Anybody know about RATS?

[grenfell]

We had them in our walls , the noise of them chewing through bricks during the night was horrible.

We had one get into the cavity and we could hear it s scratching away but think it must have died in there. At the time we'd had at least one get in the house and i went round to make sure any holes were blocked up. My wife taped the scratching and played it to the vermin control chap. We got him in via the Halifax rewards insurance so no direct cost to us. Always worth checking the house insurance to see if you are covered in these cases. Probably wouldn't cover the garden but who knows?

[GillyBee]

Any advice from Jansman and co on the best way to clear rats from the garden? The husband had to chase a big one out of his workshop today and it was not scared of him either.
I already use mouse poison boxes for the greenhouse and sheds which work well so have ordered a pair of rat boxes from the same supplier.
Where are the best locations to place them? I read about the rubbing hands with soil to hide my scent. Any other tips?
And am I in danger of getting the dead body stink if one dies somewhere inaccessible?

[Lone]

I had a member of family who lived in an enclosed wooded area surrounded by large houses, you wouldn’t have known there was a small house there...but they used to get rats, but be aware, they are big, loud and apparently screech and scream when trapped.

Not for the faint-hearted...sometimes better to get the professional rat catchers in, especially with such vermin being more visible with empty streets, some with waste, litter and food remnants, apparently becoming a bit fearless of humans

[grenfell]

We had rats in the garden a few years ago after an old house a short distance away was demolished. They took up residence in a sheeted up woodpile. I first noticed one in the adjacent compost heap and it shot back under the pile when it saw me. This happened a couple of times and the rat always ran the same route. Then one day i approached and noticed the rat . I picked up a brick and chucked it on it's route. The rat saw me and took off but of course it's route was blocked . It was all a bit ad hoc but with the rat struggling to get past the brick i grabbed a piece of angle iron and speared it. On another occasion i opened a bin and there were two rats inside who of course took off . I slammed the lid down and trapped one half in half out of the bin but now what to do? Only thing close enough was a bucket so i basically battered it to death with a bucket. Working on a old pub we had rats coming into the room we used for lunch. My mate put down food and then an unset trap and at one point we had five in the room with us. Unfortunately the trap was only a mouse trap even though the rats were small. When my mate set it it caught one but didn't kill it so he ran across to it and hit it with a shovel.
Sorry Gillybee , perhaps this wasn't really a how to .

[Nurseandy]

Depending on pets situation either poison or air rifle & patience.

[diamond lil]

They're very hard to shoot, the least tiny noise and they vanish. You'd have to stand silent and immobile for a while to get a decent shot at them, we tried it. We tried poison too but in the end the solution was a big feral (cuddly) ginger tom. Then a few years later the neighbour enticed them back in with overfeeding the birds - that time the whole terrace clubbed together and got a rat man.
They won't attack you though gillybee, they often run towards you but that's usually because you're between them and the door. They just want out.

[GillyBee]

Thanks everyone.
All the neighbours have cats and several think our garden is theirs. I have only ever seen one of them catch anything at all. Too well fed and lazy I suspect.
We are too built up and overlooked here for air rifles or anything that might upset the squeamish. I think it will have to be poison boxes in discreet locations and see how it goes. There is no sign of them indoors so I won't be heading for the professionals just yet.

[Nurseandy]

They're very hard to shoot, the least tiny noise and they vanish. You'd have to stand silent and immobile for a while to get a decent shot at them, we tried it. We tried poison too but in the end the solution was a big feral (cuddly) ginger tom. Then a few years later the neighbour enticed them back in with overfeeding the birds - that time the whole terrace clubbed together and got a rat man.
They won't attack you though gillybee, they often run towards you but that's usually because you're between them and the door. They just want out.

You're totally right lil. Huge amount of patience required. Best method I found was a seat by an open window and a four pack of Tennant's. In some ways actually quite a pleasant way to spend an evening.....

[diamond lil]

Husband hasn't any patience Andy

[ForgeCorvus]

...... i grabbed a piece of angle iron and speared it. ........ i basically battered it to death with a bucket. ..... hit it with a shovel.

I'm naming you "Death of Rats"

Baitboxes. (How I use them anyway)
Put them down empty, then load them up after about a week.
Check them every night and top up.
When the bait is untouched for four consecutive days, switch to checking them weekly.
If you see a rat or the bait starts disappearing, go back the daily checks.

Remember there are two different poisons available and in some areas one or the other doesn't work.
I use a mixture of both and tend to stick to treated grain rather then blocks or paste.

'Kinetic Lead poisoning' is also effective but as others have said it requires time and skill.