"Amateur Gardener" wrote in message
...
I've just become aware of rats running up the bird table to get
the bread. The rats seem to live under the shed.

I've put down poison bait on tobacco tin lids under the shed,
and this gets taken, but so do the tin lids!

The rats ignore the spring traps and the squirrel trap (big square
wire frame)

How do I get rid of them and also know that I've got rid of them?

They're only 10 foot from the kitchen door which I now keep
resolutely closed.

Can you see the hole? If so, connect a hose pipe to your car exhaust (or
petrol mower exhaust) and stick the other end down the rathole and run your
car engine for 20 minutes or so. Prairie farmers do this to get rid of
gophers and ground squirrels.
Graham