Potential rat problem

[Gooner 143]

Well two weeks ago whilst in the garage or saw a small rat/mouse run across the floor, so set a couple of fens left it 2 hours and inspected only to find one had gone off but no victim.

I thought it was a mouse i saw, so set some mouse traps. in the morning mouse traps had been set off but no victim.

Well later that evening i saw 2 full grown rats, so told the kids to remove all fishing groundbaits and store in plastic tubs, feeling confident now that there was no food source i was sure to catch. Still no joy.

Called a mate who came round and said that the gap under the front of the garage door was a large and that they probably came in from there, he left me some Tom Cat Blox.

Put five of these down and over the next couple of days the blox disappeared, also caught one grown rat in a fenn and one small one in a springer.

Last Friday told my youngest (17yrs) to move his bait bucket as i was going to use the air rifle and see if i could shoot any, well imagine his suprise when he opened it up and out jumped a young rat, this ran and hid under the shed.

I then looked around the garden and noticed a run going underneath a garden storage box towards the decking, so lifted one of the boards set a fen and put in more blox, these went and i could see from the direction that a blox was left they were going next door.

I decided to place a live trap at the bottom of the garden near the shed, and a rat springer and fenn under the decking.

Well yesterday at mid day i noticed the door on the trap down and there was a small rat, dispatched this and was hoping that was it.

This morning another small one in the trap one in the springer under decking.

The poison in the garage has now not been touched for 4 days, so i think all have gone. But outside i am not so sure. I have three ferrets which get a run out every day in the garden they go under decking, have no acess to where the poison or traps are because of cross beams, do you more experienced guys think that i will get more?

I have thought about wiring some poison so that they can not run away with it and are forced to eat it in position.

Sorry to bore you all with the facts.

Should i get in a professional the missus is nervous?

Any advice welcome.Thanks

[Guest ROUGH COATED]

Make sure there's no food source about and give it a good clear out' Let the ferret's have a good mooch and ask your neighbour to have a mooch as well and make sure he deal's with the problem if there in his yard aswell.

[Matt 160]

OK, Get a professional in. (I would say that, wouldn't I, lol).

 

You may have an underlying drainage problem, or something else that only the trained professional eye will see.

 

First port of call should be the council. They offer free or subsidised treatments for residential properties (although they are not legally obliged to do so).

 

Still want to go it alone? Fine. Before you go any further, find out how they got into your garage so that you can stop the problem re-occuring. Any blocks you use should be fixed down, as rats will carry them off for later consumption. If you've been using them 'loose', carry out a thorough search for them, because they've a habbit of 'turning up' just where you don't want them.

 

The most important thing is to find out the source of the infestation, and then look at reducing the conditions that are conducive to infestation; junk, overgrown areas, spillage of food, bird feeding, broken or damaged drains, ponds, poorly drained areas, rubbish, etc etc.

 

Make sure any bait you use is placed both where the rats are likely to want to eat it, and also where it is not accessible by birds, other animals etc. I would advise against block formulations due to the ease that they can be moved. MOST IMPORTANTLY of all, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE LABEL! It's not printed for no reason.

 

If you are trapping, set the traps at the wall/floor junctions, and again, make sure nothing else can get caught.

 

There are two physiological factors that you need to understand to control rats. The first is that they are neophobic, which means that they have an inbuilt fear of anything new that appears on their territory. The second is that they have something called kinaesthetic memory, which means that their muscles remember the 'way home' (that is important when you are trapping).

 

All in all, I always advice the same thing. Don't feck about with the health of your family and livestock when it comes to rats. Get a professional in if you can, and follow the advice they give you.

 

There are plenty of 'armchair experts' on here who will tell you all about their fantastic success at dealing with potentially life threatening vermin; ignore the lot and get it properly sorted.

[120-2 8]

First port of call should be the council. They offer free or subsidised treatments for residential properties (although they are not legally obliged to do so).

 

Our council offer a rat service only to pensioners and benefit claimants, everyone else has to go private. They sub-contract the rat control service out to a local pest control company.

[furdy 0]

Just to add a little something if I may....

 

The baits you buy for general use need to be taken over a few feeds to be effective. Over a short period their use stops the production of the vitamin K1 within the body. If a lethal dose over several feeds isnt taken, which can be the case with inconsistant or haphazoured baiting, the rat will learn to avoid the baits altogether and make future control more difficult.

 

Calling in a pesty first could prove to be the most cost effective thing to do.

 

Hope you get rid of them mate.

[dogdigger 45]

hi mate

 

being an ex-pest controller yes i would advise you get someone in

 

BUT if you do decide to go DIY then get yourself throw bags this way the bait stays safe until the rat opens the bag it's self

even better are wax blocks in rat boxes these are boxes with a hole in each end the bait is safe in side.

if you use loose bait put it in shallow trays up against the walls away from any other animals or birds in tunnels is best

shake the tray to flatten the bait then you can see if the rats are using it every day fill up the trays and shake flat until you see

no sign off the bait being eaten

 

neosorexa supper rat bait is the best ( but please be safe and use it right)

 

OR buy a patterdale!!!!!!!!

 

good luck

 

dogdigger

[stormyboy 1,352]

hi mate

 

being an ex-pest controller yes i would advise you get someone in

 

BUT if you do decide to go DIY then get yourself throw bags this way the bait stays safe until the rat opens the bag it's self

even better are wax blocks in rat boxes these are boxes with a hole in each end the bait is safe in side.

if you use loose bait put it in shallow trays up against the walls away from any other animals or birds in tunnels is best

shake the tray to flatten the bait then you can see if the rats are using it every day fill up the trays and shake flat until you see

no sign off the bait being eaten

 

neosorexa supper rat bait is the best ( but please be safe and use it right)

 

OR buy a patterdale!!!!!!!!

 

good luck

 

dogdigger

 

 

 

Bait boxes are one of the safest ways to bait,but are often avoided due to the aforementioned neophobia. They are best used as permanent stations-i sell quite a few to customers who have recurring problems.

[prontopestcontrol 0]

I have to say i totally agree with Matt, it aint worth messing with the potential health of family and pets. I've seen way to many people buying diy products and or taps placing them in areas that are way too accessable to non target species or don't follow the instructions to the letter and wonder why tiddles the family cat is laying stiff in the garden. This is the point they normally call the professionals in and end up paying way over what they would have done by calling us in , in the begining. Atb

[Gooner 143]

I would just like to thank everyone for the advice given.

I checked the garage and found that there was a rainwater drainthat had a plastic grill, this had been bitten through replaced this with a cast iron one and ensured it was a tight fit.

Wired some poison to the rafters supporting the decking outside and sure enough it was slowly being eaten,then for two weeks nothing then i noticed rat droppings under decking and could see that some of the poison was in next doors. so went round to see him and i also informed the council.

Decided that i would set a fenn under the decking and bang got one the next day.

When the council pesty came he had a good look round and said that i had actually done more than what they would do, not allowed to set fenns!

Went round to see the neighbour, not in so pesty left calling card and wrote that the service was free.

Now just need to see what happens, any way thanks to all for the sound advice.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Some excellent advice from the pros as expected .Hope you get sorted soon mate .Nothing worse than rats keeping the dogs awake!