"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
Kay writes:
| In article , Nick Maclaren
| writes
|
| They will go once disturbed, anyway. Temporarily.
|
| Rats are pretty common. There's a saying that you're never more than
| 60ft from a rat. Or 20ft. Or something.

Yes. I think the accurate one says that 99% of the population
is within XXX feet of a rat at any one time. I don't believe
that people swimming 100x offshore are likely to have their toes
nibbled by a passing rat, somehow.

| Call the council rat catcher, or buy some rat traps. But don't over-
| react or feel that you are a public health nuisance - just relax. Rats
| happen.

Equally well, don't treat them as just large mice and ignore them.
They are a significant health hazard, though NOT enough of one to
go into panic mode.


I am not too sure local authorities in Ireland have rat exterminators ready
to pounce at the citizens' request... though of course I might be wrong.
I propose to put rat traps - not poisoned ones, as I wish no harm on the
neighbours' cats - more the larger versions of what you get for mice. I'll
have to check next w/e if my disturbing the heap has actually got rid of
them.
What do people recommend for baiting traps? Am I right in assuming that
bacon works as well on rats as it does on mice?
I am not freaked: I live in the country, and rats are a common enough
occurrence, so long as they don't come into the house, I am happy enough.
However, I have no intention to facilitate them by offering B&B on my
property. So, traps it is then.
Thank you Pam, Nick and Kay for your good advice.


--
Cat(h)
The world swirls...

On Mon, 4 Oct 2004 13:54:43 +0100, "Cat"
wrote:

snip
What do people recommend for baiting traps? Am I right in assuming that
bacon works as well on rats as it does on mice?

Cold pork sausage is where it's at, apparently.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 4 Oct 2004 13:54:43 +0100, "Cat"
wrote:

snip
What do people recommend for baiting traps? Am I right in assuming that
bacon works as well on rats as it does on mice?

Cold pork sausage is where it's at, apparently.


Cooked or raw? And do they expect relish on the side?
Will they go pester the neighbours if I put broccoli instead?
Just wondering :-)

--
Cat(h)
The world swirls...

Cat wrote:
:: "Stephen Howard" wrote in message
:: ...
::: On Mon, 4 Oct 2004 13:54:43 +0100, "Cat"
::: wrote:
:::
::: snip
:::: What do people recommend for baiting traps? Am I right in
:::: assuming that bacon works as well on rats as it does on mice?
:::
::: Cold pork sausage is where it's at, apparently.
:::
::
:: Cooked or raw? And do they expect relish on the side?
:: Will they go pester the neighbours if I put broccoli instead?
:: Just wondering :-)
::

Cooked - it's more spongy and therefore more difficult to get off the
spike...I find that cooked bacon rind is far better as it's like elastic.
Don't expect to catch more than one or two rats before they get wise,
probably only one - they learn remarkably quickly to avoid traps.

Cat writes
What do people recommend for baiting traps? Am I right in assuming that
bacon works as well on rats as it does on mice?

Cold pork sausage is where it's at, apparently.


Cooked or raw? And do they expect relish on the side?
Will they go pester the neighbours if I put broccoli instead?
Just wondering :-)

Forget cheese. Cats like cheese. Mice prefer chocolate.
--
David

"Cat" wrote in message
...

I am not too sure local authorities in Ireland have rat exterminators
ready
to pounce at the citizens' request... though of course I might be wrong.
I propose to put rat traps - not poisoned ones, as I wish no harm on the
neighbours' cats - more the larger versions of what you get for mice.

So your neighours won't mind their cats getting broken legs or noses? :0)

"ex WGS Hamm" wrote in message
...

"Cat" wrote in message
...

I am not too sure local authorities in Ireland have rat exterminators
ready
to pounce at the citizens' request... though of course I might be wrong.
I propose to put rat traps - not poisoned ones, as I wish no harm on the
neighbours' cats - more the larger versions of what you get for mice.

So your neighours won't mind their cats getting broken legs or noses?
:0)



What's better.. a cat with a broken leg, or a cat dead of poisoning? Of
course, if the flipping cats were any good in the first place, I would not
be in my current predicament ;-)

--
Cat(h)
The world swirls...

Cat wrote:
:: "ex WGS Hamm" wrote in message
:: ...
:::
::: "Cat" wrote in message
::: ...
::::
:::: I am not too sure local authorities in Ireland have rat
:::: exterminators ready to pounce at the citizens' request... though
:::: of course I might be wrong. I propose to put rat traps - not
:::: poisoned ones, as I wish no harm on the neighbours' cats - more
:::: the larger versions of what you get for mice.
:::
::: So your neighours won't mind their cats getting broken legs or
::: noses? 0)
:::
:::
::
:: What's better.. a cat with a broken leg, or a cat dead of
:: poisoning? Of course, if the flipping cats were any good in the
:: first place, I would not be in my current predicament ;-)

I think you would be better off using poison to begin with, you won't deter
them with traps.
You can get some blue pelleted stuff from B&Q which isn't very good, but
it's all they sell...you could do with some of the older stuff, although I'm
not sure if it's available to the public anymore (sigh), which is blue
wheat - obviously the wheat is the bait and the blue stufff is the
toxin...you may be able to get some from a farmer if you ask around.
don't do as I did and re bait every night as it takes 3-4 days to start
working and those you 'fed' on night one are just using up good bait...bait
up at 4 day intervals until the bait stays in place for a few days, then
you're clear.

To prevent accidentally killing cats etc, place the bait in a piece of
plastic drainpipe, this serves two purposes: 1)It stays dry and away from
other animals like cats and dogs, 2) it gives the rat seclusion - rats won't
eat from a 'dodgy' source - if they see another rat die after eating from a
particular baited spot, they will not eat there themselves ('Rentakil' have
properly designed chambers made especially for this reason - there's an
inlet and outlet at each side, with a small box in the centre for the bait)

All this is probably not required anyway, if you cut out the bread you
probably won't ever see them again.

"Phil L" wrote in message
. ..
Cat wrote:
:: "ex WGS Hamm" wrote in message
:: ...
:::
::: "Cat" wrote in message
::: ...
::::
:::: I am not too sure local authorities in Ireland have rat
:::: exterminators ready to pounce at the citizens' request...
though
:::: of course I might be wrong. I propose to put rat traps - not
:::: poisoned ones, as I wish no harm on the neighbours' cats - more
:::: the larger versions of what you get for mice.
:::
::: So your neighours won't mind their cats getting broken legs or
::: noses? 0)
:::
:::
::
:: What's better.. a cat with a broken leg, or a cat dead of
:: poisoning? Of course, if the flipping cats were any good in the
:: first place, I would not be in my current predicament ;-)

I think you would be better off using poison to begin with, you
won't deter
them with traps.
You can get some blue pelleted stuff from B&Q which isn't very good,
but
it's all they sell...you could do with some of the older stuff,
although I'm
not sure if it's available to the public anymore (sigh), which is
blue
wheat - obviously the wheat is the bait and the blue stufff is the
toxin...

I doubt it. The blue is probably only a dye to make the stuff
recognisable, but I may be mistaken.

you may be able to get some from a farmer if you ask around.
don't do as I did and re bait every night as it takes 3-4 days to
start
working and those you 'fed' on night one are just using up good
bait...bait
up at 4 day intervals until the bait stays in place for a few days,
then
you're clear.

To prevent accidentally killing cats etc, place the bait in a piece
of
plastic drainpipe, this serves two purposes: 1)It stays dry and away
from
other animals like cats and dogs, 2) it gives the rat seclusion -
rats won't
eat from a 'dodgy' source - if they see another rat die after eating
from a
particular baited spot, they will not eat there themselves
('Rentakil' have
properly designed chambers made especially for this reason - there's
an
inlet and outlet at each side, with a small box in the centre for
the bait)

All this is probably not required anyway, if you cut out the bread
you
probably won't ever see them again.

"Phil L" wrote in message
. ..
Cat wrote:
:: "ex WGS Hamm" wrote in message
:: ...
:::
::: "Cat" wrote in message
::: ...
::::
:::: I am not too sure local authorities in Ireland have rat
:::: exterminators ready to pounce at the citizens' request... though
:::: of course I might be wrong. I propose to put rat traps - not
:::: poisoned ones, as I wish no harm on the neighbours' cats - more
:::: the larger versions of what you get for mice.
:::
::: So your neighours won't mind their cats getting broken legs or
::: noses? 0)
:::
:::
::
:: What's better.. a cat with a broken leg, or a cat dead of
:: poisoning? Of course, if the flipping cats were any good in the
:: first place, I would not be in my current predicament ;-)

I think you would be better off using poison to begin with, you won't
deter
them with traps.
You can get some blue pelleted stuff from B&Q which isn't very good, but
it's all they sell...you could do with some of the older stuff, although
I'm
not sure if it's available to the public anymore (sigh), which is blue
wheat - obviously the wheat is the bait and the blue stufff is the
toxin...you may be able to get some from a farmer if you ask around.
don't do as I did and re bait every night as it takes 3-4 days to start
working and those you 'fed' on night one are just using up good
bait...bait
up at 4 day intervals until the bait stays in place for a few days, then
you're clear.

To prevent accidentally killing cats etc, place the bait in a piece of
plastic drainpipe, this serves two purposes: 1)It stays dry and away from
other animals like cats and dogs, 2) it gives the rat seclusion - rats
won't
eat from a 'dodgy' source - if they see another rat die after eating from
a
particular baited spot, they will not eat there themselves ('Rentakil'
have
properly designed chambers made especially for this reason - there's an
inlet and outlet at each side, with a small box in the centre for the
bait)

All this is probably not required anyway, if you cut out the bread you
probably won't ever see them again.


You can buy bait boxes from a number of sources including online and the
poison blocks to go with them. Cats do not normally eat dead or sick
animals. I have 12 cats and use poison for rats. I won't use the grain type
as it is food for other animals and I'm afraid in case wild birds eat it.