RATS!

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Enjoy the view!

I’m glad that you are getting some support in your battle.

Do you think that he will track down the likely source of the infestation?
 
Enjoy the view!

I’m glad that you are getting some support in your battle.

Do you think that he will track down the likely source of the infestation?
Well, it wasn't phwar! But shall we say, very easy on the eye. :)

I think the source was from next door. All the signs point to it. Rat man agrees. He found a couple of fence entry points I'd missed.
Hoping there will be no more stinky blue bags on the gate.
He's baited the loft too as there were droppings in the loft. They were getting up on next doors shed, into the gutters and under the facia, so that will have to be dealt with.
The shed has gone. H/a made him take it down after i complained....he hee hee! It wasn't supposed to be there anyway, so he's gonna love me even more now.
Silly man.
Carrots replanted..(thank goodness I had more seeds,) and now protected with wire mesh.
 
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What would you know, since the rat man came, not a single rat to be seen or heard on my property. Although it wasn't in his brief, he set 3 traps outside, and with mine, that made four. All are untouched so far after 5 days.
So it looks like the job got done by me alone. ( takes a bow. :) )
Panic over for now.
He set traps in the loft too, as there were signs they were there at some point, but I havnt heard them up there for a couple of months, so I feel it's the wrong time to try to get them there. Still, it's nice to know that i may be free of the monsters for now.
 
What would you know, since the rat man came, not a single rat to be seen or heard on my property. Although it wasn't in his brief, he set 3 traps outside, and with mine, that made four. All are untouched so far after 5 days.
So it looks like the job got done by me alone. ( takes a bow. :) )
Panic over for now.
He set traps in the loft too, as there were signs they were there at some point, but I havnt heard them up there for a couple of months, so I feel it's the wrong time to try to get them there. Still, it's nice to know that i may be free of the monsters for now.

Great to hear of progress! Well done on your persistence.
 
Probably moving the shed next door disturbed the nest enough that they've gone looking for new lodgings.
You knew the problem wasn't your fault, and that most likely it was from next door; looks like you were right.

You've certainly worked to cut down their numbers though, and that must have some effect on the breeding rate.

I hope they're gone and you have no more bother :)
 
Probably moving the shed next door disturbed the nest enough that they've gone looking for new lodgings.
You knew the problem wasn't your fault, and that most likely it was from next door; looks like you were right.

You've certainly worked to cut down their numbers though, and that must have some effect on the breeding rate.

I hope they're gone and you have no more bother :)
Yes, let's hope the worst is over now.
There will always be rats about, being rural, but I've never known so many in the 25 yrs I've lived here. Daylight sightings are very rare, I saw or heard three in one day which put me on the high alert. I'm aware of the odd one or two now and then, but this amount was unheard of.
So ends(fingers crossed) the rat saga. I can still smell them despite bleaching the area. Off to buy some jeys fluid. Better that than stinky rat!
 
Yes, let's hope the worst is over now.
There will always be rats about, being rural, but I've never known so many in the 25 yrs I've lived here. Daylight sightings are very rare, I saw or heard three in one day which put me on the high alert. I'm aware of the odd one or two now and then, but this amount was unheard of.
So ends(fingers crossed) the rat saga. I can still smell them despite bleaching the area. Off to buy some jeys fluid. Better that than stinky rat!
Bleach or Jeyes won't kill the smell they just tend to mask it, you need a good biological washing detergent to break down the enzymes causing the smell.
 
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Well, they are back! Even had one jump out of the paper recycling bin as I put it out on Monday. I was just lowering it down onto the drive, and the blighter made a jump for freedom. Then I had one run over my feet when dozing in the garden under the sun brolly.
Traps are back down, one they took the bait, but evaded the snap, even though they set it off. The second got one of them. Bait trap in the background of the pic, but cant find the dam key to open it up and load with bait. Iv3 blocked all holes and possible entry points, rat man did several more. No idea where or how they are getting in now, but this blighter was caught on the neighbours fence line, so i know they are getting in somehow from next door.
Im gonna have to get more blue freezer bags to home them in once theyve been caught.
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Still catching the blighters, best catch yet, two for one.
 
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That's miserable.

They're getting food from somewhere....but it's finding the where :sigh:]


Meant to say, I spoke with my friendly neighbourhood poacher about your problem with rats...we were discussing a neighbour way further round who had chickens and there were rats.

He said, if she can find a tunnel and blow coloured smoke down it (one of these and a fan works apparently)

It'll show up where the tunnels run.

He said it's handy because he then knows where best to set nets and send in the ferrets or terrier.

I don't know how legal it is.

I think I'd be buying mint oil and putting it into a spray bottle with some detergent and a couple of spoonsful of cheap vodka. I'd spray that down every blooming entrance I could find.
 
They are still coming from next door. They have made new digging. I've removed all food sources. Using chicken wire doubled to try and block holes, but they just dig new ones.
I think I'm gonna buy some new bait boxes and finaly use poison. This can't go on!
 
I'm being swarmed by rats, catching at least two a day over the past week, in my snap trap with peanut butter as bait. That's twelve of the little b*****s. Another last night.=13!
I've cleaned up the area as best I can, but they seem to be using the woodpile as home. I can see their walkways as they enter and exit, plus they also use a drainage pipe that is buried into the sloping garden to drain the ground to stop it becoming too wet. (Clay soil) I think I've got most of them, but they are still coming, thick and fast.
I tried poison, but no noticable effect on numbers, Now using snap traps, and putting the bodies in plastic sandwich bags. disposal has become a problem. I'm reduced to putting them in the dog poo bins, as they are too stinky for the bin, which is collected fortnightly.
What else can I do? I've also noticed they come through from next door, broken fence, won't be fixed untill June. So I'm killing my neighbours rats too. He won't do anything,
I'm at my wits end.
Short of more traps, and a big tub of peanut butter, which just seems to pull in more rats, from next door, anyone got any ideas?

No ratting dogs I can borrow.
Rat man too expensive
Poison seems futile, and even when effective,I've been accused of trying to poison my nasty neighbours dogs, by throwing poisoned rats over the fence...of course untrue, I can't control where they die. But it does rather show they are also coming from his property.
Pop pops are not realy suitable for such a confined area, and rules prevent discharge on my small property.

They are breeding faster than I can catch them! Help!!!!!
Big tub of peanut butter pushed through the gap in next door’s fence maybe?
 
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They are still coming from next door. They have made new digging. I've removed all food sources. Using chicken wire doubled to try and block holes, but they just dig new ones.
I think I'm gonna buy some new bait boxes and finaly use poison. This can't go on!
sounds like you have a BIG problem. Was it not sorted by the rat man/Housing Association as per your posts a few months ago? Also Where are they coming from-a burrow/multiple burrows or a broken drain . and are they just attacking your property or other properties also?
 
sounds like you have a BIG problem. Was it not sorted by the rat man/Housing Association as per your posts a few months ago? Also Where are they coming from-a burrow/multiple burrows or a broken drain . and are they just attacking your property or other properties also?
We thought so, but....apparently not.
Trouble is, next door won't deal with them, and nobody else has noticed..or won't look for the signs, so don't believe there is a problem.
I've put down poison blocks in a bait trap today, not my favourite method, and rebaited all the traps.
I'll get to blocking the rest of the holes tomorrow. Plus I'll get on to the h/a about mending the fence properly that blew down last Nov in the storm.
I think they keep coming out of habit. The older ones teach the babies and so it carries on.
The last two were a young mum and baby.
I spent a few hours out last night waiting with my air pew pew, but they only showed after I got rained off, and went inside to bed.
 
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Today's catch!
Something did a good job on it. There was nothing in the trap last evening.
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