Would like to hear of others control methods.
Just had a rat in the workshop/storeroom at home. Can't fully block access to these f#*kers and from time to time we get one in. Usually around this time of the year when its cold and nesting is on the cards.
Have removed any old rags and clothing that minimisers nesting options. The dog is too slow to catch 'em plus I hate cats so that isn't an option.
I always have some of those all weather baits lying around and this time it worked...however the bait takes about 4/5 days to take effect and during this time the rat has...shat everywhere, chewed through the shoulders and hence destroyed my sons wetsuit, chewed along the bottom of the door leading to the outside, and bled everywhere (the baits cause the rat to haemorrhage). I have also set those snap traps as a back-up - unfortunately these came onto the scened too late. I have cleaned the workshop up and still haven't come across the rank smell of a dead rat yet.
I have a lot of surf, windsurf and kite gear in my workshop and would naturally be devastated if any damage was done to these.
I am going to buy a few of those plastic storage containers with lids for my gear but want to get these things before too much damage is done next time.
Anyway, please let me know how you go about quickly getting these things before too much mess and damage occurs.
Cheers. 
I hear ya, I'm camped in the bush in a caravan and some bush rats think it would make a good place for them too!
baits, they love them!!!! And I'm sure that's why they keep coming back each night.
im trying some beach squirted around to see if that puts them off.
traps are hard to buy but probably the best idea.
Don't use bait!
I spent most of Sat morning crawling around in the tight roof space looking for the rotting corps that was stinking the bedroom up.
It smelt bad!
I dealing with a mice issue at work. Hate to think of the damage bill but including the holes in the walls, it'd be pushing 10k at a guess.
Couple of options around the home. Baits like racummin work well. Placed in the right spots and used properly (with gloves only), they are pretty effective. I had the pest pros out last week and they showed me all the entry, water points etc.
Rat Zappers are $80-110 a trap and electrocute the bastards. I use them in my office. The smell of dead mice in walls is revolting but rat zappers are pretty handy. Catch a few mice at once. I also used them in my garage and at my olds along the fence line.
By far the best is snake poo though. If they smell / sense a snake they wont come near the premise.
We had an extended family of mice decide to cohabit with us a few weeks ago. Plain ol' good ol' wood and wire mouse traps got 9 in the fist 3 days and if there were any left they got the hint. Get some rat traps if your rodents are bigger than the ones I had.
Had a large family of mouses in the roof space of your other house about 3 years ago...
I used ratsack mixed with steamed rice in icecream containers
They eat everything and died...
Yes a couple died in the roof ... but they only smell for about 3 days
or if you climb up there and get rid of them.
Can't do that in this house as we have a large family of possums in our roof space
So I use about a 7cm polly pipe with a cap or tape at one end and fill that full of
steamed rice and ratsack...
And my 2 cats keeps them from coming inside
had a rat recently. left out ratsak, had a normal rat traps as well. didnt get it with either. ended up catching it manually.
But I have had success with ratsak in the past - leave a bowl of water near the ratsack. they try find water afterwards so if you leave water out they should die near the water
How does the rat sack go...fairly quick kill? Itwas the prolonged internal bleeding death that caused most of the damage as it gave the rat 4 days to maximise revenge.
Respect for a rat...the f-er chewed up a wetsuit and the bottom of my door, and bled and shat everywhere. Respect - nil. Kill efficiency wanted - 100%. ^^^^ nice head shot. If I caught it in a cage it would be a matter of watching how long the rat can hold its breath for underwater.
Select to expand quoteshi thouse said...
How does the rat sack go...fairly quick kill? Itwas the prolonged internal bleeding death that caused most of the damage as it gave the rat 4 days to maximise revenge.
When i lived in darwin I killed heaps of rats with ratsack with never any blood. Maybe just the type of poison you were using? Try ratsack
This **** still legal??? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BRAND-NEW-75-LBS-APEX-BERSERKER-COMPOUND-BOW-CAMO-ARCHERY-HUNTING-EXTRAS-/160785298112?pt=AU_Archery&hash=item256f8cf2c0
make sure you use broard heads.
This is the best solution to mice and rats. litte cat foodslut?
As much as I normally prefer the firearms, we have a Tenterfield terrier that could badly do with burning off some steam.
Ideal for catching rats
stephen
How bad is bad?
yes iv drowned mice that the plastic trap caught but did't kill.
i felt sad for the bugger and justify it by saying its a quick ending, BUT not to feel empathy for him!
oh what a work is Man?
I feel sad for anyone who takes pleasure in killing, and would put them down in an instant to improve the world!
Have you tried glue traps? They will catch both mice and rats, no escaping possible. Poison can be harmful to birds of prey if you have them around, they will eat the dead animals and then get poisoned themselves, this is areal problem in some areas but not others. I have the electric trap but big cockroaches set it off.
Select to expand quoteBeaglebuddy said...
Have you tried glue traps? They will catch both mice and rats, no escaping possible. Poison can be harmful to birds of prey if you have them around, they will eat the dead animals and then get poisoned themselves, this is areal problem in some areas but not others. I have the electric trap but big cockroaches set it off.
Glue traps are cruel and repulsive instruments of torture. They will tear their skin off or chew their limbs off trying to escape, if they don't starve to death on them. Why use them when you can use quick-killing traps? Plus they are illegal in some states of Australia.
Select to expand quoteChook2 said...
"Treat your rats with respect, they deserve it."
You have got to be kidding!!!!!
I'm sure he means respect as in respectful enough to give it a quick end, and not torture it slowly like some people supposedly do. Unnecessary animal cruelty is unacceptable regardless of what animal it is.
I wonder how GarryB gets redthumbs for criticising any methods of killing furry critters that cause unnecessary pain.
????????
Most likely the person I quoted, who uses such methods, did it. Damn those pesky morals huh?
