Help with rats please!

ChrisBarrett7

I have a huge fear of rats and today I discovered one in our shed where we have our dryer, freezer, turf, oil tank etc. We have put down poison but it doesn't seem to do the trick, it just ends up with me seeing a dead rat and going mad haha. How do we keep them away? I've heard of jack russels and traps but it's not having them dead that I want it's keeping the feck*rs away! Far, far away! Any help would be appreciated (y)

Roadtoad

Keep using the poison. Nail it to boards, tie it with wire inside 2-4 inch pipe pieces. That's why there's a hole in the middle of the tablet. Have a fair few places in and near the shed. Keep restocking the 'missing' tablets. Keep the emotion and fear at bay, they can smell it, and know they have you on the run!

ChrisBarrett7

Roadtoad wrote: »

Keep using the poison. Nail it to boards, tie it with wire inside 2-4 inch pipe pieces. That's why there's a hole in the middle of the tablet. Have a fair few places in and near the shed. Keep restocking the 'missing' tablets. Keep the emotion and fear at bay, they can smell it, and know they have you on the run!

Cheers for that, but what's the reason for nailing it to the boards? Not sure if the fear can be kept at bay; am considering spending the rest of my days in a hot air balloon

Oryx

If you know someone with a ferret having it snoop around or spreading its urine is meant to deter rats. No idea if it works.

BorneTobyWilde

Rat cube poison. They can carry that back to the mansion to kill the kids.

ChrisBarrett7

Oryx wrote: »

If you know someone with a ferret having it snoop around or spreading its urine is meant to deter rats. No idea if it works.

Worth a try, sound!

BorneTobyWilde

You could drown them also. Just use a normal black bin, fill 1/4 with water and add something tasty. Put a plank up to it. They can't help but jump in. They won't be able to get out and drown.

ChrisBarrett7

Sound for the replies but has anyone used them electrical devices that supposedly keeps them away?

Allyall

They didn't work for me.
I was told after, that they are only good at deterring them from arriving. If they are already there, forget it.
Scary, but (allegedly) once a rat has found a place, it leaves a urine trail that other rats can follow up to 3 years later.

I heard the ferret urine/pellets method too but didn't know anybody with a Ferret.
Caught 3 or 4 in traps :eek: Over last Winter, and Poison was going missing, but didn't seem to do much.

In the end, I got two cats. I am not keen on them, but they are a billion times better than eventually waking up with a Rat in your kitchen..:eek::( I feel a lot less freaked about the rotten little feckers now.

Pretzill

The problem with poison, you poison not just the rat but anything that may potentially feed on it - owls, birds of prey, domestic pets...either way trapping or poison they will come back.if whatever is attracting them remains.

Food, old furniture, warm places to hide and things to rip up. But normally they are near to a food source, compost, or bins.

Having said that none of us are ever too far from a rat - just wash your hands anytime you come back in from the shed - not all carry weils but it's better to be safe.

ChrisBarrett7

Allyall wrote: »

They didn't work for me.
I was told after, that they are only good at deterring them from arriving. If they are already there, forget it.
Scary, but (allegedly) once a rat has found a place, it leaves a urine trail that other rats can follow up to 3 years later.

I heard the ferret urine/pellets method too but didn't know anybody with a Ferret.
Caught 3 or 4 in traps :eek: Over last Winter, and Poison was going missing, but didn't seem to do much.

In the end, I got two cats. I am not keen on them, but they are a billion times better than eventually waking up with a Rat in your kitchen..:eek::( I feel a lot less freaked about the rotten little feckers now.

Ah jaysus! I don't mind cats, I might get 2 of them since it worked for you, cheers

Qualitymark

You might also take a look at why they're in. For instance, is there building work that may have disturbed them? (I know this is a bit of an ask, seeing as the whole country is being dug up for the accursed water meters.)
I remember hearing of a family who just couldn't get rid of the rats under their floors. Finally it turned out that a sewer had been punctured by building work, and they were coming up through that in their hundreds. The Corpo sealed it up properly again and that was the end of it.

Manach

While normally, from reading the literature, cats will not engage with an adult rat if however the feline is very close to its root hunter background (ie just a generation removed from the farm) I've found some cats to be highly effective ratters. Now if I could just persuade them to go after the two-legged political kind.

ChrisBarrett7

Qualitymark wrote: »

You might also take a look at why they're in. For instance, is there building work that may have disturbed them? (I know this is a bit of an ask, seeing as the whole country is being dug up for the accursed water meters.)
I remember hearing of a family who just couldn't get rid of the rats under their floors. Finally it turned out that a sewer had been punctured by building work, and they were coming up through that in their hundreds. The Corpo sealed it up properly again and that was the end of it.

Very good point that! There's water meters being installed up our road this week alright but I'd say it's because our shed is a cozy spot for the feckers

aonb

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

You could drown them also. Just use a normal black bin, fill 1/4 with water and add something tasty. Put a plank up to it. They can't help but jump in. They won't be able to get out and drown.

Thats horrible

Capercaille

aonb wrote: »

Thats horrible

Rat poison is equally a painful death.

Qualitymark

Manach wrote: »

While normally, from reading the literature, cats will not engage with an adult rat if however the feline is very close to its root hunter background (ie just a generation removed from the farm) I've found some cats to be highly effective ratters. Now if I could just persuade them to go after the two-legged political kind.

Jack Russell for that.

DBB

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

You could drown them also. Just use a normal black bin, fill 1/4 with water and add something tasty. Put a plank up to it. They can't help but jump in. They won't be able to get out and drown.

I'm closing this thread because it does not belong in this forum.
There are dozens of similar threads op, if you do a search. Dozens of them.
And this quoted advice is so far out of line I don't know where to begin. Jesus h Christ, if you're going to kill something, at least try to do it humanely.
Thread closed in much anger.
DBB