Rats Rats Rats Advice Please

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Hi all
I am new on here so please go gentle.
We have a small farm of about 300 acres and this year we are over run with rats.
I am looking at getting my ticket to purchase some stronger poison I see LANTRA do a e learning course "Rodent Control on farms" but at the bottom of the page it says "please note this course is not part of a qualification to be a pest controller" but I am not looking at becoming a pest controller just want to thin our rats out and need the certificate.
Could anyone please advise what to do or who to speak to.
Thanks Rob

Some good chat about rats in this thread.
If you’re using blocks loose then they’ll carry them away and probably not get eaten. Use a bait box or wire through them to fix them.
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
I’m not convinced cats are the answer. Our lad ended up with three cats and all they do is kill ducklings off the pond and raid bird nests. What they do catch seems to get caught and released in his cottage so now he has a rodent problem indoors.

his Mrs took a shine to the cats so now I can’t be rid the problem.

the dog chased one under the landrover and knocked himself sparko for five minutes when he hit the diff casing at high speed, poor bugger.

i don’t do cats.
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
Some good chat about rats in this thread.
If you’re using blocks loose then they’ll carry them away and probably not get eaten. Use a bait box or wire through them to fix them.

Or just don’t use blocks. Rats food source is often loose grain.....so use what they are used to and they will eat it. It’s also harder to carry away.
 
We are having a rat epidemic at Mrs Fred's stables. I found the sachets worked quite well at home, but they really loved added peanut butter. We had a lad with a 177 and night scopes and he lowered them but couldn't get them all.
At the main farm, the rats have all disappeared and I have noticed a stoat patrolling round the buildings and I am certain he has lowered them along with the feral dove population in the barn.
We decided to do the online course so I could deal with the stable problem and I found the Mole Valley one for £49 on their website which gives you a Lantra cert. at the end. They do a farm course, or a "Comensal rat" course, which apparently means for rats who live around human habitation. I only asked them about it on Friday, and the lady said do the comensal one as it covers farms as well and is more informitive. I haven't received the email course yet, but will report if it arrives soon. :)
 

Dr. Alkathene

Member
Livestock Farmer
Where are they sleeping & nesting? What are they feeding on? Look for the smeuse they are using and the tell tail rat highways.

Hit them with as many different attacks as you can. Poison, smoker & terriers. Air gun and night vision, barrel traps, fenn traps and if you can set them properly snares.

Tidy up junk they use for cover and fix holes in walls and floors. Remove their easy food source.
 

n.w

Member
Location
western isles
Deprive them of food and water, Ive caught plenty with baited live catch traps, then shot them with an air pistol. please be very careful if you choose to use poison especially grain, and ensure that birds such as sparrows have no access to it. whatever means you use, just get rid of them. sometimes carriers of wiels disease and a strong urge to chew on electric cables..
 

czechmate

Member
Mixed Farmer
We are having a rat epidemic at Mrs Fred's stables. I found the sachets worked quite well at home, but they really loved added peanut butter. We had a lad with a 177 and night scopes and he lowered them but couldn't get them all.
At the main farm, the rats have all disappeared and I have noticed a stoat patrolling round the buildings and I am certain he has lowered them along with the feral dove population in the barn.
We decided to do the online course so I could deal with the stable problem and I found the Mole Valley one for £49 on their website which gives you a Lantra cert. at the end. They do a farm course, or a "Comensal rat" course, which apparently means for rats who live around human habitation. I only asked them about it on Friday, and the lady said do the comensal one as it covers farms as well and is more informitive. I haven't received the email course yet, but will report if it arrives soon. :)


I hadn’t quite twigged that but now you make that comment, yes we have a lot less doves too.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
it's a bit galling when my mate from Bournemouth just goes down to BandQ and buys it without any checkups and he lives in a residential street.

There’s nothing to stop you doing that, or from buying it from MVF, etc. Expect to pay half as much again for a much smaller pack though, which may well be cheaper than paying for a course if you only have a small place, and/or a few rats?
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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