Rats

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

My cat, the Mighty Hunter, regularly leaves bits of critters outside the door for me .... over the past two days I've gone out to find two rather large rats lying out there :sick: He doesn't seem keen on eating them, usually leaves the bottom end for me to tidy up.

 

Should I be concerned that there are obviously rats round my house? This is the first time he's brought them home. There's a lot of bush out behind my place, and a dirty brook, so I'm hoping that's where he's got them and not closer to the house. I've never had to worry about rats before

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Go to the Living Off The Land section. I've posted something in there about rats around fowl pens. I'd direct ye attention to the concept of 'Perimeter Protection'.

 

That brook is the first place I'd be looking, if ye called me in. But then I'd likely be explaining that, yes, there are rats breeding there. But that I can't exterminate " Every rat in the world ". I'd go on to explain that I use that term, 'The World', to express the wider enviroment, beyond your own property.

 

Wrapping all this up in a sound bite for ye? One or two Signalled Tunnel Traps would form an excellent and permanent early warning system that they've begun their march Into ye own space. That'd be when ye should be calling a Professional in.

[MATTI 34]

The cat will help keep the number's down, along with Ditch's advice you'll thin them out but probably not get them all.

P.S. Get your bush trimmed.

[nelson 0]

Got to agree with Matti, last thing you want is a stinking brook surrounded by un kept bush :sick:

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

Very funny fellas .... I assure you my bush is in good order.

 

Thanks for that advice Ditch. Mighty Hunter left yet another dead body outside the door yesterday afternoon It was rather larger than the others as well.

 

I think I'm going to have to get someone in to deal with the dirty fiends. The only other time I've had any experience with them, they were in the loft of a house I stopped in for a couple of months, so I had them all poisoned and then moved out. Can't really do poison this time tho .... not with the kids here. I assume it'll just be traps then?

[Rolfe 2]

Very funny fellas .... I assure you my bush is in good order.

 

Thanks for that advice Ditch. Mighty Hunter left yet another dead body outside the door yesterday afternoon It was rather larger than the others as well.

 

I think I'm going to have to get someone in to deal with the dirty fiends. The only other time I've had any experience with them, they were in the loft of a house I stopped in for a couple of months, so I had them all poisoned and then moved out. Can't really do poison this time tho .... not with the kids here. I assume it'll just be traps then?

Just a thought.........you have one hell of a ratter there........could someone be using rodenticide already to control the rats......hence you may be being brought rats already dead or rats caught being very nearly dead?

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

Very funny fellas .... I assure you my bush is in good order.

 

Thanks for that advice Ditch. Mighty Hunter left yet another dead body outside the door yesterday afternoon It was rather larger than the others as well.

 

I think I'm going to have to get someone in to deal with the dirty fiends. The only other time I've had any experience with them, they were in the loft of a house I stopped in for a couple of months, so I had them all poisoned and then moved out. Can't really do poison this time tho .... not with the kids here. I assume it'll just be traps then?

Just a thought.........you have one hell of a ratter there........could someone be using rodenticide already to control the rats......hence you may be being brought rats already dead or rats caught being very nearly dead?

 

I doubt they're dead Rolfe - Alf doesn't 'do' dead stuff. He usually loses interest in whatever he's munching shortly after it stops twitching, which is why there's usually just a bit eaten. He must think I really like rodent guts It's a thought tho .... guess I better ask the neighbours just in case. But, if they were full of poison, wouldn't he be ill?

 

 

get a nooski effective so im told

or failing taht a tunnel trap of some kind

 

Will wtf is a nooski?

[Rolfe 2]

I doubt they're dead Rolfe - Alf doesn't 'do' dead stuff. He usually loses interest in whatever he's munching shortly after it stops twitching, which is why there's usually just a bit eaten. He must think I really like rodent guts It's a thought tho .... guess I better ask the neighbours just in case. But, if they were full of poison, wouldn't he be ill?

 

 

I doubt he would be ill even if he devoured the entire rat............there would be too small amout of rodenticide in a rat to

worry about i think. BUT. that is if it is normal 0.005% rodenticide......be aware there may be other substances out there, it never ceases to amaze me what some folks still keep in their sheds, But don't be alarmed.......the chances are there is nothing at all to worry about.

 

Rolfe.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

LG; I suspect what Rolfe's driving at is the simple fact that domestic cats who may prove willing to tackle a fully grown and fully active adult rat are actually few enough and far between. A few grams of House Mouse is one thing. About a pound of Brown Rat in good condition is quite another.

 

However, a rat who's sampled a modern anticoagulant bait will, in a short time, become disorientated, debilitated and generally extremely vunerable. They'll creep out in broad daylight and act somewhat irrationally. In a word; Sluggish. That, I too suspect, is when any cat would find their spasmodic, slow movements of greatest interest. They'd - the rats - also be incapable of much resistance, if any. Easy prey.

 

I'd suggest ye slip a plastic bag over ye hand to lift these 'offerings' and then simply tie the bag off and dispose of them through the normal chanels. I.e The dustbin.

 

Point still remains though that, even if someone nearby is having 'Their rats' dealt with, it's unlikely that the Controller is concerning himself with any attempt to wipe out the entire population of the wider enviroment. That would likely be a job for the local council and not something they'd be in any heated rush to be taking on.

 

So it's really back to square one, ye see? Ye have rats in the vicinity. They'll likely end up actively encroaching onto your property. Prepare to meet them head on and then keep further incursions at bay.

 

Industry reports eminating from uk idicate that the growing rat problem isn't about to go away. Like solar induced skin cancer; The only way foreward is to recognise the threat and deal with it on a personal basis. My own 'Hero', Mark Hovall, was reccomending this approach back in the 20's. Perhaps if more people had listened then ye wouldn't be in the state we see today?

 

Still; 'Forewarned Is Forearmed'. But it's really down to the individual taking responsibility for their own situations, I'm afraid. From what I'm hearing, the councils are becoming, if anything, less and less willing to deal

 

Ye cat's giving you a message there. So am I.

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

Gee Ditch, always the eloqent bearer of great news lolol. Cheers for all the advice, I'll deffo contact somebody about them.

 

Unless there's anybody on here wants to come and sort it for me

 

They're not full grown rats, adolecents for sure - but rats nonetheless. Eugh. The kids found the latest dead body .... thankfully they didn't touch it!

 

Why can't he just stick to regular mice and the odd shrew?

[pointer 543]

this year saw more rats than usual in my area.thats around the allotments that back onto the corn fields.fenn traps sharp start getting to grips with them though.live catches work ok with dumb little uns.

i usually catch around thirty after the crop comes down..................this time round it was fifty.

 

not a huge amount for a farm but too many in a small area.still,the job is now done.other people were putting poison down aswell as the council and i hear it was effective in some places.

 

me,ill kill them in the traps.i kill a rat or two either with the dogs or gun most nights from farms but i hate the bloody things around my own property and livestock.

 

it dosent help when well meaning neighbours but out a loaf of bread to feed the birds every night,all year round.but you cant tell some people............ive even come back from lamping trips to see rats and on two ocassions a fox eating the so called bird food.

 

i love fenn traps and enjoy catching rats in them.its quite addictive.................