Thinking of buying a pet ferret for a rat problem?

[tommydog 0]

I have a small croft and have a periodic rat and mouse problem in my attic. I know the solution is finding out where they are getting in, but thats proving very difficult with a 200 year old stone cottage. I can catch mice all day long, but the rats seem to be a lot more intelligent and won’t go near the traps. I absolutely refuse to put poison down.

 

Correct me if this is a crazy idea, but I was thinking about getting a ferret and letting it live in the attic. Is this a bad idea? How trainable are they, would they bite through cables and cause similar damage to rats?

 

Also anyone know anything about rat behaviour. Would the ferret have to hunt down every single rat, or would a ferret picking off a few rats be enough for the rest of the rats to bugger off? Would the smell of a ferret be enough to deter future rats from coming into the attic, or am I always likely to have a problem unless I can find out where they are getting in?

 

I did think about getting a ratting dog or a cat, but I don’t think they would be much use up there, as they seem to be hiding under the floor boards and there is no way a cat or dog could get under there.

[The one 8,467]

Stick to your traps they will work 24/7 the problem is your giving them food and shelter break the cycle get them moving about and the traps will work 

 

[patterdale 673]

How about using a couple of trail cameras to monitor suspected entrance points?

[wildman 487]

Ferret  won't chew cables, don't  have  incisors  that are  constantly  growing  like rodents  have, but  keeping one lose in your attic ,not a good idea  ,Ferret s are proper  escape  artists  and  will  find a way  out  ,but you  could  let one roam about  up there with  a collar  an a leash keeping  your  eye on him smell would  soon put rats of and Ferret  would indicate  where  rats are getting  in , all the  best 

[terryd 8,385]

Forget ferret and rats don’t tend to worry about there smell.  Maybe air rifle and night setup or stick with traps I would say 

[Bredbeddle 0]

     I think this is probably a very good idea!

     Put a ferret in your attic and seal it up. I'm sure you won't have a mice/rat problem anymore.  I mean, at the very most, you're out one ferret.  And who can get too attached to something that smells like a gerbil... 

     I say don't feed him so he's hungry and if you still have a rat problem after 2 weeks add a cat named Schrödinger and never look in there again. 

     Let me know how it goes beceause I just told my girlfriend she should get rid of the squirrels in her attic the same way....

 

Bredbeddle 

[Franks dad 857]

18 hours ago, Bredbeddle said:

     I think this is probably a very good idea!

     Put a ferret in your attic and seal it up. I'm sure you won't have a mice/rat problem anymore.  I mean, at the very most, you're out one ferret.  And who can get too attached to something that smells like a gerbil... 

     I say don't feed him so he's hungry and if you still have a rat problem after 2 weeks add a cat named Schrödinger and never look in there again. 

     Let me know how it goes beceause I just told my girlfriend she should get rid of the squirrels in her attic the same way....

 

Bredbeddle 

Ex girlfriend by now probably, so I wouldn’t worry about her squirrels 🐿 

[DIDO.1 22,637]

No you can't turn ferrets loose in your loft for squirrels or rats you absolute mentalists .

Find out how they are getting in and if that's beyond your capabilities then find someone who can. And no a ferret won't indicate entry points. 

Try looking at drains