Rats in my Rat Room!
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I expanda foamed every hole bar 1 and set the traps up (around 10 of them ) in front of the hole.. My infestation was that bad they had tunnels in the back yard most come from a near by freeway build..
andynic07
Very Well-Known Member
I guess people are the same too, remember that story of the guy cutting his arm off with a pocket knife because he was trapped in the desert under a boulder and was going to die. I think they made a movie about it called 127 hours.It would be nice and pleasant if the rat didn't decide to go all 'Saw' and gnaw limbs and rip flesh off to escape the glue.
Crazy rodents, who invited them to the party
The Saw movies follow that same train of thought. I'm glad we're on the same page
Have we come to an agreement of trapping method? (Attempting to stay on topic lol)
I don't like the snap ones after using them under the sink at my parents house. It snapped across the mouse's belly instead of neck so it was alive but very unpleasant :/
JM1982
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Not when used correctly and with some common sense.
Poison is a good 'out of sight out of mind' method but doesnt always work, and an extremely nasty way to go.
If the traps are checked frequently and you have the stomach to humanly kill the rat yourself it is an option; if traps and bait are not working - imo.
I have never experienced the horror story of torn skin, thankfully.
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You need
THE BIG CHEESE
Bunnings has them.
They come in blue square blocks you get a fair few in a pack and they have wheat in them they also have double the poison.
They got rid of my rat problem... Mine were eating my missus car seats...
THE BIG CHEESE
Bunnings has them.
They come in blue square blocks you get a fair few in a pack and they have wheat in them they also have double the poison.
They got rid of my rat problem... Mine were eating my missus car seats...
Yeah, thought about the feral snake idea right away. Thought about scenting the room with snake waste to scare them away, or making a little snake run, so my big bredli doesn't escape, couldn't engineer it properly though...... Always a risk of the feral snake eating MY rats too, so kind of abandoned the whole idea.
Anyone achieved this?
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Ok, wow, lots of good discussion on the topic.
So, will try The Big Cheese baits. I have just return from ALDI and have nutella, marshmallows and Frankfurts. I will place all my rat pellets inside the cages.
I will try and seal up my garage, or otherwise create another room within the room. (longer term)
Just another thought, I check the traps twice a day about 12 hours apart, if the rat gets stuck on the paper (which I haven't used yet), or caught in a trap; Would any of you consider feeding it to your snake? After freezing maybe....oh, assuming there were no baits that it could have eaten, obviously. So removing the potential for poisoning, would there be another solid reason to not feed feral (I think wild is more appropriate in hindsight) rats to your snake?
Has anyone, or do people currently do this?
Thanks again for awesome discussion, I was kind of hoping someone had made a snake run around their rat room, that would be awesome!
Anyone achieved this?
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Ok, wow, lots of good discussion on the topic.
So, will try The Big Cheese baits. I have just return from ALDI and have nutella, marshmallows and Frankfurts. I will place all my rat pellets inside the cages.
I will try and seal up my garage, or otherwise create another room within the room. (longer term)
Just another thought, I check the traps twice a day about 12 hours apart, if the rat gets stuck on the paper (which I haven't used yet), or caught in a trap; Would any of you consider feeding it to your snake? After freezing maybe....oh, assuming there were no baits that it could have eaten, obviously. So removing the potential for poisoning, would there be another solid reason to not feed feral (I think wild is more appropriate in hindsight) rats to your snake?
Has anyone, or do people currently do this?
Thanks again for awesome discussion, I was kind of hoping someone had made a snake run around their rat room, that would be awesome!
I've seen people online feed their snakes other reptiles and wildlife that they've found (already deceased) and I raised the same questions. They said that freezing then thawing before feeding has not caused any health problems for their snakes, but I think rat poison would be a different story.
The possibility of poisoning is enough to deter me from trying - although sometimes I have wistful thoughts of feeding the resident gecko colonies to my woma...
That would be awesome indeed
The possibility of poisoning is enough to deter me from trying - although sometimes I have wistful thoughts of feeding the resident gecko colonies to my woma...
I was kind of hoping someone had made a snake run around their rat room, that would be awesome!
That would be awesome indeed
Justdragons
Very Well-Known Member
At work they have sticky traps, the rats scream until you find them.. very painful and scary for the rodent..
P
-Peter
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Snake "waste" doesn't work, supplied skins and faecal matter for tests some time ago. Bush rats showed a very slight reluctance at first but got over it quickly.
andynic07
Very Well-Known Member
I am not arguing that it would be painful from the five or so other stories that I have been told but I don't think a rat screaming necessarily equates to pain because I have seen rats scream when being held if they want to get away. I do get the point though that it is in no way a humane method.
Yeah I had a rat/mouse problem at work...they were getting into our false ceiling & gnawing/nesting into the air tubing of our duct system.
Stupid pest control decided to lay poison down...smart move *sarcasm*...that led to the rodents dying in our false ceiling & the smell of them rotting was worse than having them there in the first place.
The solution was to deter them not kill them.
I filled several take away containers with a) USED cat & ferret litter & b) moth balls & laid them in the false ceiling next to the holes in the wall they were getting in from.
Honestly worked a charm. Just be careful on the amount of moth balls you use, the ammonia (which deters the rodents) can be overbearing to breathe.
I'm just saying if you can locate how the rats are getting into your rat room, maybe place the containers there....I just honestly don't know how your caged rats will react though..?
Stupid pest control decided to lay poison down...smart move *sarcasm*...that led to the rodents dying in our false ceiling & the smell of them rotting was worse than having them there in the first place.
The solution was to deter them not kill them.
I filled several take away containers with a) USED cat & ferret litter & b) moth balls & laid them in the false ceiling next to the holes in the wall they were getting in from.
Honestly worked a charm. Just be careful on the amount of moth balls you use, the ammonia (which deters the rodents) can be overbearing to breathe.
I'm just saying if you can locate how the rats are getting into your rat room, maybe place the containers there....I just honestly don't know how your caged rats will react though..?
B
Bluetongue1
Guest
Mothballs are made from either Naphthalene (older style) or 1,4-dichlorobenzene (newer ones that do not ignite as readily), not ammonia. I am sure that ammonia would have the same deterrent effect. Mothballs sublime – turn directly from a solid to a gas without meting into a liquid. I use Napthalene in my jumper draws at home ever since my best jumper was holed by a nasty little clothes moth caterpillar. I use old film canisters with a few tiny holes melted through the lid with a thin, hot wire. This controls the rate at which the gas gets out so I don’t have take a deep breath before entering the walk-in-robe or don the gas mask. Not to mention having to air clothes for 24 hours before wearing. You could try set up a ring of such containers around the garage.
Terriers were specifically bred for hunting purposes such as killing rats. A Jack Russell or any other terrier breed will instinctively do the job. A ferret locked in the garage at night will also do the job but it should definitely be on a running leash to ensure it cannot get to your feeder animals.
Any traps, other than the sticky ones, that you intend to use should be baited but not set, until the baits are readily taken. Then set the lot. Then repeat the process of baiting without setting... Rats are wary of anything new and will avoid it until convinced it is safe. You need to bear in mind they are highly intelligent for animals and have a high capacity to learn. Just think of all the rat in the maze experiments.
The above may help in getting the current “plague” under control but, as has been pointed out, so long as you have the smell of rats and rat food issuing from the garage, then you will continue to attract ferals. So if you cannot rat proof the garage perhaps you can rat proof your colony. You could set up your racks on tables with rat guards on the legs. Rats can jump up to one metre so the guards should be positioned at least 4ft above the ground. The guard is simply a disc of sheet metal at least 60cm in diameter. You may also need to prevent access from above. Add a tray on the table top that catches all spillage, if needed, and the visiting ferals will not stay long as there is no food to be had.
Blue
Terriers were specifically bred for hunting purposes such as killing rats. A Jack Russell or any other terrier breed will instinctively do the job. A ferret locked in the garage at night will also do the job but it should definitely be on a running leash to ensure it cannot get to your feeder animals.
Any traps, other than the sticky ones, that you intend to use should be baited but not set, until the baits are readily taken. Then set the lot. Then repeat the process of baiting without setting... Rats are wary of anything new and will avoid it until convinced it is safe. You need to bear in mind they are highly intelligent for animals and have a high capacity to learn. Just think of all the rat in the maze experiments.
The above may help in getting the current “plague” under control but, as has been pointed out, so long as you have the smell of rats and rat food issuing from the garage, then you will continue to attract ferals. So if you cannot rat proof the garage perhaps you can rat proof your colony. You could set up your racks on tables with rat guards on the legs. Rats can jump up to one metre so the guards should be positioned at least 4ft above the ground. The guard is simply a disc of sheet metal at least 60cm in diameter. You may also need to prevent access from above. Add a tray on the table top that catches all spillage, if needed, and the visiting ferals will not stay long as there is no food to be had.
Blue
hulloosenator
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i get that every 6 months or so............RATSACK ....... works every time. but you should stop them getting to your rat food. Dont feed your rats for one day and leave Ratsack laying around.
I started reading the beginning half of this post then got bored but has anyone mentioned that those metal 'humane trap door ones' are called Elliot Traps. It's what the mammal scientists typically use to survey an area. They also work a treat for capturing unwanted rats/mice (and can catch other animals like bluetougues and snakes so be careful when checking them). Bait usually consists of oats, peanut butter or a combination of both and some cotton wool balls at the far end will keep the animal warm at night and provides security. If checked in the morning, you shouldn't be finding any dead rats in the traps, they should all still have a heart beat. Then you can chose your method of killing the animal.
Those grey snapper traps are more suited to mice and work great if places perpendicular to the wall of a common mice highway or in the corners of the room and it will usually snap with enough force to break the neck, impact the head or sometimes it will catch a tail or leg and the mice suffers (I've seen some nasty scenes of mice presumably having eaten their own flesh to the white bone of their trapped leg in an attempt to escape).
For the original poster, steer clear of poison bait as the rats can easily take a piece with them and spread poison crumbs ontop or around the area of your captive rat containers (having an adverse affect on your pets).
Sticky glue paper I didn't use as frequently as the other two types of traps but after all other attempts failed I tried this method and it didn't work well. Having a rat walk onto a sticky trap and possibly eventually die from dehydration and starvation looks humane in comparison to how I told you about how the mice sometimes suffer with the snapper traps.
From my experience, poison bait stations and elliot traps seem to work the best for eliminating rats (poison has consequences for innocent native wildlife too while elliot traps have almost no impact on wildlife). Snapper traps are good for mice and the occasional small rat which stumbles into 2 or 3 snapper traps (love seeing this ). Avoid using the big wire cat traps (they do work but not well).
Those grey snapper traps are more suited to mice and work great if places perpendicular to the wall of a common mice highway or in the corners of the room and it will usually snap with enough force to break the neck, impact the head or sometimes it will catch a tail or leg and the mice suffers (I've seen some nasty scenes of mice presumably having eaten their own flesh to the white bone of their trapped leg in an attempt to escape).
For the original poster, steer clear of poison bait as the rats can easily take a piece with them and spread poison crumbs ontop or around the area of your captive rat containers (having an adverse affect on your pets).
Sticky glue paper I didn't use as frequently as the other two types of traps but after all other attempts failed I tried this method and it didn't work well. Having a rat walk onto a sticky trap and possibly eventually die from dehydration and starvation looks humane in comparison to how I told you about how the mice sometimes suffer with the snapper traps.
From my experience, poison bait stations and elliot traps seem to work the best for eliminating rats (poison has consequences for innocent native wildlife too while elliot traps have almost no impact on wildlife). Snapper traps are good for mice and the occasional small rat which stumbles into 2 or 3 snapper traps (love seeing this
). Avoid using the big wire cat traps (they do work but not well).
SpilotaFreak78
Well-Known Member
I've only got one wild rat, though my problem is that my rats are in a makeshift aviary outside and the wild one raids the garbage trays under the cage, little bugger chews on my plant collection too.
TerryW
Not so new Member
Anyone who uses a glue trap on a mammal deserves a clip to the ear. They are a barbaric, inhumane torture device and should never be used. Also, eBay does not allow glue traps for mammals to be sold.
They were banned in Victoria for a reason; it's unnecessary suffering. A snap trap is far more kinder, if it works properly. The majority of people who use glue traps typically either set them and just leave them there for a week or so at a time, or throw the animal into the bin while still alive. The manufacturer encourages this, actually, which is why inherently they are inhumane. Find another way to control rodents instead of torturing them to death, please. Also, people use these same traps on snakes with similar results - either the animal suffers immensely and rips pieces of itself off, or actually gets away. And that's another problem with them, they can get away sometimes.
I would like to see these traps banned nationwide. There is no need for this level of cruelty.
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When you see a rat with ripped off skin, a dislodged jaw and a half gnawed off leg - it's not a hard stretch to say it screams in pain. Even poison is a lot more humane than that.
I will give you these fact sheets. Also, someone was unsure about Victoria's stance, here it is. Please take a read. These traps need to be outlawed ASAP, such barbarity has no placed in a supposed civilised society.
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I am also very surprised that they haven't been outlawed in SA yet - didn't they restrict their sale? There are definitely grounds for their restriction. I would check with the RSPCA on this because it might be illegal to use those traps over there, especially if the animals are left there for a long time. Does your workplace have anyone you can complain to about this? Are the animals promptly euthanised? What are you feelings, and the co-workers feelings on these things?
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No comparison. A glue trap will make the animal suffer all the time; a snap trap will occasionally. But it is designed for a quick kill, so inherently it is a more humane device.
I recall posting a thread about them quite some time ago, that is my story to share about glue traps. You will find anecdotes that are similar to some of the stories on this thread. Additionally, someone also claimed that there is in fact a nationwide ban on these things. So I am very interested to know how people are actually getting these things, because if you are using them, you might be breaking the law. But I guess it depends on the state you're in. I will not hesitate to report the companies who are selling these illegally.
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Hi All,
I know this thread is a little old, but I wanted to report back.
So I tried glue traps, with limited success, I tried snap traps, also with limited success, tried Bunnings baits and poisons with no success, tried bucket traps, with no success.
I visited a local stock feeds supplier at Terry Hills, Better Produce, and asked him how he keeps the rats away from all his feed. He put me onto this Bromakil stuff.
2 weeks in, and nothing was happening, still rats everywhere, then they started showing up dead, all within the rat room, a total of 15. and then, no rat activity, and no rat activity ever since! Success! and it's been about 4 months.
It wasnt cheap at $85 but I only used a very small portion of it, and I would have already spent double that on other things that haven't worked! His suggestion was to leave it out. It is poison coated grains, so the rats love it, and it kills them fast as it's a commercial grade heavy duty type poison or concentration.
View attachment 305619View attachment 305620
I hope this might help others too! I am wrapped!
Thanks again everyone for all your feedback and help!
I know this thread is a little old, but I wanted to report back.
So I tried glue traps, with limited success, I tried snap traps, also with limited success, tried Bunnings baits and poisons with no success, tried bucket traps, with no success.
I visited a local stock feeds supplier at Terry Hills, Better Produce, and asked him how he keeps the rats away from all his feed. He put me onto this Bromakil stuff.
2 weeks in, and nothing was happening, still rats everywhere, then they started showing up dead, all within the rat room, a total of 15. and then, no rat activity, and no rat activity ever since! Success! and it's been about 4 months.
It wasnt cheap at $85 but I only used a very small portion of it, and I would have already spent double that on other things that haven't worked! His suggestion was to leave it out. It is poison coated grains, so the rats love it, and it kills them fast as it's a commercial grade heavy duty type poison or concentration.
View attachment 305619View attachment 305620
I hope this might help others too! I am wrapped!
Thanks again everyone for all your feedback and help!
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