Ratting Advice Please?

[Scallywag 78]

My friends has a rat problem. The back wall of their garden consists of a tall stone built buttress (about 15 ft tall) at the top of which is a road, then more hill going up. They have a shed and chickens against the wall and a thriving colony of rats visiting both. They wanted to avoid using poison and asked if my terrier might help but looking at it, I guess the rats are living deep in the hill side (and all the drains etc that are in there) and would be hard to smoke out - but I don't know about ratting so this may be quite wrong. Is there anyone here who lives near Halifax, West Yorkshire and who would be willing to come and have a look and help out? They can remove the chickens from the area and if anyone fancies a bit of ratting you'd get tea and gratitude as well as hopefully a bit of fun!

[Rory4 267]

Im sure you will have loads of offers if you were bit closer I would come help

[young man 225]

get some one with ferrets and f**k them down the holes wait with the dogs and bam

[Britishbull24 131]

Alot of the Plummer Lads live up your way pal. There aint many situations those boys cant get around.

[trenchfoot 4,243]

get Tamba and pie on to the case!

[whippet 99 2,613]

when i get a call for rat problems im very sceptical,for example people say they got hundreds when looked at havent got many, and people who say there isnt many weve had treble figures, so firstly i go meet the customer let them show me the problem so then i tell them to get a good idea on the rodent numbers i come at night on me todd with a lamp no dogs or guns ,this is when there most active and pay attention where there travelling too and from, and where they hold up to eat (this is usually through holes- short tunnels under fences and rubbish). then when ive established where there holes are where there nesting and the routes in which there travelling to there food source. i then make a decision of the best way of controlling them. certain places there better off being controlled at night with dogs(putting boards down on runs when there out feeding in the grain stores is effective) but you dont want too many bolting at once. try and get twos and threes to bolt as theres nothing worse when aload of rats run out and half of them get away.

stone walls are a bit of a night mare you would be wasting your time trying to smoke them as firstly walls are well arriated and secondly they will travel massive lengths inside the wall, so ferreting it wont be over productive. but the bonus of stone walls is they have to travel to feed , so you can have a plan at night to trap there exit. different methods suit different jobs you need to assess the situation and work out the best way if you get it right its a good feeling and your name will spread .

when using dogs whever your digging to them , drawing through rubbish or machinery let the dogs do the work , alot of people get too excited and get in the dogs way and alot of rodents get away. more often than not rats will share the same exit , when out feeding and what ever method you are using its important to leave things as they were even if its just rubbish, some farmers are a breed of there own. ( god i cant wait to go back to work, im so bored). good luck

[Moll. 1,793]

Good advice above.

If there are lots of rats you will be able to see their runs. Plan ahead, place corrugated sheets or boards down and place food underneath for a while so the rats get used to going to it to feed. Then one night quietly go and block the entrances to the sets/escape routes/runs. Hopefully when you lift the boards there should be rats underneath with no-where to run to. It will take more than one visit, but as it is a pals place it should not be a problem....and the dogs wont complain about having to go back again

[Big bald beautiful 1,231]

yep, travelled miles to a rat infested place and got there it was spotless, no food and no running water.

dogs marked one old slab and got a mouse.

they had seen hundreds and then removed all the rubbish and cleaned up

[b53hunt 15]

im in halifax pal i can help you out pm me

[Scallywag 78]

Many thanks for taking the time to give such good advice - I've learned a lot just from reading! b53 I'll pm you tomorrow with contact details and a bit more info, when I'm not in a rush.