Rats!

[stripeyfox]

So, went in to my shed yesterday to get the kids bikes out and noticed quite a lot of rat droppings in there. Closer insepction revealed they have chewed into the shed, through a wooden drawer unit and feasted on the bird seeds and nuts that were in there. Obviously will remove the remaining food but what is the best way to get rid of the buggers?

 

Any experience with traps, poisons etc?

 

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

Are you sure it wasn't the kids?

[Buce]

3 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

So, went in to my shed yesterday to get the kids bikes out and noticed quite a lot of rat droppings in there. Closer insepction revealed they have chewed into the shed, through a wooden drawer unit and feasted on the bird seeds and nuts that were in there. Obviously will remove the remaining food but what is the best way to get rid of the buggers?

 

Any experience with traps, poisons etc?

 

 

 

I'd have thought keeping it free of food would do the trick.

[Crinklyfox]

9 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

So, went in to my shed yesterday to get the kids bikes out and noticed quite a lot of rat droppings in there. Closer insepction revealed they have chewed into the shed, through a wooden drawer unit and feasted on the bird seeds and nuts that were in there. Obviously will remove the remaining food but what is the best way to get rid of the buggers?

 

Any experience with traps, poisons etc?

 

 

I've never had rats in the house but I have had mice in the roof and in the garage.

 

I tried traps in the roof initially but there's a limit to how many you can catch.  I live on the edge of town and fields are close by so I used humane traps and released them into the wild.  Trouble was I didn't get them all and they breed prolifically so eventually I resorted to poison which got rid of them.  There wasn't any food in the roof but there was warmth and shelter and typically I'd get an infestation in October/November.  I've never had a problem with them at this time of year.

 

I found that mice were also nesting in the garage on one occasion.  Again there was no food in there but there was shelter from the elements.  I only found out when one of them died and stank the place out.  I've a load of junk in the garage so it was quite a job clearing it out to find the corpse.  The mouse had got itself stuck and died.  I didn't need to use poison and haven't had another problem since.

[Izzy]

There’s a rat in me kitchen what am I gonna do?

[Innovindil]

3 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

There’s a rat in me kitchen what am I gonna do?

Teach it how to cook. 

[StanSP]

19 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

There’s a rat in me kitchen what am I gonna do?

I'M GONNA FIX THAT RAT THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO

[SpacedX]

 

[Guest the fox]

Just now, Izzy Muzzett said:

There’s a rat in me kitchen what am I gonna do?

Let him cook your food!

 

Edited 26 March 2018 by the fox

[Countryfox]

1 hour ago, stripeyfox said:

So, went in to my shed yesterday to get the kids bikes out and noticed quite a lot of rat droppings in there. Closer insepction revealed they have chewed into the shed, through a wooden drawer unit and feasted on the bird seeds and nuts that were in there. Obviously will remove the remaining food but what is the best way to get rid of the buggers?

 

Any experience with traps, poisons etc?

 

 

 

Go for the extra strong poison ...   can't remember what mine is called but they are blue bait blocks ...   soon zapped the little critters and safe for chickens and dogs ...

[sylofox]

1 hour ago, Line-X said:

 

Playing that 24hrs a day in the shed would do it.

[HankMarvin]

watch the rats documentary on netflix, then burn it it and pray

[Beliall]

[Suzie the Fox]

5 hours ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

There’s a rat in me kitchen what am I gonna do?

Wow and i thought you loved your wife  

[Buce]

5 hours ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

There’s a rat in me kitchen what am I gonna do?

 

https://io9.gizmodo.com/5931901/recipes-for-the-post-apocalypse-how-and-why-to-eat-rat-meat

[Suzie the Fox]

On a serious note i would say get a cat, but mine seems to bring in more and set them free in the house for me to catch  so not such a great plan.

 

If they are getting in your shed through a small gap the cat probably wont be able to follow and then you can use poison. However if you do have a cat and she/he can follow them then poison is not a smart option and you will need to use traps. 

 

 

[ScouseFox]

3 minutes ago, Suzie the Fox said:

On a serious note i would say get a cat, but mine seems to bring in more and set them free in the house for me to catch  so not such a great plan.

 

If they are getting in your shed through a small gap the cat probably wont be able to follow and then you can use poison. However if you do have a cat and she/he can follow them then poison is not a smart option and you will need to use traps. 

 

 

think he made this thread to get rid of the disgusting vermin in his house, not to buy more 

[Suzie the Fox]

17 minutes ago, ScouseFox said:

think he made this thread to get rid of the disgusting vermin in his house, not to buy more 

But but they are free!

 

Actually i don't think i have ever seen a rat that's wild and alive. I remember reading a trilogy of horror books about giant rats that ate people and the thought of seeing one now, just scares me death. 

[stripeyfox]

Thanks for all the answers. Have purchased some rat poison and placed it in the shed. Apparently best to leave the food etc in there whilst dealing with the problem as if they suddenly go back tonight and find all the seed gone and just bait then they get suspicious!

 

Getting a cat - no way! Scouse has it right! In our old house we never had a vermin problem until we brought a cat - he was a killing machine and used to bring in rats, mice, birds, rabbits and even a mole! But he used to let the mice go in the house. Then the dirty bastard brought cat fleas in an I had to have the house fumigated so after that I banned him from the house - making him eat and drink outside and eventually he fcked off to live with a woman a few doors down!

 

Was talking about this at work today and one guy says "don't poison them, get some traps which catch them alive". I said "then what, release them back into the wild" - he says "no, I drown them in the water butt" - yeah that sounds like a much more humane way!
 

[stripeyfox]

7 minutes ago, Suzie the Fox said:

But but they are free!

 

Actually i don't think i have ever seen a rat that's wild and alive. I remember reading a trilogy of horror books about giant rats that ate people and the thought of seeing one now, just scares me death. 

Great books. James Herbert I think "Rats" was first, then "Lair" and finally "Domain". Domain stayed with me for a long time after reading it. Story is about rats taking over after a nuclear attack on London. Really scary, chilling stuff!

 

[Suzie the Fox]

Just now, stripeyfox said:

Great books. James Herbert I think "Rats" was first, then "Lair" and finally "Domain". Domain stayed with me for a long time after reading it. Story is about rats taking over after a nuclear attack on London. Really scary, chilling stuff!

 

Yup they were the ones. Its funny actually, as much as they scared me, and they really did as i was around 14 when i read them i went mad for that author. Read all his books after that.

 

Ty for reminding me  Probably worth another look 

[Turbogre]

Poison is your best option and most humane way, they eat said poison, go back to wherever they are nesting, fall asleep because they are full then have a heart attack, then the other rats will wake up, see that poor little Billy is dead and eat him, obviously then getting the poison in them. 

[Hitesh]

Duct tape and steel wool did the trick at my student house years ago. 

[stripeyfox]

47 minutes ago, Turbogre said:

Poison is your best option and most humane way, they eat said poison, go back to wherever they are nesting, fall asleep because they are full then have a heart attack, then the other rats will wake up, see that poor little Billy is dead and eat him, obviously then getting the poison in them. 

That's a slightly rose tinted view of how rat poisons work. From what I can gather the sort of rat poison you buy in your local DIY store takes around a week to kill the rat and it isn't exactly a pleasant death either..

[woznotwos]

15 minutes ago, Hitesh said:

Duct tape and steel wool did the trick at my student house years ago. 

Gag 'em and abrase them to death ? seems a bit harsh