Killing Rats - Traps Aren't Working

[Adamo]

I have a rat problem, I've only seen one but I have rat sh!t in 3 buildings and the other day, I heard gnawing under my bedroom floor - lifted a board, rat sh!t there too

I don't want to use poison - the last time I did I had a stink and a plague of flies for months in my previous house and I'm not keen on poisoning up the food chain

I've watched loads of videos, caught thousands of mice but have never caught a rat despite many traps. I have tried both commercial and water barrel etc

There isn't any animal feed within 150m admittedly there are some fruit trees, hedges with nuts / berries etc

House is fairly modern and I've just found where they're getting in. They've gnawed through the edge of a flat roof then through my composite roof panels

Unfortunately, no way I can rat proof the buildings. They're old, mostly wooden and I also have a problem with rabbits digging under all of them

I'm against cruelty to animals but I'm at the stage where anything goes

Has anyone got a trap / method that works ?

 

[ollie989898]

Glue boards. Keep checking them, you'll get them.

 

[Danllan]

Glue boards. Keep checking them, you'll get them.

Not a legal option now.

Edit: not from April...

 

[bluebell]

cats? No ideal solution wish there was, lifestock, means food, food source means rats simple, you never totally eliminate rates, just keep them under control?

 

[Adamo]

We had cats left for us when we moved in but my dogs scared them away

The annoying thing is that there is no food other than from trees and plants

 

[bluebell]

Not trying to appear to be a know it all, but mans relation ship with cats, re rat control, i think im right goes back thousands of years, to the egypt and the pharoys, excuse spelling, with cats held in high esteme as rat contol in granneries, here in england cats again were highly valued and regarded for rat control?

 

[john432]

Poison the buggers.. better a bit of smell than being infested.

 

[Adamo]

I'm not doubting that cats are good for keeping mice and rats at bay.

However, cats aren't stupid either and after running for their lives on multiple occasions from my dogs, they decided they'd have a better life at a nearby farm

I got the dogs after a neighbour was attacked by four men in balaclava's to steal her Range Rover

Although as I don't have a Range Rover perhaps, I should have rethink

 

[ISCO]

For years we had plenty cats and they worked a treat. One or two now died and rest aging and we seem to be fighting a losing battle. Young cat introduced but not working yet.
Using a lot of poison which is l helping. Son's mates now come around with air rifle and night vision which has helped a lot. Intend getting another couple of farm cats this year.

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

I've caught no end since harvest in fenn traps, just needs a bit of homework to understand their foraging routes.

First job is to reduce habitat wherever possible and remove food supply if you can.

 

[nelly55]

Cats,or bicarbonate soda and icing sugar.

 

[michael N123]

.243

 

[milkloss]

.243

Might be a tad expensive though.
Good way of drilling through some
H-iron….

 

[farmer99]

I have trapped for many years using Fenns.I always set them with disposable gloves as any odd scent will put them off also as was said ,study their runs and clear food sources away as best you can. When you set the traps (Fenn) set the bait plate as close as you can to tripping as when new the springs are very tight and young rats may not trip it.Keep the traps down for sometime to get the rats used to them -they always go in in the end!

 

[ollie989898]

Man with night sights and a bottle air rifle sat up on some bales will get a lot of them overnight. Every farm should have a collection of men with firearms operating on it.

 

[steveR]

Man with night sights and a bottle air rifle sat up on some bales will get a lot of them overnight. Every farm should have a collection of men with firearms operating on it.

And Wimmin.... (said my daughter!!)

 

[solo]

I’ve got a couple of elusive rats which won’t touch bait or traps. Unfortunately for Roland the .410 gave him lead poisoning last night. I’ve been searching for several days with a lamp before spotting him yesterday.

 

[HarryB97]

Air rifle with thermal/night vision

 

[Bucks Boy]

Sounds like you’ve got the wrong sort of dog. Get a good Jack Russell. Had one years ago, jump straight in the grain pit. 10 dead rats in a minute.

 

[Adamo]

I was hoping for some old farmers trick, looks like there isn't one

I'll try a fenn trap - I've just been using the traditional "big mousetrap" type

I have a variety of guns - but I never see them