Getting rid of a rat

[Clive Summerfield]

Hi,

We appear to have a rat in our back garden. I can see a couple of places where it might be hanging out. Anyone got any suggestions for terminating the b*gger with extreme prejudice?

Cheers Clive

[enuff]

Seriously, do you know anyone with / have you got a decent air rifle? A .22 at 12lbs will dispose of a rat or small rabbit very cleanly at up to 25 metres, more if the shooter is good.

Tony

[BigWallop]

Arsenic laced bread under the hedges, but make sure you don't get other animals with it as well.

[Richard Savage]

And where does one buy Arsenic these days?

Had a rats nest under my shed last year. Buggers carefully helped themselves to the peanut butter on the traps and all manner of other stuff. I didn't want to use poison bait because (a) I didn't want rotting rodents under said shed and (b) I understand that rats, not being stupid, allow juveniles to sample new food sources before tucking in.

Armonia, poured down the holes, was a recommended 'discouragement' but I couldn't find any strong enough to take my breath away. I resorted to petrol and a spade.

BOL Richard

[Peter Taylor]

BigWallop wrote

Right, I've got the bread. Where do I get the Arsenic and Old Lace? :o)

[PoP]

Jack Russell Terrier? In fact pretty much anything from the terrier family I'm led to believe.....

PoP

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[James Salisbury]

terminating

Look after a Whippit for a week and let it stay in your garden. Sooner or later it will shake rattle and roll!!

[Niall]

Is there a local terrier club, or someone with a serious badass cat?

[Peter Crosland]

Check with the environmental health department of your local council. Some will set bait or traps free of charge.

[Set Square]

Well, I did catch one last year with a Rat Zapper -

- but I've not had any success since.

The idea is that you get them used to coming in and eating the bait before turning it on - and then you turn it on - and, next time they come . . Z A P (it administers a very high voltage shock so that they die of a heart attack).

Trouble is, I can't get the sods to eat the bait this year - I'm going to try some different bait.

[James Hart]

Some have suggested airguns, others have offered cats as the best technique. Can I offer this one?

[Zipadee Doodar]

try sitting on a razor blade - that'll give your arse a nick.

ZD

[Howard Neil]

I'll second that. I have a Jack Russell and he is a fantastic ratter.

[space]

We solve the problem here by making sure the three cats go just slightly hungry (joking). Seriously the rodents don't come to our garden, presumably the smell of the cats puts them off. or the cats leg it as fast as they can around the garden.

[Niall]

[Colin Wilson]

and still gets played regularly in our house :-p

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[Huge]

I live in converted farm buildings, so there's usually several hundred tonnes of rat food in nearby buildings, ergo we control rats all the time.

I use old-fashioned rat traps (there are some American plastic ones which work well, although expensive - fasten the trap down, I've known them disappear completely) and an anticoagulant bait called "Neosorexa" which I buy from Farmrite;

[Clive Summerfield]

Got an Irish Setter and a Gordon Setter. Neither seems to have had much of an influence on Roland. Might try borrowing the neighbour's Patterdales.

Cheers Clive

[Clive Summerfield]

From recent experience, Setters are cr*p at disuading rats.

Cheers Clive

[Clive Summerfield]

With 2 youngish children and 1 puppy, I'm rather averse to using poison, except as a last resort.

I assume you pour the petrol into the hole, light it and then use the spade to dig out the charred remains of Roland?

Cheers Clive