I want to electrocute rats

[Neal]

Wow, I never thought so many people are pro rat(not pro-rated). I agree to a point regarding not killing animals, here in Nevada we have a huge population of wild horses which are being hearde up by helicopter, just because the ranchers don't want them eating there cattle feed. And there are groups which I joined to stop removing the horses and euthanizing hem or selling them to other countries for human food.
But rats seem less important than horses to me.

 

[HarveyH42]

Well, rats are about as welcome on my property, as fire ants, will be treat equally. If I could see some benefit to having them around, perhaps I would be so quick to kill them. Both create work for me, and spend my hard earned money for me, but give nothing in return, from what I've seen thus far. Guess the ants at least eat the dog crap, and dead rats...

 

[dknguyen]

Sorry to seem so cruel, but I believe a rat is a PEST, any way to eliminate them is good. 25 to 30 in the yard is sure a bunch a pests. They are very destructive PESTS. if they stay out in the woods ok, not in the yard, the yard is my home also.

A lot of people, including the OP seem to be forgetting that he is the one placing food outside for the rats to get at in the first place. It's not their fault as much as it is his fault.

Why do you need to even shock the rats? It would be more effective simply to have something automatically seal the feeder when night comes. As long as there is knowledge of food (or maybe even the smell of food), there will may be rats hanging around your yard- regardless of how hard the food is hard to get at.

I don't know how smart or dumb rats are, but if they aren't as smart as squirrels, isn't it also possible that they won't learn from being shocked in the past, especially if the smell of food is still right there.

 

[Torben]

Squirrels are pretty rats. The big squirrels make good eatin'.

I have to agree with the others: the source of the problem is the food. The rats have found a food source, and will continue to try to access it.

We have a similar problem here with tourists and bears. People want to feed them for a private nature show, and then wonder why they suddenly have a trash bear in their campsite.

I hate to say it, but the best way to get rid of the rats is to remove their reason to be there. Otherwise, you don't stand much of a chance of getting rid of all of them before winter (actually you haven't filled in your location in your User CP so I don't even know if you have anything like winter), when they will move into your house--it's the closest warm place.

When I was a kid, we had two main ways to deal with rats: Victor traps and .22s. I guess you're likely not in a rural enough location to be popping rats off the tree with a .22 though.

Anyway, enough rambling. How did the experiment with the rat zapping go last night?


Torben

 

[HarveyH42]

I don't think the rats will just vanish with the food, they keep searching the property. Squirrels don't just feed, they hide the surplus food for winter months. Not just in one place either, but all over. Regardless of whether the OP caused the problem, or not (likely always had the rats, since he already had the squirrels). He needs to get busy before it starts getting cold outside, and shelter becomes a higher priority than food for the rats.

It took less than two months from my initial sightings, until they were doing property damage. Not sure if I ever mentioned it, but the cat feeder lived next door for over 5 years, and this was the first time I had a rodent problem, ever.

Feeding squirrel for a month, and 20-30 rats? I live in the middle of town, and that many rats is an infestation to me. Perhaps out on the farm, it's not a big deal. Numbers might be a little off, but believe the females can pop out 8-10 babies, every 3 months. They can start as young as 6 weeks... They already have food, whether you continue to provide for them or not. Suppose it depends on where you live, but for me, I knew I had to take control quickly.

 

[Torben]

Just to be clear, I didn't say that removing the food would remove the problem. Not removing the food, however, will make the problem almost impossible to solve.


Torben

 

[Rolacoy]

No luck with the electricity. We put out some of those sticky cardboard things and got 3 last night. Put some more out tonight. They told me at the local feed store to use a liquid drink that poisons them.

 

[mneary]

You still putting out food for the pretty rats with the bushy tails?

 

[HarveyH42]

No luck with the electricity. We put out some of those sticky cardboard things and got 3 last night. Put some more out tonight. They told me at the local feed store to use a liquid drink that poisons them.

I wasn't a big fan of the poisons. I bought some little green blocks and put them out. Had the rancid smell of dead rat for a few days, and could find the source. When the weekend came, I was on the roof installing a solar panel, and found it... If you have a dog or cat, they might find the toxic rats before you do. The squirrels are some times active at night as well. I still put out a poison cube, but on the far corner of the property, and careful to place it where the dog, and squirrels can't get to it, and hoping the rat dies on the other side of the fence... It's also kind of an indicator of activity. The last want I place is still there, about three weeks now. I don't plan on buying anymore poison, but want to use what I have, rather than just throw it in the trash.

When I get home from work today, I'll search for the bucket trap. Seemed like cheap and easy build, and would work well. I just couldn't find a place to put it, where the dog wouldn't get at it.

 

[Boomslang]

When rats get out of hand I do put some poison out now and again. I use liquid rat poison mixed with the sweetest wine I can find. If there are allot of them they finish 500ml a night!

 

[Torben]

When rats get out of hand I do put some poison out now and again. I use liquid rat poison mixed with the sweetest wine I can find. If there are allot of them they finish 500ml a night!

The fun thing about poison is that you can get a two-for-one deal: kill the rats, and get new drywall. I've had to dig poisoned rats out of the wall before. Not a lot of fun, but we had to do it since we couldn't breathe in the kitchen any more.


Torben

 

[killivolt]

I agree with Torben (Squirrels pretty rats) and I havn't herd a thing from someone living in Colorado. In Colorado they treat them like rats there everywhere and will burrow into your house the same way a roof rat will.

And yes move the food up tie a line between two trees with food in the middle. The squirrels will make it across from either side the rats may not.

Edit: Varmints carry disease Rabies Squirrels,rats,mice,bats,etc. We have had a lot of trouble with bats here if you don't cover your addict vents with wire mesh they come in by the thousand. Smell that poop x 1000 yuk !!!!!!!!

 

[dknguyen]

I agree with Torben (Squirrels pretty rats) and I havn't herd a thing from someone living in Colorado. In Colorado they treat them like rats there everywhere and will burrow into your house the same way a roof rat will.

And yes move the food up tie a line between two trees with food in the middle. The squirrels will make it across from either side the rats may not.

Edit: Varmints carry disease Rabies Squirrels,rats,mice,bats,etc. We have had a lot of trouble with bats here if you don't cover your addict vents with wire mesh they come in by the thousand. Smell that poop x 1000 yuk !!!!!!!!

Personally, I like bats but. Maybe not in your attic but a bat roost perhaps. I always though they were the "rats with wings" that people talk about. But nope...that's pigeons for some reason.

I found this neat:
**broken link removed**

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Personally, I like bats but. Maybe not in your attic but a bat roost perhaps. I always though they were the "rats with wings" that people talk about. But nope...that's pigeons for some reason.

Loads of feathers in next door garden the other day

Our elderly neighbour the other side said that the (first) neighbours cat had caught a pidgeon, but he threw something at the cat, and managed to get the injured bird away from it. He took it to the local vet, but it died of it's injuries - however it wasn't a wild bird, it was a racing pidgeon, and the vet rang the owner in Cheshire.

Bats are a protected species in the UK, if they roost in your loft you can't remove them!.

 

[HarveyH42]

Nothing wrong with bats, except for the small chance of carrying disease. If you don't mess with them, you have almost no chance of ever getting bitten. The are probably the best way to control flying insects. Other than bat-crap, they don't do any harm or property damage. They are creepy, and it's unnerving to be near when it's time for them to go out in the evening to feed, like a swarm of bees.

 

[Torben]

Nothing wrong with bats, except for the small chance of carrying disease. If you don't mess with them, you have almost no chance of ever getting bitten. The are probably the best way to control flying insects. Other than bat-crap, they don't do any harm or property damage. They are creepy, and it's unnerving to be near when it's time for them to go out in the evening to feed, like a swarm of bees.

I love 'em. They're cute and they eat bugs--what more do you want?

We're kind of trained from childhood to fear them, but they're great. And making a bat detector is a great project which lets you listen to them echolocating. Sounds very cool.

At some point I hope to get around to posting some of the projects I've completed. The bat detector one is pretty cool but still has some bugs that would benefit from more eyes.


Torben

 

[dknguyen]

Nothing wrong with bats, except for the small chance of carrying disease. If you don't mess with them, you have almost no chance of ever getting bitten. The are probably the best way to control flying insects. Other than bat-crap, they don't do any harm or property damage. They are creepy, and it's unnerving to be near when it's time for them to go out in the evening to feed, like a swarm of bees.

What? You don't like feeling like Batman?

 

[Torben]

What? You don't like feeling like Batman?

Anybody here visited Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico? Sitting at the mouth of the cave system at dusk while thousands upon thousands of bats spiral up into the sky out of the ground--that is a very cool experience.


Torben

 

[Mikebits]

Anybody here visited Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico? Sitting at the mouth of the cave system at dusk while thousands upon thousands of bats spiral up into the sky out of the ground--that is a very cool experience.
Torben

I saw something similar when I use to live in the philippines. Every evening the whole sky grew dark as they flew by.

Also when I lived there, our pest problems were some rather large monkeys that would seem to have food fights with the contents of our garbage cans as they would fling the trash everywhere. I once tried to run them off with a lot of yelling and they won as they would hurl the garbage at me which sent my running back into my house. We were forbidden to take any action as this was the base directive.

 

[HarveyH42]

I live in Florida, and it's hot during the day, so have to wait until the sun goes down during the summer months, before it's reasonable to take the dog out for a walk. It took me a while to get use to walking past the church on the corner, which was home to hundreds of bats. Even knowing they feed on insects, it's freaky having them fly close enough to swat out of the air. As fast as they move, was always worried about one accidentally slamming into me or the dog. Never even close. Haven't had any encounters with the new puppy yet, but the church is now some sort of office building, maybe the got rid of the bats, or I still time my walks to avoid the swarm.