Rats

[Beancounter]

We've built a home office/craft room/fancy shed type thing in the garden. It now seems a couple of rate have taken occupation underneath. Suggestions on how to deal with them please?

We have two Staffies who will chase/go ape at the sniff of a rat but more importantly who will eat anything including poison. We also don't want to stop feeding the birds which is no doubt attracting the rats too.

We don't have an air rifles and even if we did I'm a shit shot.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I still haven't heard a good reason to not go with my answer when other people on here have asked.

Establish a population of Cobras.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Let Bob Geldoff be your inspiration

[Pirahna]

We don't have an air rifles and even if we did I'm a shit shot.

Practice makes perfect. A cheap scope makes it feel like cheating.

[Bigjawa]

Know anyone with a ferret?

Failing that, old fashioned trap baited with the cheapest, most oily peanut butter you can find.

[KungFooBob]

Know anyone with a ferret?

Failing that, old fashioned trap baited with the cheapest, most oily peanut butter you can find.

Yeah, they might have a Peanut allergy.

At least they're not in the Kitchen.

[Bigjawa]

Know anyone with a ferret?

Failing that, old fashioned trap baited with the cheapest, most oily peanut butter you can find.

Yeah, they might have a Peanut allergy.

At least they're not in the Kitchen.

Far from it, the wee fuckers love the stuff, they can't get enough of it.

[jcr]

kidnap a few cats. tie them in the garden with enough rope to reach the rats and dont feed them.

i shoot the rats in my garden. modern gas powered air rifles are extremely accurate and easy to use.
i have one of these and would recommend-
https://www.gunmart.net/gun-reviews/air ... ictory-cp2

[MrLongbeard]

A couple of little nippers will get it done

[Beancounter]

I forgot to mention I'm quite squeamish and think even rats deserve to live - just not in my garden.

I mean, where the feck have they come from? The shed has been up for about 6 months but it's not like they were driving through and decided to stay awhile. We don't live *that* close to a river but there is a football training ground in some open space close by. A few foxes too. More than a few cats as well but they don't venture into our garden since getting the dogs 18 months ago.

[Rockburner]

I forgot to mention I'm quite squeamish and think even rats deserve to live - just not in my garden.

I mean, where the feck have they come from? The shed has been up for about 6 months but it's not like they were driving through and decided to stay awhile. We don't live *that* close to a river but there is a football training ground in some open space close by. A few foxes too. More than a few cats as well but they don't venture into our garden since getting the dogs 18 months ago.

Rats are everywhere.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I'm the same with mice...where do they come from?

Never seen one 'round here but now I have cats they're everywhere.

[Mr Moofo]

Bait boxes - you can buy them off Amazon, they "lock" and poison put inside. The dog / fox/ wildebeest won't be able to access it. Commonly used outside food factories etc.

And re the Staffies -put a couple of bricks on the top

[Mr Nozzle]

Chicken wire at the bottom of the shed

[Sadlonelygit]

Rat poison is usually warfarin, which is used as a blood thinning agent in humans, so unless your dogs eat a pound or so of it, they'll be grand!

[DefTrap]

Poison seems to keep them at bay but the feckers seem to eat a lot of it, so you never quite know whether it takes a lot to kill one or if you just have a lot of vermin.
Traps more satisfying allow you to actually see what you're getting, but it's not very pleasant.

[Scud]

We have chickens and live out in the open, rats are always about.
I use the wax blocks of poison, they have a hole through them, I then screw them to a length of wood so can remove them and they can’t be moved by the rats to somewhere the dogs or chickens may get them

[Felix]

Lots of Peppermint spray. Apparently Rats and Mice hate it. I had mice living in my camper bus when the rain was bad and used the peppermint spray what sent them packing over the first weekend. Been spraying it every now and its been a few month sine i seen any sign of them.

[JackyJoll]

We also don't want to stop feeding the birds

Then you’ll have to be content with a chronic vermin problem.

[Pirahna]

I'll just leave these here:

https://www.daileisure.co.uk/crosman-2250-ratcatcher

https://www.airgun-parts-shop.co.uk/

The air gun parts chap is still shipping, he posted my parts yesterday.