhouse, where rats run and dogs, chx & children don't, but we're seeing signs nearer the house this year.

Has anyone has any experience of the eradibait/eradirat (not sure of the name) which is supposed to be safe around pets both as a primary and secondary poison source?

We'd still be using the same as we've used for years in the inaccessible places.

[Carolf]

Get 2 x Jack Russells     We have field mice round and about (we live on a farm and had them in the house before we got our 2 JR's) but so far we haven't seen any near the chooks or in the house.

[storme37]

shoot them