[Dabhand]

Hi all, I must say, I keep my garden tidy, and yet I have got a rat.  I have a log cabin which I use as a soap making workshop and I think it must be living under it.  when we built it we made sure there was enough air flow to prevent damp in the timbers, it is built on a sand bed and slabs.  We have thought about putting some sort of mesh round the bottom on the cabin but to be honest I don't think this will be enough to deter it.  It comes out at night and feeds on the bird table which is high off the ground. Incidentally, I store the bird seed in sealed containers in a different shed so there is no attraction there.  I am reluctant to put poisoned bait down as we have badgers, hedgehogs and cats from the neighbouring farm.  (Yes I know the cats are lazy, they should get the rat!)  I haven't got my chickens yet as I am still gathering info etc.  I dread the thought of setting one of those dangerous traps.. What else, if anything can I do?

Thanks
Dawn

[muntjac]

get warfarin coated seed and use a proper rat station tray

[Dabhand]

Ah, that sounds good, where would I get the seed and station?

Thanks Muntjac, you're always on the ball!!

[muntjac]

animal food supplies and hardware stores mate make sure you get the pipe stations not the box ones .small birds can get to te box ones , if you have some old down spout make ya own ,.cut 30 inch lenghts n put the poisin sachet in the middle the pipe  

[Dabhand]

Right so it'll kill him quicker than a rat up a drain pipe lol.......

Off to search for some warfarin coated seed.

Cheers Muntjac.

[muntjac]

no probs  

[hermon]

my chicken run is next to my 4 compost bins and there is a mouse / rat living in there who tunnels under to eat their food at night, am i being lazy as i don't want to get up every morning at 5 to put their feed and water back in. also the minute they see me they make a racket so its best to leave them, i shake the bins to disture them and fill any holes in soon i will cover the floor area with small holed weld mesh so i don't have the same problem next year. after reading bad hygiene attract them i now feel embarrassed :oops:

[Des C]

Don't rely on cats. They will rarely tackle a rat if they can kill something easier. If you can find where the rat is nesting, use a ferret to shift it. Block up as many exits from under the shed and net the gaps. We use tin cans opened at both ends with a stocking or leg of tights (not our own!) attached. As soon as the rat hits it just twist it and stamp on the *.
It's also fun to use a couple of terriers instead of nets.

(Don't really like poisons)
Des C

[Zak the Rabbit]

It comes out at night and feeds on the bird table

so you can see it? perhaps you could borrow an airgun off someone or get someone with one to come around, and shoot the *


i always find a shot rat dont do much diggin'

[spud]

I thought I was being smart and I didn't put any bate out for the rats this autumn, trying to save a few bob.....

I hadn't seen any signs of infestation, but I was guiding the wife in her car into the garage few nights back and she shouted at me that there was a rat behind me...ahh surely I said in reply and glanced over my shoulder...just in time to see 1, 2, 3, 4 further rats running up a shelf in the corner....well I could have.....myself, they were the biggest, meanest looking blighters I've ever seen. I had a real bad nights sleep!

I've now bated the stations twice and used almost 2 kg of poision, but they've stopped eating it so I'm hoping that the ones I seen are now departed.

I'll be keeping the stations topped up from now on....not something to be skimping a few bob on...

Buy bate that is blue in colour, its a more modern poision than the red coloured stuff.

Best Regards,