Rats in my Rat Room!

[atpinto]

I've got a problem with feral rats in my rat room.

They eat all the food out of the hoppers, leave poo everywhere, and are upsetting my rats and me.

They ignore the rat baits I have laid, and they don't go for the peanut butter in the traps I have set, I even got a bucket trap that is ignored.

I just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this and how you dealt with it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[andynic07]

Get a feral snake to eat the feral rats.

 

[Lawra]

Have you tried anything else in your traps? We used to have those humane traps that just have the door shut behind and used whatever old leftovers we had from the fridge. For example: bits of hot dog, shaved ham that was a bit old, etc.

 

[brian76]

:evil: I know your pain!! I have a wild population in my shed started from a rat tub my son dropped. Have tried it all......catch a few in the humane type traps. but cant get all of them!!! Its been 6 months now and they make a mess. Drives me nuts!!! Good luck!!!

 

[PrecisionPythons]

Rats in a rat room, no way your kidding me

 

[scorps]

I have an air rifle, worked a treat

 

[mikey_mike]

Cage traps work a treat, but the ultimate solution is to remove the food source.
Good luck.

 

[TNT78]

Try using chocolate on the trap trigger instead of peanut butter. Then make sure you secure the chocolate well by wrapping cling film tightly around the chocolate. The rats have to really gnaw to get to the chocolate. This method never failed me in the past. Also, perhaps while trying this method you could put your domestic rat food in the middle of their cage to remove the extra food source for the ferals. Good luck

 

[ingie]

I used to have this problem at my old house with rats and possums, and I could never get rid of them all. They used to throw the water bottles on the floor and break them too, and waste so much food. My new house doesn't seem to get any wild rodents, and possums can't get in. Unfortunately I lost some mice after dropping a tub. They don't eat much but they make such a mess! I am going to have to get some bait. And put it in their favorite handouts.

 

[JM1982]

I'd suggest sticky traps (off eBay..?) they work wonders.

 

[MesseNoire]

I'd suggest sticky traps (off eBay..?) they work wonders.

They're certainly the most cruel option, I'll give you points for that.

 

[andynic07]

They're certainly the most cruel option, I'll give you points for that.

I am not sure on that mate, I was under the impression that it would stick the rat onto the paper for the night until you could kill them? Surely this would be more humane than being poisoned to death? I am not saying you are wrong and that I am right but more questioning because I have not really looked into either method at all.

 

[MesseNoire]

I am not sure on that mate, I was under the impression that it would stick the rat onto the paper for the night until you could kill them? Surely this would be more humane than being poisoned to death? I am not saying you are wrong and that I am right but more questioning because I have not really looked into either method at all.

My understanding is that they just stick there until they die and then decay because most people won't kill them. I'm pretty sure in Vic they are only used and sold by licenses pest controllers (pretty sure, not certain) for that very reason. Not to mention that while they are stuck (assuming you got the mice/ rats and not birds, snakes or other wildlife) they will chew off fur and limbs to get free. Last time I spoke to a pest controller he said the typical poison they use just thins out the blood. The mice/ rats just wander around drunk until they die, painlessly.

Like I said, this is just my understanding but I definitely wouldn't recommend sticky traps unless you are checking them constantly and you will euthanise whatever has been caught.

 

[Lawra]

I am not sure on that mate, I was under the impression that it would stick the rat onto the paper for the night until you could kill them? Surely this would be more humane than being poisoned to death? I am not saying you are wrong and that I am right but more questioning because I have not really looked into either method at all.

They're still fairly inhumane. I like my rat cage trap better.

Once caught on the sticky pad how does one kill the rodent? It won't be easy to break it's neck as parts of it will be stuck and it will have defecated all over itself - if it hasn't already died from suffocating on the glue.

That's also assuming you find it soon after it's been stuck. Otherwise it will become exhausted, dehydrated and suffers slow painful death anyway.

There are many better options out there.

 

[andynic07]

My understanding is that they just stick there until they die and then decay because most people won't kill them. I'm pretty sure in Vic they are only used and sold by licenses pest controllers (pretty sure, not certain) for that very reason. Not to mention that while they are stuck (assuming you got the mice/ rats and not birds, snakes or other wildlife) they will chew off fur and limbs to get free. Last time I spoke to a pest controller he said the typical poison they use just thins out the blood. The mice/ rats just wander around drunk until they die, painlessly.

Like I said, this is just my understanding but I definitely wouldn't recommend sticky traps unless you are checking them constantly and you will euthanise whatever has been caught.

I just had a look on the RSPCA website and this is an extract from it about humane ways to kill pest rats and mice.

Where infestations are bad and you need to consider using methods for killing mice and rats, the RSPCA recommends that you use a method that ensures a quick and humane death. Many people use a rodent bait to kill unwanted pests. Often people choose this type of bait as the rodent goes off somewhere else to die and in most cases there is no body to have to deal with. These baits contain chemicals, called anticoagulants, which cause the rodent to die by slowly bleeding to death internally. This form of killing is not humane as it causes great suffering to the rodent which takes a long time to die. In addition, the poisoned body of the rodent can present a risk if it is eaten by other animals such as native birds.

 

[Lawra]

I just had a look on the RSPCA website and this is an extract from it about humane ways to kill pest rats and mice.

Where infestations are bad and you need to consider using methods for killing mice and rats, the RSPCA recommends that you use a method that ensures a quick and humane death. Many people use a rodent bait to kill unwanted pests. Often people choose this type of bait as the rodent goes off somewhere else to die and in most cases there is no body to have to deal with. These baits contain chemicals, called anticoagulants, which cause the rodent to die by slowly bleeding to death internally. This form of killing is not humane as it causes great suffering to the rodent which takes a long time to die. In addition, the poisoned body of the rodent can present a risk if it is eaten by other animals such as native birds.

Thank you for reinforcing my point of view

Use cage rat traps and snap their necks. Quick, painless and they get a proper last meal

 

[kitten_pheonix]

I am not sure on that mate, I was under the impression that it would stick the rat onto the paper for the night until you could kill them? Surely this would be more humane than being poisoned to death? I am not saying you are wrong and that I am right but more questioning because I have not really looked into either method at all.

My parents used them once the skin sticks well to the trap, the inside of the rat was found a few meters away after it skinned itself trying to get away

 

[andynic07]

My parents used them once the skin sticks well to the trap, the inside of the rat was found a few meters away after it skinned itself trying to get away

I have always used snap traps and hadn't really thought about this sort of thing but as you , Lawra and Fractal_Man have pointed out they seem pretty brutal.

Edit. I had first thought of the rat being stuck there standing up for a few hours before someone came and killed the rat, seemed all nice and pleasant in my head.

 

[-Peter]

You need to seal the rat room so feral rats cant get in. Thats it, they will keep coming back until you do no matter how many you trap and kill. I keep my tubs in a boxed in rack with wire mesh on the back and a wire mesh screen door on the front. Four tubs to a rack. No vistors including flies and roaches.

 

[andynic07]

That is the best bet, prevention is better than cure.