The Big Rat Diary

[Johnny Appleseed]

Thanks for the feedback on pellets guys - I've bought a tin of Bisley .22 Pest Control pellets. The bait is untouched in both traps so perhaps I just need to sit up with the window ajar and wait ........

The neighbours are already tut-tutting at the tin cans and cotton reels bouncing round the garden as target practice but if I get my way this rat won't see the New Year.

I've been very careful to keep the pellets in my garden so as not to upset the neighbours but knowing my luck the rat will sit in the tree on the fence knowing I can't shoot it in case the pellet goes onto someone elses land.

Can't understand why people get so protective over germ carrying vermin.

I certainly don't want it and its family in my garden.

Anyone fancy some real Ratatouille for the New Year?

[Johnny Appleseed]

Well all I can say is, the catch 'em alive traps are very good at trapping grey squirrels where I live.

All hell has just broken loose in the garden. I let Ella, my 2 year old bitch, into the garden for a quick wee and a few seconds later it's pandemonium.

She has found a squirrel in the trap, which wasn't there at 0700 hrs and is dragging it and shaking it, in the cage, round the garden. She has cut her mouth on the trap door but couldn't get to the squirrel as the bars are too close.

Trouble is - it's not the squirrels I'm after

Squirrels love the peanut butter as well it seems.

I've also sat up with the window ajar and airgun ready for two hours on and off now and still no sign of the big rat again.

I hate to admit it - but the rat(s) are outsmarting me at the moment

[Johnny Appleseed]

Here is the little peanut butter loving beggar

alive and well trying to bite his way through the bars.....

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...used-bait.html

[gojiberry]

I have a continual problem with rats and mice, as my garden backs onto allotments on two sides. Unfortunatly plot holders love to build compost heaps using the boundary fence as one side. I get rats and mice visiting both my shed and greenhouses although not at the same time. The only way I can keep them under control is with poison. It is put down in several secure places and when any disappears it is immediately replaced. Seems to work for me.


Ian

[BrideXIII]

Well all I can say is, the catch 'em alive traps are very good at trapping grey squirrels where I live.

All hell has just broken loose in the garden. I let Ella, my 2 year old bitch, into the garden for a quick wee and a few seconds later it's pandemonium.

She has found a squirrel in the trap, which wasn't there at 0700 hrs and is dragging it and shaking it, in the cage, round the garden. She has cut her mouth on the trap door but couldn't get to the squirrel as the bars are too close.

Trouble is - it's not the squirrels I'm after

Squirrels love the peanut butter as well it seems.

I've also sat up with the window ajar and airgun ready for two hours on and off now and still no sign of the big rat again.

I hate to admit it - but the rat(s) are outsmarting me at the moment

well at this time of year, with all the thrown away food etc, it may have well moved on to a better food source if you are lucky.

[theloon in the moon]

find somebody with a russel / lakeland cross no more rats .

[Eyren]

I've been reading this with interest, since we found rat-diggings around our eglu just before Christmas. The girls were moved onto the patio and all food and water sources removed, and I'm hoping they've moved on.

Re the squirrels, it's a pity you have to dispose of them when you're not actually trying to control them. Maybe this picture will cheer up the squirrel-lovers out there

[deathbysnails]

We've had rats underneath our house and I'm afraid we resorted to poison. Everyone told me (except for an incompetent council pest man) that where there's one there are loads, and my experience would indicate that that's the truth. The poison is horrible, but the idea is that they go back to the nest to die. Given that rats eat their dead, this should hopefully kill off the rest. It's hard to recommend as it's a nasty death, and we also had the stinking corpse and fly problem afterwards, but I found that nothing else came even close to working. Don't know if it's possible where you live, as I guess you might end up poisoning the squirrels, but thought I'd let you know my experiences...

[The amateur]

Poor wee squirrels. Okay you are using the wrong bait, forget what the books say rats adore tomato paste. However they are blooming clever and can quite easily get in eat the bait and get out again.

I have two pet rats who are gorgeous but yeah wild rats are another matter. I found a mouse in our compost bin and made hubbie dig it all out in case there were any baby mice in there - thankfully there wasn't as we just wouldn't have been able to kill them just left them exposed for the local cat to get.

Prevention is better especially if you have an irresponsible neighbour feeding them, keeping your compost wet will discourage them.

I've rally enjoyed reading your posts - very funny although I do love squirrels.

[HeatherH]

Hints and tips

I wish I had found your thread sooner. I too have been battling a rat shaped arch nemasis for the last year. I have taken to watching "verminators" and "Grimebusters" and treating them as useful educational programmes full of useful hints and tips. I now know more about rats than any other animal. Apparently they live in groups and have a territory that can be as much as 100m. They regulaly patrol their territory. They have no bladder or bowel muscles and the urine trails indicate to other rats which way to go and where there is food. I found a hole in my fence with a well worn path next to it leading into a storage bin. This meant I was able to set traps in the bins with snickers to bait it. My success has been sporadic. I can go weeks and find the bait gone but no rats, and then suddenly I'll get two a week for a spell. I have caught a mouse in the last few months, but no rats so I'm hoping I'm now off their pathway. I did recently get a useful tip from Verminators though. When they couldn't set the traps because of pets they used one of the large covered bait boxes. Instead of putting poison in though they put a trap. I have looked at the boxes in B&Q and they do look too small for anything but a rodent. This may save your local squirral population, and give you another opportunity to catch your rodent friend. If there are any signs that my nemasis returns I'm going to try this. Keep going. The satisfaction when one finally succumbs to your plotting and you know it won't be scampering all over your garden is worth the effort. Good luck!

[frias]

I find the blue blocks inside a bait box the best. I have tried traps with peanut butter and chocolate but the rats are too clever to get caught. It's best to bait and then wait for a couple of weeks before baiting again or your just feeding the rats that have already taken the poison.

[Johnny Appleseed]

Closure - for now at least

Not for the squeamish - please stop reading here if easily upset

I let the dogs out late last night for their final comfort break of the day. Usually they run out, have a quick pee on the lawn, sniff around the borders and are back in their beds before Mrs A has finished brushing her teeth.

But not last night. Leo followed his usual pattern but Ella took ages. She would not leave our garden shed. Running around the perimeter of it, sniffing and breathing quickly in her excitement with little yelps of frustration.

I tried offering her a biscuit - no response. I tried a chew stick, her favourite - still not interested.

I went to see what was the matter and grab her. No chance. She just danced away and ran around the shed - nose to the ground. Back indoors for the torch.

The shed in on 50mm square bearers, so I had to lay on my side at midnight shining the torch under the shed to see what all the fuss was about.

We have four bearers and three voids under the shed. Nothing in the first void except cobwebs and snails.

I shone the torch in the second void laying on my side cursing and came face to face with a bloody great rat. He was staring straight at me - his little black eyes looking right at mine. I jumped backwards with horror - not expecting that at all.

I ran back indoors for the air rifle and again had to lay on my side to take the best aim I could 50mm above ground level. The rat was still there as Ella was making sure he didn't get out. The torch showed other things were moving under the shed as well as the rat.

The rat turned from me to face Ella and I couldn't pull the trigger because her face was directly in front of the rat and my gun barrel. She got impatient after several seconds and danced to one side - I fired and it was all over.

The noise of the gun going off at such close range and under the shed made Ella jump and she came running up to lick my face to seek reassurance.

However, the rat was not the only thing moving under the shed. The torch showed at least 2 frogs very badly hurt and trying to move away from the light. One frog had blood all over its face, might have been from shooting the rat, and both were very clearly mutilated and close to death. One had had one lof its back legs chewed off and both were in a very bad way.

Two more shots and they were put to rest.

After all the activity in my pond over the last few days there wasn't a single frog in it last night.

Do rats attack frogs for food perhaps? I had no idea they were interested in frogs as a food source.

Anyway, after months of trying to trap a rat in a garden trap, Ella did it for me. I hope that is the end to it.

I really hate rats. They make my skin crawl

[long pod]

hi i believe rats will eat anythink even humans so a frog is just fair game for a rat
had a big male rat living in my compost bin been after it for two months nealy had it the other day opened up bin and saw its tail going down one of its tunnels blocked of its entrance hole called my spaniel (shes killed rats before) got my fork and stabbed the compost 30 to 40 times thinking i must of got it i lefted the bin up and started to fork the compost into another the rat was just the other side and just waddled not run under some logs and into my neighbours garden.
any way i put a rat trap into the empty bin baited with eating apple and a few bits by it next day the bits of apple had gone so i left the trap alone one day later i looked out of the window to see tess my dog sniffing and wagging her tail around the bin went down opened the lid and the rat had set the trap off and had managed to get free but was too hurt to get away i just put my garden fork through it three times
good bye mr rat its the same one i saw because of the fur missing from its rear end
if you persevere u will catch them its the old buggers that take some catching

[Johnny Appleseed]

hi i believe rats will eat anythink even humans so a frog is just fair game for a rat
if you persevere u will catch them its the old buggers that take some catching

Thanks longpod - I don't think this one was on its own somehow - more of the same ahead I think

[long pod]

hi johnny appleseed
all i can suggest is lay about 6 traps with various baits ive found in the past sweet baits are good for young rats and maybe cooked sausage or even raw fish for the older ones even though i caught mine on eating apple maybe becuase it was use to eating my vegtable waste put some in your shed and some around your compost bins making sure cats or dogs cant get at them maybe against a fence with a wooden board against it so it forms a tunnel i know rats do follow walls etc
regards longpod