Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Northants
Posts: 889
Rats or mice?
Assume rats as my missus insists on feeding the birds.
Any one comment on the holes?
What’s my next move?
Any pointers greatfully received.
You remind me of a younger me, not much younger mind...perhaps even a little older!
30th Dec 2021 11:00 am
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23866
Rats not mice.
First move is to stop their food supply. Until you do that you’ll be on a never ending war against them. 2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
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30th Dec 2021 11:08 am
sasdiscos
Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Northants
Posts: 889
Thanks LT.
I have pulled rank and said the bird feeders must go. Only thing is, next door have feeders out as well.
I can see this being a big pita!
Steve.You remind me of a younger me, not much younger mind...perhaps even a little older!
30th Dec 2021 11:35 am
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23866
We have squirrel proof bird feeders that help to prevent too much spillage.
Hopefully you’ll be able to have a sensible conversation with your neighbours.
Unless you want to kill them yourself, you’ll need to speak to a local pest controller. Chances are though if there’s a good food source they’ll always be rats.2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
30th Dec 2021 11:39 am
sasdiscos
Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Northants
Posts: 889
I live in the countryside so expect them, but this is the closest they have ever been to the house.
I was kinda fine with them whilst they were at the bottom of the garden but don’t want them in the house.
Steve.You remind me of a younger me, not much younger mind...perhaps even a little older!
30th Dec 2021 11:54 am
pwheeldon
Member Since: 14 Jan 2020
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 1519
I use the transfer from Amazon that are fully enclosed so can be used outside as well. Just place one near their rat run and check daily. We don't have bird feeders any more but still have the occasional visitor so the traps are out all the time!Discovery 4 GS 2009 Auto Stornoway Grey
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30th Dec 2021 12:13 pm
bluebarchetta
Member Since: 25 Oct 2005
Location: Aylesbury
Posts: 524
We had some rats that dug under the ground beam of the foundation and the burrowed their way into the insulation above the beam and block floor…
In the end we laid stainless steel mesh about 450 mm from the edge beam and buried that.
Get in an expert. The rats are probably wise to traps and won't be interested in baits if there is other food about. Don't try poisoning them yourself as it risks building-up resistance to the poison and risks to secondary predators/pets. If you are going to call-in an expert, don't fill in the holes - they'll need to assess where the rats are travelling.
Experts have access to the sticky foam that can be placed in tunnels / burrows. It gets on the fur of the rats, they lick it off and die from the poison: their friends then eat them and also get poisoned.
Borrowing a wildlife cam might also be useful.
If you are patient, an air-rifle is an option!
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30th Dec 2021 12:27 pm
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8244
£5 worth of poison used as per instructions(inside a metre length of pipe) available from most hardware/garden centres and jobs done, if they want something to eat give them something nasty or they will be eating your car electric cables or fuel pipe next It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
30th Dec 2021 12:38 pm
maxbasscat
Member Since: 03 Jan 2016
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 1267
Almost certainly rats from gauging hole size. Deny water and food sources if you are able.
I would go for Traps with a taster of peanut butter and check daily and OR then there is “Eradibait” which is a maize base (humane) bait product …… does not contain anticoagulant, they eat it but cannot digest it. Read the data sheet well OR then there is an air gun approach which involves warm coat, deck chair, beers and bags of time. My neighbour favours last and has a tally of seven in one sitting.
Importantly get cooperation of neighbours, there approach may be totally different to yours. There is a wealth of solutions on the internet not one is the perfect solution but try and find one to suit your circumstances. There is even one for exhaust off your car , blocking all exits of course!!
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30th Dec 2021 12:46 pm
sasdiscos
Member Since: 22 Feb 2013
Location: Northants
Posts: 889
Thanks every one.
We have just watched our wildlife cam footage, as expected, rats.
We did put some poison down a few weeks back and it has been eaten, but then that could be mice.
Missus has been in touch with the council, I think they will come out and have a look, apparently we get 3 free visits a year in with our council tax.
I don't have an air rifle but do have a shotgun, but don't fancy holes in the fence and surrounding garden.
SteveYou remind me of a younger me, not much younger mind...perhaps even a little older!
We picked-up about twenty dead rats in a couple of days, all of which we through in the skip that was "about to be collected". Serve them right that it took them a while to collect it - how was I to know they sorted the content by hand?!
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
30th Dec 2021 4:13 pm
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13610
We used a trap in a box. Avoids poison problems which is good for a number of reasons.
Caught two rats with it and, whilst we still have evidence of them, we don't see them out and about around the bird feeders any more.Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
30th Dec 2021 5:06 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 14177
Plus 1 with regards to a trap on a box, also didn’t want to use poison as was worried about candy along with the local cats , worked a treat and rats were gone within a month , hope u soon get it resolved
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