Rats in my compost heap!!

[organic]

Liza - I was going to mention that too.
My aunt's terrace has an on and off rat problem. She called the council who - after loads of feet-dragging, put the word about that the daft neighbours who left food out for animals really should stop for a while and then the rat men put poison down.

She too was told it was "humane" but also reports seeing them bleeding from the eyes and young ones constantly pawing at their head/face.

It sounded absolutely brutal to me.


Choice number 1 would be a Jack Russell. I saw a video of a couple of them ratting on a farm and I've got to say I can't think of a more humane way for a rat to be killed without getting into high powered air rifles and a good aim. In about 2 minutes they'd killed every rat in the barn and while it looked incredibly brutal - the speed was incredible and the kill as sure as I've ever seen.

Choice number 2 would be a kill trap... though there are potential issue for non-target species.

After hearing my aunt's story and Liza's confirmation I don't think I'll ever get rid of rats with poison.

[Liza]

My other concearn is that we have three pairs of kites.

[womble]

The problem with trapping rats, is that they are clever and difficult to trap, that's why people use poison. Having dogs is all very well, but they actually have to get to the rats.

I was working in my garage the other day when I found two half rats (just the rear half) under my motorbike :being sick smily:
Next day a whole one there, next day a youngster on the lawn, I picked that up and disposed of it, when I walked back, blow me if there wasn't the cat sat there with another one!............. looking at me with beady eyes. So I hit it with the spade, end of rat.

I wish I knew where the cat was getting them from, it's not my shed which is the usual place, because I've had poison down there all winter.

[bobleponge]

I also have wildlife in and around my garden, absolutely loads of different sorts of birds and beasts.
My explanation of my rat problem was very simplistic. I had tried traps, smoking out the holes, various other recommended ways of getting rid, but where they were in my woodshed they were inaccessible, and they ate all of my winter saved squashes
Poison was a last resort, I am aware its not a quick death, they bleed to death internally I believe, not pleasant but with young grandkids and a large pond I wont take the risk of either the kids being bitten when they run about in my garden (unlikely but possible) nor of getting Weils disease from the pond (equally unlikely but again possible).
I now no longer have a rat problem, and that was my primary concern.

[lindyloo]

they say that if you see one rat, you have a hundred!! i am not a fan of killing any animal, but in the case of rats, best to harden your heart and put some poison down. i know from experience that if you dont nip it in the bud on first sighting, it escalates rapidly; 2 years ago, i opened a folded horse rug, and there were a nest of little finger sized pink things in it, which fell out onto the cold wet cement- it was a foul, pouring with rain, cold day. even suspecting what they were, i could not bring myself to kill them, and so kindly wrappped them back in the rug, and put it back where i had found it---- stupid, i know!!! sure enough, later in the year, i had sightings of 4 sleek and glossy young rats, who showed no fear of me whatsoever- they had probably imprinted me as a friend from birth. these rats plagued us for a year, and seemed immune to poison, and they finally seemed to dissapear last summer, with my nieghbor and i putting out poison and traps continually.

i did not see any bleeding from the eyes or blind, thank heavens- just some lying down shallow breathing. i thought warfarin thins the blood? they just weaken and die, quite rapidly, so i was told. the bait which we used was neox- something or other, from countrywide stores.

however, since finding my favorite hen dead, pulled headfirst through a hole which had been chewed in the henhouse floor, and on lifting her out, finding that her head was gone, i have no sympathy whatsoever for the little bas (kets!!!!) so i say , poison them, and dont trap them to let them out elsewhere, poison them to kill them. sorry i know that sounds hard.

also , they do , as previous posters have said, cause desease- weils, and leptospyrosis, both very serious, and which can lead to death, also severe complications such as meningitis, and blindness.

to end my post, could some one tell me about the safety of rats walking or urinating in the vegetable plot: does the vegetable get any contamination from the soil?

[organic]

Liza - kites as in birds of prey? A risk for your poultry?
Am I wrong in thinking that making sure the chooks have somewhere covered to escape to should be enough? Possibly not, but thought I'd ask.


As for poison, I can see there being times where it's the way to go, but I'd have thought deadfall traps would be just the job for rats. Nothing so complex as a live-capture trap or anything like that... just a heavy stone held up and some bait. Thud. Dead rat.
The one concern there is non-target species.

I fully appreciate the arguments re winter stores, kids and so on - I suppose in that case I'd be more inclined to lay poison.

These things never quite as simple as I'd like them to be.


I look forwards to hearing any responses to LindyLoo's question regarding rats on a veg plot... if there are any.

[womble]

Kites, because they are a scavenger and they may pick up the dead poisoned rats. Although most rats I have found, die in their holes.

Deadfall traps must be one of the worst traps you could use, you are going to kill anything that goes under it.

[organic]

Ah ok - didn't realise the kites bit was connected. Sorry about that.

I wouldn't use an open deadfall - something closed in and baited would do the job. I've not thought it out but it'd be possible to bait it for rats and have them work a bit to get in - it's less likely Mrs Tiggy-Winkle will wander in.

[flighty1]

hi guys if you want to get rid of ratty without poison or any worries about birds of prey picking up dead carcases your only options are terriers/shooting or trapping. Trapping is easy, quick & humane (if killing can be humane) You need to get a couple of fenn traps (or similar) & set them somewhere the rats use such as against a hedge/wall. Dig out an inch of soil so that the open/set trap sits flush with the ground. Place the trap in the dug out but keep the safety catch on. with a stick carefully press trap plate so that the trap goes off but the jaws are prevented from closing by the safety catch. This ensures the trap is kept locked tight. Now you need to build a tunnel around the trap out of bricks etc. You MUST ensure the trap is far enough inside the tunnel to stop inquisitive cats etc getting their paw inside to set it off. Now just leave the set trap for a few days so the rats get used to it & actually start to accept it. They will walk over it if placed correctly. OH puts a dusting of soil on the plate so that when he lifts off the top of the tunnel he can see foot prints on the locked trap. Once roland starts to use the trap its just a case of resetting the trap & carefully adjusting the treaddle plate to a light setting. VERY carefully remove the safety catch (use a stick) & replace the tunnel lid. Hey presto job jobbed. You must check traps daily preferably twice. Once you have caught number 1 just reset & start again. Finally if there is any chance of hedge hogs etc using the same run as the rats simply push a couple of sticks into the ground at each end to narrow the entrance so that he cant get into the tunnel.

the rat bait lindylou is refering to is neosorexa. there are others on the market such as tomcat These can safely be used in proper baiting stations or the blocks simply pushed down the holes & then block in the hole the rats eat the bait below ground.

A deadfall trap ie just a heavy stone held up and some bait. Thud. Dead rat. Is not something I would reccomend as its a bit heath robinson & not as far as I am aware a legal humane trap. please be careful as there are only a limited number of traps legally allowed to be used.

Unfortunately there in no nice method of killing anything but if done correctly the target species be it a rat or whatever should be treated with respect & despatched as quickly as possible & suffering kept to an absolute minimum. If you can't shoot/trap properley don't try it. Call in the pest control people or get somebody who knows what their doing to show you how its done.

[Liza]

hi guys if you want to get rid of ratty without poison or any worries about birds of prey picking up dead carcases your only options are terriers/shooting or trapping. get somebody who knows what their doing to show you how its done.

Exactly, my JR kills them in under a second and they don't even know whats coming, they are bred to kill without being injured themselves and do it very swiftly by breaking the rats neck with no suffering.

By way of a warning please DO NOT let your dog attack a rat unless its a breed that's for that purpose, I have a friend who lost her boxer from a rat bite.

[Liza]

Liza - kites as in birds of prey? A risk for your poultry?
Am I wrong in thinking that making sure the chooks have somewhere covered to escape to should be enough? Possibly not, but thought I'd ask.


As for poison, I can see there being times where it's the way to go, but I'd have thought deadfall traps would be just the job for rats. Nothing so complex as a live-capture trap or anything like that... just a heavy stone held up and some bait. Thud. Dead rat.
The one concern there is non-target species.

I fully appreciate the arguments re winter stores, kids and so on - I suppose in that case I'd be more inclined to lay poison.

These things never quite as simple as I'd like them to be.


I look forwards to hearing any responses to LindyLoo's question regarding rats on a veg plot... if there are any.

Red kites as in birds, my chooks are in the back garden being guarded by my JR and cat from hell !

[Liza]

I am not against any pests/animals/food being killed/culled but what I really hate is suffering of any living creature no matter what species it is .

[Liza]

to end my post, could some one tell me about the safety of rats walking or urinating in the vegetable plot: does the vegetable get any contamination from the soil?

Probably no more than mice, cats or pigeons urine/poo

[womble]

Red kites as in birds, my chooks are in the back garden being guarded by my JR and cat from hell !

Kites are scavengers and the chances of them getting at your chickens are minimal at best.

And if it makes you feel any better, my chickens and ducks have been out in our garden for 8 years, under kites the entire time. And not one problem. We haven't got a dog either, nor wire covering them.

[Liza]

I am not worried about the kites and my chooks !

What I meant was the Red kites being scavengers, possibly eating the dead poisoned rats at the lottie !