Rodent problem (1 Viewer)

[Biscuitman]

I have a problem which I hope someone will be able solve.
I have a visiting rat in the garden which has taken a fancy to the seed which ends up on the ground. It also climbs up into the shrubs where my bird feeders hang and eats the fat balls and tries his luck with the nut feeder.
Rat poison appears to be toxic for birds so, any ideas. (barring a gun!! - 'joke')

 

[Andy Lakin]

Traps should work, the newer ones are extremely easy to set as the old metal and wood type always make me nervous. Apparently rats love toothpaste of all things! Be very careful to place any traps where birds can't access them as you would be surprised where small bitds can get in the search for food. Personally I hate killing anything but you can't mess about with rats what with all the diseases they carry.

 

[Georgebirds]

The humane cage traps would probably be a safer approach, they close without doing any damage to the animal, and there's enough room for it to be reasonably happy in there til you come along - that way if you do get a bird by accident, it can be released totally unharmed (I also once trapped a hedgehog, who was FURIOUS about it!)

The one I've got looks like this, it cost about £6 (twenty-odd years ago!) which seems a lot to get rid of one rat, but it's infinitely re-useable - there's no telling how many more little visitors you might get in future, and you can also build a reputation as the chap with the rat trap, and loan it out to friends, relatives, workmates, and neighbours. That is, if they're not put off by the fact you make midnight trips down your garden path carrying a parcel of hissing squealing trapped rat in a cage, wrapped in cardboard for safer handling, to release into some country lane too far away to find 'home', haha!

 

[Biscuitman]

The humane cage traps would probably be a safer approach, they close without doing any damage to the animal, and there's enough room for it to be reasonably happy in there til you come along - that way if you do get a bird by accident, it can be released totally unharmed (I also once trapped a hedgehog, who was FURIOUS about it!)

The one I've got looks like this, it cost about £6 (twenty-odd years ago!) which seems a lot to get rid of one rat, but it's infinitely re-useable - there's no telling how many more little visitors you might get in future, and you can also build a reputation as the chap with the rat trap, and loan it out to friends, relatives, workmates, and neighbours. That is, if they're not put off by the fact you make midnight trips down your garden path carrying a parcel of hissing squealing trapped rat in a cage, wrapped in cardboard for safer handling, to release into some country lane too far away to find 'home', haha!

Hi there and thanks for your reply (and Andys above) What's the best bait to use to bias it towards rodents instead of birds?

 

[AFeather]

I aways stop feeding birds (and clean the feeders) for a week or two if rats appear.

 

[Farnboro John]

Knock up some tunnels from old decking planks or other cheap wood and set kill traps. Do not mess about with rats its not worth it. Be aware that older rats are much more difficult to catch as they are experienced and may be reluctant to even go for bait in traps. Poison boxes cost a bit but are worth investing in for those rats that won't kill themselves in a trap but I eventually also invested in an air rifle: basically any rat investigating my garden meets full spectrum warfare.

"You can't serve papers on a rat, baby sister: you got to kill him or let him be." - Marshal Rooster Cogburn

John

 

[Andy Lakin]

The humane cage traps would probably be a safer approach, they close without doing any damage to the animal, and there's enough room for it to be reasonably happy in there til you come along - that way if you do get a bird by accident, it can be released totally unharmed (I also once trapped a hedgehog, who was FURIOUS about it!)

The one I've got looks like this, it cost about £6 (twenty-odd years ago!) which seems a lot to get rid of one rat, but it's infinitely re-useable - there's no telling how many more little visitors you might get in future, and you can also build a reputation as the chap with the rat trap, and loan it out to friends, relatives, workmates, and neighbours. That is, if they're not put off by the fact you make midnight trips down your garden path carrying a parcel of hissing squealing trapped rat in a cage, wrapped in cardboard for safer handling, to release into some country lane too far away to find 'home', haha!

Personally I would be extremely wary about live traps due to the disease risk iirc rats are continually urinating spreading whatever they may carry. Don't know about rats but when I have used live traps for mice they have occasionally been that stressed that they have died anyway totally defeating the object! As Farnboro John said rats can be extremely wary of baits especially if they have narrowly avoided being caught in a trap. If you do use bait blocks try smothering them in peanut butter or something similar. If you use the bait stations birds are unable to get in. Screwfix do some really good deals on bulk buying traps of different designs. I would recommend buying a few and experimenting where to place them.

Might be worth a try finding the holes it/ they are using and pushing the odd bait block down far enough out of sight.

 

[etudiant]

The humane cage traps would probably be a safer approach, they close without doing any damage to the animal, and there's enough room for it to be reasonably happy in there til you come along - that way if you do get a bird by accident, it can be released totally unharmed (I also once trapped a hedgehog, who was FURIOUS about it!)

The one I've got looks like this, it cost about £6 (twenty-odd years ago!) which seems a lot to get rid of one rat, but it's infinitely re-useable - there's no telling how many more little visitors you might get in future, and you can also build a reputation as the chap with the rat trap, and loan it out to friends, relatives, workmates, and neighbours. That is, if they're not put off by the fact you make midnight trips down your garden path carrying a parcel of hissing squealing trapped rat in a cage, wrapped in cardboard for safer handling, to release into some country lane too far away to find 'home', haha!

Rats have pretty good homing ability. so they may beat you back unless you release them at least several miles away.
The larger issue is that there is seldom just one rat. Food on the ground is an excellent way to attract a colony.
AFeather has the most effective proposal, just stop feeding for a few weeks.
It's summer, the birds won't starve and your rat(s) will take a hike to greener pastures.

 

[Scott98]

The larger issue is that there is seldom just one rat. Food on the ground is an excellent way to attract a colony.
AFeather has the most effective proposal, just stop feeding for a few weeks.

exactly....he's probably not alone. A friend of mine had a whole colony move in under his shed. His yard was littered with black oil sunflower seeds and they moved right in.

Hopefully they haven't built much a colony yet, I would definitely take all feeders down and for more than a couple weeks. My friend did this and by winter the rats were gone. If you can find a hole where they're living, I'm sure digging it up or otherwise disrupting or blocking it would help.

This is the reason I never use bird feeders outside, instead I do gardening with plants that birds use. Wildflower meadow and other plants. Still attracts rodents but it tends to be mice and voles. When I tried feeders & suet blocks I would have raccons and other critters every night, which caused mayhem with my dogs.

 

[Georgebirds]

I'm not going to defend rats, I don't like them either and am fine with whatever level of removal/eradication people apply to them - but the commonly repeated thing about constantly peeing and spreading Weil's disease isn't quite true.
They're not just incontinent and having one never-ending long pee, they go when and where they want to just like other animals (otherwise people's tame pet rats would be pretty disgusting!), the issue's mostly that it gets on their paws and then they tread it around a lot. So yes, they can leave the potentially infectious pee all over the place.
But the big difference between the rumour and the truth is that you can't contract the disease just by touching the rat, or places the rat's been, or the urine. It can only get into your system if you ingest it, or get it in your bloodstream - so don't touch rats or ratty areas then prepare food, or rub your mouth or eyes. Getting it on your skin is safe, as long as you wash your hands.

PS Studied animal health and veterinary nursing and wildlife rehab at college - not just making stuff up here, this is what we were told about the safety of rats and zoonotic disease prevention - if there WAS a risk they'd have had us all in protective gear and reciting the safety procedures off by heart, not just been all 'wash your hands before eating your sandwiches and you're good' about it, hah

 

[Montereyman]

Safest to use a mechanical trap and I would be more inclined to use a "gopher trap" that impales the rodent. Peanut butter works very well as bait and it probably masks any human scent on the trap. Important to take out the entire local rat population and to remove any nesting spots in use like dense ground cover or woodpiles or access to you home.

There is nothing humane about trapping an animal and they releasing it far from your house there it lacks access to food, water, shelter, and other rodents. Where I live it is illegal for this reason and a trapped animal must be killed by drowning or with CO.

In terms of diseases in the western USA there is bubonic plague carried by rodents and animals that feed on rodents, and toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that is often transmitted to humans through cat feces.

 

[Andy Lakin]

Safest to use a mechanical trap and I would be more inclined to use a "gopher trap" that impales the rodent. Peanut butter works very well as bait and it probably masks any human scent on the trap. Important to take out the entire local rat population and to remove any nesting spots in use like dense ground cover or woodpiles or access to you home.

There is nothing humane about trapping an animal and they releasing it far from your house there it lacks access to food, water, shelter, and other rodents. Where I live it is illegal for this reason and a trapped animal must be killed by drowning or with CO.

In terms of diseases in the western USA there is bubonic plague carried by rodents and animals that feed on rodents, and toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that is often transmitted to humans through cat feces.

I have watched a few programmes where people have come down with weird extremely serious medical complaints and have been amazed at what people can catch in North America from the native wildlife! Thankfully in the U.K we have far fewer threats especially of the potentially deadly type!

 

[Montereyman]

One advantage of removing the wildlife with industrial farming so long as one is not downwind or using the rivers for swimming or the water for drinking. Public health officials are relucant to point out problems as they then become targets for ag businesses.

 

[David 66]

Here's a little bit about how to deal with rats. As you're in Scotland the first thing you need to remember is that all wild animals are protected from inhumane treatment, even rats! Yes they are pests and you can kill them but it must be humane so any traps used should either be live catch so you can humanely dispatch the rat or use an effective kill trap. You are allowed to poison them with approved products that are readily available. If using poison it is your responsibility to not "accidentally " poison any none target species or your neighbours cat or dog.If you live catch, then you must use a humane method to dispatch it, this doesn't include drowning anymore. The best way I always found was a 22 air pistol to the head while the rat is still in the cage trap. The thing to remember about discouraging rats is they need three things within their territory to survive. Food, shelter and a daily supply of fresh water. Remove one or two of these and they will move on.

I'm afraid there's no point in blocking or digging entrance holes as they will just burrow around the blockage. I've seen rats chew through concrete floors so stuffing a brick down a hole won't make any difference.
Any way, good luck and I hope you solve your problem.

Atb David.
Ex council pest controller and qualified pest control manager.😃

 

[Biscuitman]

Here's a little bit about how to deal with rats. As you're in Scotland the first thing you need to remember is that all wild animals are protected from inhumane treatment, even rats! Yes they are pests and you can kill them but it must be humane so any traps used should either be live catch so you can humanely dispatch the rat or use an effective kill trap. You are allowed to poison them with approved products that are readily available. If using poison it is your responsibility to not "accidentally " poison any none target species or your neighbours cat or dog.If you live catch, then you must use a humane method to dispatch it, this doesn't include drowning anymore. The best way I always found was a 22 air pistol to the head while the rat is still in the cage trap. The thing to remember about discouraging rats is they need three things within their territory to survive. Food, shelter and a daily supply of fresh water. Remove one or two of these and they will move on.

I'm afraid there's no point in blocking or digging entrance holes as they will just burrow around the blockage. I've seen rats chew through concrete floors so stuffing a brick down a hole won't make any difference.
Any way, good luck and I hope you solve your problem.

Atb David.
Ex council pest controller and qualified pest control manager.😃

Thanks David for that very informative reply. I had decided to use an humane trap anyway and release the rodent a distance away in the wild. However it has not returned as far as I know and I have removed the fat ball feeder which seemed to be it's favourite food. If we do see it return I shall use your very helpful advice to resolve the problem.

 

[Andy Lakin]

Here's a little bit about how to deal with rats. As you're in Scotland the first thing you need to remember is that all wild animals are protected from inhumane treatment, even rats! Yes they are pests and you can kill them but it must be humane so any traps used should either be live catch so you can humanely dispatch the rat or use an effective kill trap. You are allowed to poison them with approved products that are readily available. If using poison it is your responsibility to not "accidentally " poison any none target species or your neighbours cat or dog.If you live catch, then you must use a humane method to dispatch it, this doesn't include drowning anymore. The best way I always found was a 22 air pistol to the head while the rat is still in the cage trap. The thing to remember about discouraging rats is they need three things within their territory to survive. Food, shelter and a daily supply of fresh water. Remove one or two of these and they will move on.

I'm afraid there's no point in blocking or digging entrance holes as they will just burrow around the blockage. I've seen rats chew through concrete floors so stuffing a brick down a hole won't make any difference.
Any way, good luck and I hope you solve your problem.

Atb David.
Ex council pest controller and qualified pest control manager.😃

I can't believe that professionals with the correct licences are still allowed to use glue traps. What are the rules regarding how often checks have to be carried out on any traps wether lethal or otherwise?
Cheers
Andy

 

[David 66]

I can't believe that professionals with the correct licences are still allowed to use glue traps. What are the rules regarding how often checks have to be carried out on any traps wether lethal or otherwise?
Cheers
Andy

Hi Andy,
All traps both lethal and live must be checked every 24 hours at minimum. Unfortunately this does not always happen, as I'm sure you can imagine.

In Scotland a bill was passed in March of this year banning glue traps and quite rightly, I never used them for obvious reasons. Also where kill traps are used the responsible person must be able to show they made all possible attempts to protect non target species. This is where live traps are sometimes a must. Any non target species caught can simply be released as long as the trap is checked very often.
Hope this is of use.
Cheers
David

 

[Andy Lakin]

Hi Andy,
All traps both lethal and live must be checked every 24 hours at minimum. Unfortunately this does not always happen, as I'm sure you can imagine.

In Scotland a bill was passed in March of this year banning glue traps and quite rightly, I never used them for obvious reasons. Also where kill traps are used the responsible person must be able to show they made all possible attempts to protect non target species. This is where live traps are sometimes a must. Any non target species caught can simply be released as long as the trap is checked very often.
Hope this is of use.
Cheers
David

It seems to me that Scotland are often ahead of England when passing laws to protect wildlife.