we noticed 2 rats in our yard - one was climbing a tree...What is the
bess aapproach - poison or a trap(and what kind)
thanks
Ken
Speaking as an ex - pest controller ......i didnt like the killing ;-)!
Rats are not inquisitive creatures, they like things that are the same and
are very cautous of new things (unlike mice which are the reverse) THerefore
trapping is really a last resort - for example, if a rat approaches a trap
cautiously, it may get away with a scare or an injury and that rat will
NEVER go near anything starange again!
The best way to get rid of a rat problem is to find where thay are coming
from - if you cant do this (eg they may be coming from someone elses
property) it can be a reocurring problem.
If you are seeing rats in the day time, that suggests that;
1.THere are LOTS of rats - My advice is hire a professional - it can be
expensive, but if you find a good one, the job will be done properly and you
should be left without any problems - if you live near derby, i reccomend
Heath Pest Control (the company i used to work with) I think they may offer
a guarnantee on work. Ifyou live somewhere else, make sure that your pest
controlist is in the BPCA - British Pest Contraol Authority - membership is
expensive and it should mean that who you get will know their stuff. If you
wqant to go DIY it is possible, just find a good online supplier of poison
and see below!
2.There are a few very hungry / thirsty rats - Feed them! If poss find the
holes and pour loose bait poison down- this is the best way. If you cant
find the holes, try and find a run( a polished area of ground that is used
frequently by the rats) and find somewhere to hide some loose bait - it
could be under a board or under a shed - somewhere that canat be accessed by
birds / dogs or similar. When you place loose bait the rats will sometimes
dig it out or just spread it everywhere maliiously - keep an eye foe this
and tidy it up ASAP - if you bait a hole and the rats seal it up with earth
and debris this normally means that the rat has eaten the bait and is ill -
he will do this to keep warm untill he dies. If neither of the a\bove is
possible, yo can get bait station (or you can make them yourself) These will
bait dry and away from birds etc, but they will have the disadvantage of
being new, so it ay take the rats a time to get used to them and take the
bait. The best sort to use is like a long peice of drain pipe and you put
the bait in the middle. With all methods of poisoning, rats prefer to die at
home in their burrows, so it is unlikely to find 15 dead rats with paws in
the air one morning. However, there is alwayws the odd one that doesnt make
it back to the burrow so keep an eye out for this. Also,when they are ill,
it makes them a lot slower so keep an eye on dogs aand cats as it will make
it easy for them to catch a posinoned rat. (i was always told that a dog .
cat would have to eat a good 30/ 40 posined rats before it would be killed,
but being a cat owner myself, i would notlike to teest this theory) One last
thing, mke sure that there is always enough bait for them - give a rat a
half dose, it will get ill , get better and then never eat strange coloured
poison again!.....and as soon as youstart hey campaign, remove all sources
of other food and water......no bird feeders, cat / dog food, try and proof
the compost heap (allthough= they may well be living under it!) Also, ifyou
can remove shelter for them, it will make their stay more uncomfy - get rid
of any rubbish that sits behind your shed, mow the lawn - keep every where
tidy and they cant hide so easily.
3. Something / some one has ivicted them from somewhere near by. - Hopefully
they are just passing through and maybe gone in a weeek. If they arnt ...see
above.
4. THey have allready been poissoned and will die in 3 - 4 days. SOmeone
else has done your work for you!.
THere is probably more advice ican give, but without more deatils eg - whaat
area do you live in( town / country, do you have a farm near by?), do you
have a pond, what size is your garden etc etc i cannot be more specific. It
would be good if you can find they aare living on some council owned /
public land, then it can be passed to them to pay for!
Anyway i want my breakfast.
Colin
PS, is this newsgroup top posting or bottom posting....not got round to the
FAQ yet , cant resist a good rat question ;-)
----- Original Message -----
From: "ken"
Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 1:54 PM
Subject: rat control
we noticed 2 rats in our yard - one was climbing a tree...What is the
bess aapproach - poison or a trap(and what kind)
thanks
Ken
"ken" wrote in message
oups.com...
we noticed 2 rats in our yard - one was climbing a tree...What is the
bess aapproach - poison or a trap(and what kind)
thanks
Ken
|