We don’t use snap traps for rats, for reasons I’m not writing on here about, but we just find the rat holes and pour the bait in then cover with a slate, keep putting it in until the bait is still left there and when it hasn’t been taken the rats are dead.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
We don’t use snap traps for rats, for reasons I’m not writing on here about, but we just find the rat holes and pour the bait in then cover with a slate, keep putting it in until the bait is still left there and when it hasn’t been taken the rats are dead.
and so's every other rodent of at least five species within a half mile radius plus any birds of prey or carnivores that took them.
Control what you feel you have to control it's your property but try to avoid poisons.
Incidentally if you haven't seen one of these threads before watch this....there are some right rabid nutters who seem to think killing rats with prejudice is the most important thing ever. I started a similar thread recently and one poster said I effectively was not fit to be a parent because I didn't poison my rat!
I don't like poisoning animals and am aware of the dangers to other wildlife, especially raptors. However I have not yet found an effective alternative ... as a member of a farming family and a former smallholder now living on the edge of Broadland I'm also very aware of the problems rats can cause if uncontrolled.
Have you found an effective and humane alternative to professional baiting?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Dave 125 said....Incidentally if you haven't seen one of these threads before watch this....there are some right rabid nutters who seem to think killing rats with prejudice is the most important thing ever. I started a similar thread recently and one poster said I effectively was not fit to be a parent because I didn't poison my rat.
that was me, I will take full credit for that, I assumed seeing as you didn’t mind rats running around your garden peeing everywhere that you didn’t have any children, I said nothing about you being a bad parent, just couldn’t imagine you had any.
I love the way you call our resident extremely clever doctor (Punkdoc) a rabid nutter.
Dove, silly girl have you forgotten this? of course there’s an effective alternative ?
Most people using this site are reluctant to kill the creatures that share their gardens, particularly when doing so endangers other creatures. There are difficult choices to be made in all these things and the value to you of your crop or your ornamental plants may be a deciding factor. However, I think health has to come first and rats are a danger to health - and that of neighbours too. Farmers often keep cats, terriers and guns to help deal with rats, but poison is the most effective method for most and used properly, should not harm other, more desirable wildlife. In my experience, dying rats usually hide away and are not available to be eaten. The right sort of containers for the bait don't seem to attract a wide range of animals, either. Incidentally, Madpenguin, Hursts have just the thing you want.
Peter Salanson - get yourself a détaupeur from your local garden centre. Very effective but you do need to be careful when setting it as pet cats and dogs will want to sniff and inspect and can get a surprise. I used it to great effect in my Belgian garden but, once we got a dog, had to hide it under a bucket. So far, in this new French garden, I haven't needed it as the mole is much more restrained.
As for rats, there were some when we moved here 15 months ago but I put down poison and we've had no problems since. All bird food is kept in closed bins and so are my seeds. We've also got a good ratter in our terrier and 2 young kitties, one of whom is turning into a demon mouser.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Brilliant posts from Obi and Posy, I‘ve never seen a dead rat either, they go underground.
Theres no danger of rats going extinct, if no one ever killed them it would be like it was in the past when they just took over the streets and spread disease,
I have seen rats take mice/voles, birds, and the last one we had came out and attacked a squirrel eating the bird food.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Sorry for the delay, here's my alternate solution;
Not ideal and truth be known it rarely works. Still if I was to listen to the wierdo brigade (ooooh you've got a rat, call the army, I've seen rats kill cats, you'll die if you get within 3000 miles of it's wee, my Great Grandad was killed by a single Rat breathing on him) I wouldn't have a Brown Rat.
Oddly enough neither me nor my family are as yet dead. Are we ok to make plans?
Posts
We don’t use snap traps for rats, for reasons I’m not writing on here about, but we just find the rat holes and pour the bait in then cover with a slate, keep putting it in until the bait is still left there and when it hasn’t been taken the rats are dead.
We don’t use snap traps for rats, for reasons I’m not writing on here about, but we just find the rat holes and pour the bait in then cover with a slate, keep putting it in until the bait is still left there and when it hasn’t been taken the rats are dead.
See original post
and so's every other rodent of at least five species within a half mile radius plus any birds of prey or carnivores that took them.
Control what you feel you have to control it's your property but try to avoid poisons.
Incidentally if you haven't seen one of these threads before watch this....there are some right rabid nutters who seem to think killing rats with prejudice is the most important thing ever. I started a similar thread recently and one poster said I effectively was not fit to be a parent because I didn't poison my rat!
Last edited: 19 December 2017 17:05:14
I don't like poisoning animals and am aware of the dangers to other wildlife, especially raptors. However I have not yet found an effective alternative ... as a member of a farming family and a former smallholder now living on the edge of Broadland I'm also very aware of the problems rats can cause if uncontrolled.
Have you found an effective and humane alternative to professional baiting?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Dave 125 said....Incidentally if you haven't seen one of these threads before watch this....there are some right rabid nutters who seem to think killing rats with prejudice is the most important thing ever. I started a similar thread recently and one poster said I effectively was not fit to be a parent because I didn't poison my rat.
that was me, I will take full credit for that, I assumed seeing as you didn’t mind rats running around your garden peeing everywhere that you didn’t have any children, I said nothing about you being a bad parent, just couldn’t imagine you had any.
I love the way you call our resident extremely clever doctor (Punkdoc) a rabid nutter.
Dove, silly girl have you forgotten this? of course there’s an effective alternative ?
https://youtu.be/54SosvLnCvU
Most people using this site are reluctant to kill the creatures that share their gardens, particularly when doing so endangers other creatures. There are difficult choices to be made in all these things and the value to you of your crop or your ornamental plants may be a deciding factor. However, I think health has to come first and rats are a danger to health - and that of neighbours too. Farmers often keep cats, terriers and guns to help deal with rats, but poison is the most effective method for most and used properly, should not harm other, more desirable wildlife. In my experience, dying rats usually hide away and are not available to be eaten. The right sort of containers for the bait don't seem to attract a wide range of animals, either. Incidentally, Madpenguin, Hursts have just the thing you want.
Peter Salanson - get yourself a détaupeur from your local garden centre. Very effective but you do need to be careful when setting it as pet cats and dogs will want to sniff and inspect and can get a surprise. I used it to great effect in my Belgian garden but, once we got a dog, had to hide it under a bucket. So far, in this new French garden, I haven't needed it as the mole is much more restrained.
As for rats, there were some when we moved here 15 months ago but I put down poison and we've had no problems since. All bird food is kept in closed bins and so are my seeds. We've also got a good ratter in our terrier and 2 young kitties, one of whom is turning into a demon mouser.
Brilliant posts from Obi and Posy, I‘ve never seen a dead rat either, they go underground.
Theres no danger of rats going extinct, if no one ever killed them it would be like it was in the past when they just took over the streets and spread disease,
I have seen rats take mice/voles, birds, and the last one we had came out and attacked a squirrel eating the bird food.
Sorry for the delay, here's my alternate solution;
Not ideal and truth be known it rarely works. Still if I was to listen to the wierdo brigade (ooooh you've got a rat, call the army, I've seen rats kill cats, you'll die if you get within 3000 miles of it's wee, my Great Grandad was killed by a single Rat breathing on him) I wouldn't have a Brown Rat.
Oddly enough neither me nor my family are as yet dead. Are we ok to make plans?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.