# Rats?



## backpack09 (Dec 3, 2012)

Rats, I've got Rats!

Dog loves to chase them, and they enjoy eating out of the chicken feeder.

I have used a bucket o' death, with poor results.

Does anyone have any other tricks besides poison?  (the dog will catch and probably eat the rats)

I read something about plaster of paris and corn meal, but have not given it a try yet.


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## Eatonpcat (Dec 3, 2012)

22 caliber!!


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## kenstogie (Dec 3, 2012)

my buddy used to use a blow-gun on them when he worked for MTA down in NYC. Not that that would work for you I just thought it was a cool anecdote. LOL


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## Eatonpcat (Dec 3, 2012)

A little poison on the tip and goodbye you rat ba$tard!!  OK, maybe the poison is overkill


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## kenstogie (Dec 3, 2012)

Depending on how close to your neighbors you are a pellet gun may be just the thing.


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## Ehouse (Dec 3, 2012)

Pair of Rat Terriers.


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## Gary_602z (Dec 3, 2012)

Take their feed away!

Gary


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## Jags (Dec 3, 2012)

Boa constrictor. Rat snakes, milk snakes, black snakes......'er forgit it, I'll keep the rats. (I hate snakes.)


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 3, 2012)

I have heard of good results with different types of food as bait. Especially if one could put make something that also has some yeast? It does skip me right now as to the best for swelling and plugging their system but if I think of it I'll post again.


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## Elusive (Dec 3, 2012)

These guys wipe out a ton of them with pellet guns. Neat scope footage.


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## MasterMech (Dec 4, 2012)

Elusive said:


> These guys wipe out a ton of them with pellet guns. Neat scope footage.


That is the best damn hunting show I've _ever_ seen. Laughed my ass off the whole time.  Choot 'em! 

backpack09, if you have a good sized family started then trapping/shooting will reduce but not eliminate the problem. Poison may be the only option. Read up on your options.


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## Eatonpcat (Dec 4, 2012)

Gary_602z said:


> Take their feed away!
> 
> Gary


 
Who would've thunk he was feeding them!!


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## semipro (Dec 4, 2012)

Ehouse said:


> Pair of Rat Terriers.


Skip to time 1:50 for the action.


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## bluedogz (Dec 4, 2012)

My Rat Zapper does a fabulous job with no poison; AgriZap makes an industrial version intended for barns/bakeries etc.  My barn snakes go hungry.

http://www.amazon.com/Agri-Zap-RZCOO1-Zapper-Classic/dp/B002665ZTC


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## Flatbedford (Dec 4, 2012)

There is a stream near my house that flows to the Hudson River. Before I sealed up the basement and crawlspace we had some issues. Poison was the only effective solution. After a few days I was hearing from my neighbors that their rat problems stopped too. I wiped out the whole neighborhood and never saw or smelled a body.


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## Eatonpcat (Dec 4, 2012)

Flatbedford said:


> There is a stream near my house that flows to the Hudson River. Before I sealed up the basement and crawlspace we had some issues. Poison was the only effective solution. After a few days I was hearing from my neighbors that their rat problems stopped too. I wiped out the whole neighborhood and never saw or smelled a body.


 
I heard you got rid of them pesky cats and a couple of bratty kids too!


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## Flatbedford (Dec 4, 2012)

Nope. The poison was in a place that only the rats could get to. Believe me I was very careful and only used the poison as a last resort. We lost a beloved family dog to a neighbor's carelessly placed rat poison. It was a slow and horrible death.


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## Highbeam (Dec 4, 2012)

Seems people are worried about the poisoned rats becoming food for dogs and other desirable critters and not the actual poison being consumed by the desirables.


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## loon (Dec 4, 2012)




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## Jags (Dec 4, 2012)

Loon - that looks like something that I would rig up just for quality entertainment.


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## Flatbedford (Dec 4, 2012)




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## Highbeam (Dec 4, 2012)

Okay loon, what does that water baloon launcher have to do with rats?


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## bluedogz (Dec 4, 2012)

Highbeam said:


> Seems people are worried about the poisoned rats becoming food for dogs and other desirable critters and not the actual poison being consumed by the desirables.


 
Back when I lived in FL, had an osprey crash-land in my yard after catching himself a poisoned rat.  It was heartbreaking.


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## loon (Dec 4, 2012)

Highbeam said:


> Okay loon, what does that water baloon launcher have to do with rats?


 

Rats/Squirrels... both would be fun to fling


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## semipro (Dec 4, 2012)

Poison only makes sense if you feel that getting rid of the pests is worth indiscriminately losing some predators.


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## Flatbedford (Dec 4, 2012)

In my case it was the only solution. I could not set enough traps.


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## Ehouse (Dec 4, 2012)

Rats will relocate poison to where pets or kids can find it.

Ehouse


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## Flatbedford (Dec 4, 2012)

I broke the bars into quarters and clamped the quarters into a spring trap screwed to 8' long lumber that I inserted through a small hole in the lattice around my deck. Once the lumber was in, I closed off the hole. The chunks stayed in the trap as they were eaten. I like to think that I used the poison as safely and thoughtfully as possible.


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## Eatonpcat (Dec 5, 2012)

Flatbedford said:


> I broke the bars into quarters and clamped the quarters into a spring trap screwed to 8' long lumber that I inserted through a small hole in the lattice around my deck. Once the lumber was in, I closed off the hole. The chunks stayed in the trap as they were eaten. I like to think that I used the poison as safely and thoughtfully as possible.


 
Sounds like you took the precautions necessary...If I had rats, My priority would be getting rid of them using any and all methods I could find (including poison)!


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## bluedogz (Dec 6, 2012)

This setup rocks:  http://www.ratzapper.com/old/battle-station.html


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## Flatbedford (Dec 6, 2012)

Wow


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## jrendfrey (Dec 6, 2012)

sugar makers around here use raw instant potatoes but thats for mice swells there gut and die. maybe you could use more of them? damn mice are chewing everything i got outside. hve you seen the giant rat traps they sell? its a giant mouse trap i figure itll work use peanut butter with marshmellow or dorito works awesome


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## Flatbedford (Dec 7, 2012)

The giant rats traps are only truly effective if they are tied down to something sturdy.


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## Eatonpcat (Dec 7, 2012)

Flatbedford said:


> The giant rats traps are only truly effective if they are tied down to something sturdy.


 
I am getting a very bad picture in my head of Giant Rats walking around carrying Traps and snorting poison while looking at you and laughing!


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## Flatbedford (Dec 7, 2012)

Rats are pretty tough! That's not such a stretch. Or at least imagine a rat limping away with one of those giant traps on one leg. I once found only a tail in a mouse trap.


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## Ehouse (Dec 7, 2012)

Flatbedford said:


> Rats are pretty tough! That's not such a stretch. Or at least imagine a rat limping away with one of those giant traps on one leg. I once found only a tail in a mouse trap.


 

You need to use a combination of traps and devices.  Snap traps, glue traps, bucket traps, Rat Zapper.  move them around.  When you think you've killed them all, it's time for the poison.  Killed six more with the poison.  Nasty, nasty business.

Ehouse


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## basod (Dec 8, 2012)

Flatbedford said:


> Rats are pretty tough! That's not such a stretch. Or at least imagine a rat limping away with one of those giant traps on one leg. I once found only a tail in a mouse trap.


I found one in my eve space that had been pulled towards the main stack penetration.
Petrified rat snake attached
Decidied not to tell the GF about it


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## bluedogz (Dec 9, 2012)

Eatonpcat said:


> I am getting a very bad picture in my head of Giant Rats walking around carrying Traps and snorting poison while looking at you and laughing!


 
Oh, so you've been to New York, then.


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## save$ (Dec 9, 2012)

We had a lab that was the best rat catcher ever!  Then we got this big Tom cat that would even bring home rabbits and game birds.  Both are gone now.  These new labs hunt, but don't have anything to show for it.   I have caught mice by using a 5 gallon pail.  Put a stick on it so the mice climb up, they jump Ito the pail for the bait, but can't jump out.  
I wonder if you used a big barrel, put a few inches of water in it, then floated some bait on some styrofoam if rats would go for it.  Being in water, they shouldn't be able to jump out.  I got a skunk that way using a trash barrel.


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## Realstone (Dec 9, 2012)

Some ferrets make excellent mousers and ratters. Make good pets too if you don't mind the musky smell, which BTW is supposed to terrify rodents.


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## backpack09 (Dec 10, 2012)

Ha Ha replace the rat problem with furry rats.

I guess trapping them is my best solution, anyone have luck with have a hearts and rats?... of course they would end up in a 5 gal bucket of water... but how do the traps work on rats?


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## Realstone (Dec 10, 2012)

Not furry rats, stinkin weasels


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## MasterMech (Dec 11, 2012)

backpack09 said:


> Ha Ha replace the rat problem with furry rats.
> 
> I guess trapping them is my best solution, anyone have luck with have a hearts and rats?... of course they would end up in a 5 gal bucket of water... but how do the traps work on rats?


 Why not use the snap traps?  Havahearts are only useful if you really intend to release the varmint later.

If you have an established family of rats, you'll have a hard time keeping up with them with traps.


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## begreen (Dec 11, 2012)

Highbeam said:


> Seems people are worried about the poisoned rats becoming food for dogs and other desirable critters and not the actual poison being consumed by the desirables.


 
True. Many critters feed on rats, most importantly owls. Instead of poison I used Tomcat rat traps with good success. Early on I was catching one a night using peanut butter as bait. One warning, wire the trap to a screw or nearby post. I lost a couple traps when the rats ran off with them. After wiring it down I didn't lose any more.

http://www.tomcatbrand.com/rat_snap_trap.html


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## Hearth Mistress (Dec 13, 2012)

semipro said:


> Skip to time 1:50 for the action.



Those are Jack Russell Terriers and having had many in my years of dog ownership, having 2 now still. They ARE great hunters! I have had to go out and break up a tug o war with a water rat! eWWw!


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