Rats

[Rye]

Rather trap them or use an air rifle if you have a garden with suitable back stops & ensuring that you are at least 50ft from a public right of way (to stay away from the grey areas of the law.)

Best tip for shooting them is to spread peanut butter on a brick so the rats can't run away with the bait. Spend a few evenings doing this and you should get some good numbers with an air rifle.

[Hedgehoggy]

Originally Posted by htcdude

We put down 2 traps at night, in the morning they are both usual tripped AND the bait gone

I've just posted the following reply on another thread re rat traps, but thought I'd repeat it here too:

Snap traps are indiscriminate, and placed outside in your garden will not just trap the intended targets. Hedgehogs are able to squeeze into incredibly small spaces, and unlike rats, they’re not highly suspicious of anything new – in fact they’re more likely to investigate it as a possible new food source. Hedgehogs will be attracted to the bait used in traps, including chocolate, peanut butter and any other tempting treats.

There have been many reported cases of hedgehogs being caught in rat traps in gardens, and those are just the reported ones. Some hedgehogs have been rescued from the traps while still in-situ, others have been found wandering around with the traps still attached to their (by then infected) limbs, or snout. Some of the injuries are so horrific that most of these cases result in the hedgehog having to be PTS. A hoglet will be killed outright by a rat trap.

It makes me question how many of the presumed ‘dog/fox attack’ cases, where the hedgehogs present with a ‘chewed’ missing limb, are actually the direct consequence of rat traps placed in gardens.

Hedgehog caught in a rat trap | National Anti Snaring Campaign

DISTRICT: Hedgehogs caught in rat traps (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

[htcdude]

Originally Posted by Rye

Rather trap them or use an air rifle if you have a garden with suitable back stops & ensuring that you are at least 50ft from a public right of way (to stay away from the grey areas of the law.)

Best tip for shooting them is to spread peanut butter on a brick so the rats can't run away with the bait. Spend a few evenings doing this and you should get some good numbers with an air rifle.

Where do I get an air rifle from!?!




@Hedgehoggy:
Thanks for the info. I did think about this before setting the traps. There's no way a hedgehog could get into our garden, it's solid brick and concrete all the way round and of of anything digging under it.

Nige

[Rye]

Originally Posted by htcdude

Where do I get an air rifle from!?!

Friend, colleague, family? Lots of people have air rifles knocking about. Trust me it's the best method of taking rats and you get a good idea of numbers that have been taken.

Then again it's not for everybody but it's certainly a valid method of pest control.

[BloomingMarvellous]

You don't need any of the above. You just need to find their food supply and remove it. Once you've done that the Rats will move on.

[STYRBJORN]

One real advantage of shooting is that it is selective. You don't shoot at hedgepigs or mouses and you pick up and bury the corpi delicti. If you do go that way though, PLEASE practise on paper targets first. Air rifle pellets quickly drop below the point of aim and are very susceptible to wind-drift. Any shooter will tell you "If you can't get a clean kill don't take the shot." The last thing you want is to wound your quarry and have it crawl off to die in agony - even a by-our-lady rat.

Also, note the point about backstops. Where will the pellet end up if you miss? Lobbing pellets into next-door's back garden is criminal trespass!

That said, if you give it a go - welcome to the ranks!

Ric

[htcdude]

Originally Posted by BloomingMarvellous

You don't need any of the above. You just need to find their food supply and remove it. Once you've done that the Rats will move on.

We've stopped feeding the birds and moved rabbits to in-laws so hoping they will move on and not continue to use our shed as their base!

One real advantage of shooting is that it is selective. You don't shoot at hedgepigs or mouses and you pick up and bury the corpi delicti. If you do go that way though, PLEASE practise on paper targets first. Air rifle pellets quickly drop below the point of aim and are very susceptible to wind-drift. Any shooter will tell you "If you can't get a clean kill don't take the shot." The last thing you want is to wound your quarry and have it crawl off to die in agony - even a by-our-lady rat.

Also, note the point about backstops. Where will the pellet end up if you miss? Lobbing pellets into next-door's back garden is criminal trespass!

That said, if you give it a go - welcome to the ranks!

Ric

Don't worry, if I was to go down that route I would definately practice first! There's a few 'rude boys' who hang out up the road

If it doesn't die the first time you hit it surely you can just walk up and give it another one?

Nige

[STYRBJORN]

Originally Posted by htcdude

If it doesn't die the first time you hit it surely you can just walk up and give it another one?

Nige

Depends. If it drops then yes, coup-de-grace at point blank range but they are tough critters and a wounded one could crawl into a hole to die. Go for head shots.

Ric

[Sherlockonian]

Originally Posted by BloomingMarvellous

You don't need any of the above. You just need to find their food supply and remove it. Once you've done that the Rats will move on.

Not true. Our house was empty for 2 years. We don't usually keep food and water in the loft. They go up there because it's warm, dry and there is nest material. None of which I can do anything about.

[STYRBJORN]

Oh yes you can!

1.) Set fire to the house
or . . .
2.) Buy a JRT.