Rat Traps

[Bill Gates]

Living on a farm rats come with the territory. We have a couple of bird feeders and when I first moved in there were loads of the buggers bold as brass they were. It was carnage as I shot at least 150 over the months through the window of the cottage with my air rifle.
Anyway I've found a new method. it's called the spinning log. the idea is that you place this metal cylinder across a bucket half fall of water and the rats obligingly walk along it and fall off into the water and drown. it sort of works. not that the rats have been caught. ( it might be that Billy, one of my dogs, keeps licking off the peanut butter) but they aren't coming into the garden anymore. they are frightened of white buckets. you saw it here first.

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[Electric_Andy]

I've never seen that before. I would have thought a taller bucket would be an advantage; less chnace of them scrabbling out again. You could also put some seeds on it, they would stick to the peanut butter and perhaps be more asthetically attractive to the rats?

Oh, and get a cat!

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Please don't tell me your wifes name is Judy, & she asks what the bucket is for

(you've got to be of a 'certain age', to get that)

 

[Pale Rider]

Oh, and get a cat!

An indolent, domestic cat is a waste of time for ratting purposes.

A terrier, on the other hand, is superb.

They love the taste of blood and will kill as many rats as they can find.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10778000/dogs-killing-730-massive-rats/

 

[Cycleops]

Rats are a menace not just because they carry disease but also they need to gnaw all the time so can be very destructive. I used to live in a house which backed into farmland and they destroyed the new house wiring, which dispatched them but left me with a big bill.
I remember reading recently of a team of people with terrier ratters that will come and help reduce the numbers. @Pale Rider has beaten me to it!

 

[Pale Rider]

Rats are a menace, which is a pity because they are clever and resourceful creatures.

I used to have a hanging bird feeder outside my static caravan.

How the rats climbed the narrow pole to it was a feat in itself, but if only one rat did so it would swing alarmingly to one side under the weight of the animal.

The rats quickly worked out to deploy two of their number at opposite sides of the feeder to balance their weight.

The site has since banned bird feeders.

 

[vickster]

An indolent, domestic cat is a waste of time for ratting purposes.

A terrier, on the other hand, is superb.

They love the taste of blood and will kill as many rats as they can find.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10778000/dogs-killing-730-massive-rats/

My domestic cat can rat...
and mouse, toad, frog, squirrel, bird

 

[Dave7]

Our garden backs onto a stream. Years ago, when they were building a new housing estate a mile upstream we had lots of rats around. The guy next door kept racing pigeons and the rats slaughtered them just to get the food in their gullet.
Strange........we have not seen one for many year but last week had 3 in the garden, eating from the bird feeder. We have, sadly, had to stop putting bird food out.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Horrible.
Shoot by all means but drowning?

Nearly as bad as mixing cement into food..

 

[Dirk]

A terrier, on the other hand, is superb.

You lookin' at me?
You lookin' at me?!

 

[Levo-Lon]

You lookin' at me?
You lookin' at me?!
View attachment 506046

My FinL had a particularly good ratter in his younger days, cant beat a good JR

 

[Electric_Andy]

I think drowning is more humane than poison

 

[Drago]

Shoot 'em, go all Tackleberry on their asses.

 

[Dave7]

Shoot 'em, go all Tackleberry on their asses.

I tried to shoot them last week but the little ****** are so fast and I am sure they recognise a rifle. As soon as I cocked it they were off.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I think drowning is more humane than poison

Poison is the worst and risks killing other wildlife..


Drowning is just a bit cruel.
But needs must, I thought they banned drowning a few yrs ago