Rat problem - advice?

WILDRESCUE-LIN · #1 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 10:07 AM

I have 7 ex-battery chickens and 5 rescue rabbits, all free-ranging 247 in enclosed pens. Also just volunteered as wildlife rescuer.
I have 2 areas on my land where there is a problem.....

I have stables and an aviary to house wild birds/animals from rescue - and have seen 3 around the aviary - I have blocked up holes to stop them getting in and have 2 humane (monarch rat trap) cages but nothing as yet, will keep tryng that. Not sure if i have the best type.

The main problem is by the chickens and rabbits.
The rats live just outside my chicken enclosure in the undergrowth and a few under the chickens shed. (which i am going to put chicken wire around to stop them living underneath).

I have counted as many as 30, mainly young and a few tiny babies recently. The problem is that when I go to feed my chickens in the morning, they all come out and eat the corn, before the chickens get chance. I will NOT put poison down, I want to get rid of them humanely!!

Any advice?
I realise even if I do manage to get rid of these, others will come in - as food is constantly available. (nothing i can do about that i need to feed my animals!) but it is getting out of control.

Also, one of my rabbits has got a bite on her nose. I saw a rat pinch her carrot and tried to run off with it!!
(Before i get advice about shooting them, i couldnt do that myself - it needs to be a clean, quick kill!!).

healfdan · #2 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 07:12 PM

My son had a similar problem although not on the scale of yours and was advised by a herbalist to soak rags in peppermint oil and place them in areas where rats gained entry. It worked, although I don't know how long you have to keep this up. Also not sure if rabbits will appreciate the smell.
Meanwhile see if you can find someone with terriers to help give the little beggars a scare.
Healfdan

WILDRESCUE-LIN · #3 (**permalink**) 04-08-2010, 10:19 PM

Thanks for that - never heard about that one before, sounds interesting. I will give it a try, might need to buy shares in a peppermint oil company lol

I do think rats are cute and can watch them for hours !! BUT realistically it is becoming a nuisance. I wouldnt mind if it was just a few.... shame someone hasnt invented a contraceptive to feed them that will keep the numbers down.

I feel that nature and all animals have a way of keeping everything balanced - all except one animal - humans. IF we didnt abuse hens in battery cages, I wouldnt of rescued them. IF people with pet rabbits treated them well, I wouldnt have them - so because I do - I am causing the number of rats to increase by the food being available to them !!! After all, the rats are only trying to survive.

I'd better take my philosophical head off now and try and sort out the mess I have caused.
Thanks

Gill Catton · #4 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 08:02 AM

Could you maybe re-home a farm cat or something? Some may argue that's not humane but at least its sort of naturalish you'd be giving a home to a cat that might otherwise struggle to find one.

Farplace · #5 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 08:29 AM

Contact John Bryant Humane Urban Wildlife Deterrence - John Bryant

Humane wildlife control, and an expert on rats.

Cowgirl · #6 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 12:30 PM

Hi & welcome to WAB,

I sympathise with you they are interesting to watch, but they can never keep it to 'just a few' can they? I lost most of my chicks to rats, they chewed up through the wooden uprights to get in.

I'm not sure if this'll work but maybe you can use a rat trap (like a little nipper only for rats) & put it somewhere where your hens & rabbits can't get to like a dark box with some food in. Not sure how humane they are, as rats are bigger, only have experience with mouse traps & they are pretty quick.

You would have to keep emptying it pretty often & moving it around as they're not daft. Or use live traps & take them to someone else to despatch it humanely?

I know neither suggestion is pleasant but otherwise you'll get overrun.

Good luck!

Jonathan · #7 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 07:26 PM

If you're determined to use 'humane' traps then leave the doors open and bait the traps, don't set them until the bait is being eaten.

If you're seeing thirty rats then thats probably bad news as there will undoubtably be more. Unless you know someone with decent working terriers who knows what they're doing then you're probably going to have to get in a professional, who will want to use poison. A mate of mine is a pest controller and does use ferrets, terriers, etc. when required, but guys like him are probably few and far between these days. You could ask them to use traps but it will undoubtably cost you more as it will take longer to deal with the problem.

Once you've got the problem under control I'd buy a couple of Fenn Mk 4 traps:

BushWear: Mk4 Fenn

They need to be set in a wooden tunnel:

How to make a wooden tunnel for a Fenn trap? - The Hunting Life

Set them like this:

Setting Fenn Traps -The Hunting Life

Keep them permanently set and they should pick off any rats that venture onto your property. Rats rarely cross open ground unless they have to so lay the tunnel along the base of a wall, etc. and set them off every few weeks so they don't seize up. The traps should kill rats instantly but you still must check them twice a day.

Cheers
Jonathan

faz · #8 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 07:28 PM

pest cotrol

George Hogg · #9 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 08:36 PM

As a professional wildlife manager I can tell you ,you have too many rats to control by cage trapping.
Also before you have any hope of poisoning or cage trapping any, you will need to devise a rat proof method of feeding your livestock.
If you continue feeding rats,no bait,poison or otherwise,will have any effect.
Also I don't think you understand what what being wild is.
Cage trapping and containing a wild animal is far from humane.
Good luck with your attempts but the simple truth is you will have to stop feeding rats....George

paulinemiller10 · #10 (**permalink**) 05-08-2010, 08:47 PM

I have fed hedgehogs over the years, its not possible to stop rats from taking the food, I made a large shutter trap big enough to let hedgehogs feed too, and a wire tunnel from the large trap to a smaller cage which I use to relocate. you can then catch more on the same night.
The trap can be open all the time with food, rats get used to going in and out, and when you have time to catch them just let the string go, I use ground peanuts or chocolate, they will sit there munching, just let the string go and ratty is trapped, I used to have a lot when I first started catching them, but I found if you catch them as soon as they arrive other rats don't find the scent, I can be without rats for up to a year now, just get the odd one , I used to have ten giant rabbits, doves and feeding wild hedgehogs, I use a live cam to trap them, we used to have fun taking turns who can catch the most in one go lol.
Posting pic of ratty coming in the trap, and ratty caught with the shutter down, the shutter is one thick piece of heavy wood, it needs to drop fast, I also use this trap to catch hedgehogs that may need checking over, I let it down slowly for them. Pauline.