Forum Topic

RATS - humane way of killing nest

A friend in Ealing has rats in her garden. Does anyone know of a humane way of getting rid of a rat's nest in a big garden.   The rat runs are extending now to the outside walls of the house although they've not gained entry but the come the cold and wet.....!   They've got to go.

Trudie Fuller ● 4184d11 Comments

My friend has bitten the bullet - pest control people have been and placed tamper proof boxes of bait by the runs - he'll be back at least twice over a 2 month period to re-bait the boxes (and collect up any dead bodies).  He mentioned bird feeders being a prime source of food for rats - in the neighbours' gardens unfortunately.

Trudie Fuller ● 4181d

If you don't want to use bait or traps, as a pest controller I would look at why they are there and remove it or exclude them from accessing it. ie food source (compost, bird seed), free standing water source (garden pond) shelter ( overgrown garden)If you remove these from the area then they cannot survive and will move on. It sounds like there is quite a few rats? Not just 1 or 2.  I would recommend a baiting program myself preferably placed directly into the burrows and them cover the bait over

Warrick Chamberlain ● 4183d

Maybe you could lend 'Our Lennie' to Trudie.

Keith Iddon ● 4183d

Oi! Our Lennie is a ratter/mouser par excellence, we've had two this week, one corpse in the upstairs loo and one in my son's room, charming.

Vanessa Smith ● 4183d

They would have to take their chances when coming into my garden if I had rats Vanessa. Perhaps if they weren't so lazy and indulged the 'local moggies' would kill a few of the said rats, thus negating the need of poison.

Keith Iddon ● 4183d

Be careful using poison because of hedgehogs and local moggies, best get a professional pest control bod in, they look for the runs and access points near the nest.

Vanessa Smith ● 4183d

I'd put some poison down as well if I were you.

Keith Iddon ● 4183d

What? You obviously have to bait the trap more than once and hide it amongst foliage. Wash it out every time. You won't get rid of them all at once no matter what method you try.

Keith Iddon ● 4183d

but what do you do about all Mr Ratty's wives, children and relatives?  You'd need a firing squad and that's after you'd deployed dozens of traps to catch the blighters (wanted to spell that bliters.).

Trudie Fuller ● 4183d

Buy a squirrel trap and bait it with cake or bread with peanut butter and when you catch the rat shoot it in the back of the head with an air pistol or rifle. It's quick and the rat gets to enjoy a last meal.

Keith Iddon ● 4184d

I doubt you can be humane with rats, I'd just bite the bullet and get a pest control firm in before she's living with them.

Vanessa Smith ● 4184d