trapping rats

[rhoda_bruce]

My story:
I only have a seasonal problem. Obviously it is very hot in my area over the summer and no animal in their right mind would stay in my attic when I could probably bake a dish up there. But in the winter, thats another story. I did have a problem a while back where I knew something was actually in the house, but I tended to that, myself, with traps and killed 5.
But it sounds like I have a rat town hall meeting going on on top of me at night. I have been wishing I still had a rat terrier. I finally couldn't take it anymore and called my nephew over to climb the ladder and put my Dachshund with her sister and all the rats went into the walls after the dogs were there, but they don't operate like a rat terrier would.
I won't put poison. Been there....done that. Not happening again. I rather live with live ones, that smell dead ones. What the manufacturers claim will happen and what actually happens are two different stories.
I have ordered a repeating rat trap which should come in before the 20th and I have a repeating mouse trap already up there, along with one single rat trap.
DS wants me to call an exterminator, but I can't see he will do any better than me.
So how do you keep rats under control?

 

[sumi]

Poisons and traps, though that dog sounds like a keeper! This trap is a set-and-forget (for a day or 2 at least) type and from what I heard it works very well:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/747201/5-gallon-bucket-mouse-trap/0_30

 

[sumi]

@rhoda_bruce Yay, keep us posted! A neighbour told us years ago that he uses something with a little cough syrup on it for his traps. Apparently the rats are drawn to the sweet smell.

@frustratedearthmother Maybe try again? Glad to hear the dog is doing so well though. Our chickens used to help catch the mice, if they were fast enough to get them, which wasn't often lol DH was sitting in the house with a pellet gun once, shooting mice as he saw them (we had quite a few). He caught one in the doorway and shot it. As the mouse keeled over a chicken ran past, grabbed it and took off with it! I will never forget the look on DH's face, it was priceless!

 

[sumi]

You have to put water in the bottom, deep enough to drown them, or they may get out again.

 

[Mini Horses]

Part of the water in the vat method is to keep them from jumping out. I've seen some VERY athletic mice in my barn jumping when I moved something! So they wouldn't be able to jump out, will swim until........

My daughter told me she has a live trap -- takes them out & turns them loose Wow.....I told her to take them waaaaay away from her house before release.

Guy up road from me has a mouse "factory". Special white ones he raises & sells to pet stores, etc. Food for snakes, lizards, etc.
Does really, really well. They are disease free, etc. Not my type of farming.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

We have had a persistent problem with rats in our workshop and we ended up having to set a trap daily which was a big pain. They got smart and learned to set it off and eat the food without getting caught. Let me know if you find anything that works!

 

[sumi]

It's most likely an urban legend, but I know rodents do tend to develop canabilistic tendencies. I certainly won't encourage it though!

Are you going to try the bucket trap? I'd love to know if you do, how it worked for you.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@sumi - We are about to try that bucket trap RIGHTTTT NOW. I was out soaking some hides in the building earlier when I saw a mouse go scurrying by. My husband missed him, but then we caught another and he managed to pop it with a BB gun. SO- I will let you all know how this goes GLADLY with pictures.

edit: Just made the trap and got it ready for the night. I will let you know how it goes!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

DH and I made the bucket trap last weekend. But, we made it out of a trash can to catch all those rats we were sure would just jump in there.....ugh...we've caught exactly ONE rat and still see tons of rat tracks all through the mud...

However - Gracie has turned out to be an awesome ratter! My Westies were better but only because they were smaller and could get into places that Gracie can't get.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

FEM.....you have a rat terrier? Maybe I shouldn't ask.....I'll be jealous
Well, I still hear a bit of noise above me, but seems like a little less, but its early still.
DS just paced in front of me a little and asked if I thought anything was dead yet. I tell him, idk about dead, but I bet something is probably getting sick. At this time next week, I might be posting things that will bum all of you out. I have a lot of buckets and gadgets....I will see if I can put something together, but not sure rats couldn't get out. Maybe I can use DH's large wine vat.