Plenty of good advice up above, Mel.
Hope you get Mr Ratty sorted sharpish.
I put some cheap solar lights on the lawn under the bird feeder. We only get an occasional rat. We have a ground feeder. If it suddenly starts emptying overnight I know we have a visitor.
4 in 2 years is all
Pete
Pete
I travel alone
Plenty of good advice up above, Mel.
Hope you get Mr Ratty sorted sharpish.
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I was thinking that earlier, Pauly.
I wonder whatever became of poor old Carl?
Seemed a nice lad.....
THE BOINGER BASH AT QUIGLEY HOLLOW. MAKING GREAT MEMORIES SINCE 15th JUNE, 2013.
NEXT EVENT :- May 2025.........BOING!!
I think Carl was reincarnated as a Chippendale mate
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At a previous location, the next door neighbour used to put out bread 'for the birds'. I watched and as soon as she had gone indoors, rats emerged from under their stable block and ran back and forth with the said bread.
I told them what was happening, but they took no notice.
Rats will eat virtually anything, but are creatures of habit, so a few pieces of bread in full view of my bedroom window sorted the problem, drawing them through the fence into my line of sight.
Small pieces worked best, as they tended to eat them straight away, rather than carry them back, giving a bit more aim time.
I HATE RATS
Hi is not my advice c from personal experience but I am sure I read that or saw a video that liquidised cat food was best as they have to lick it up and can't resist it.
Borrow a couple of Jack Russels for the day and let them find the nest, Then stand by with guns, spades, big sticks.Etc...
Just be yourself because the people that mind don't matter and the people that matter don't mind!
Liquidised cat food worked best for me, but anything smelly and liquidised is good, you may need to feed it/them for a while until they get more brave getting it. If you put it in a container for them to lap at, be sure to pin down the container, I did it without, and it dragged the whole container off. I got it next time though
A small liquid bait trail to the main bait works well too.
There was an epic thread on here last year Mel, it was started by a chap called Carl and it started just like your thread here, it went on for many pages over many months, I seem to remember Carl did bag the rat in the end but sadly Carl was 'never heard of again'
Good luck mate
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At my shoot the farmer gets the leftovers from a local bakery most of which he feeds to the chickens and ducks (what he don't eat himself ) pretty funny seeing a rat run off carrying a whole bread roll in its mouth !
There is one carrying a roll in this video at around 7 seconds in:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38248828
He "hops" a little, but you might expect that with a froggy rat
Got it, unfortunately not a clean shot, I had placed some bread where we had last seen the rat, and I waited for it, about 10 pm on Sunday night it showed up. It was nibbling the bread but it had its back to me so i waited to see if it would turn which it did, I took aim on the head and as I pulled the trigger the next door neighbour let his dogs out. This startled the rat and it set off but i hit it, it bounced against a white board I had placed behind the bait to give me a good silhouette, don't like not making a clean kill even if it is a rat, went looking to see if I could find it but it was dark round the back of the garage.
This morning needed some paving flags to finish the path, when I moved two pavers the rat was laid there, dead of course and a rather large tear on its belly and side.
Just going to keep a vigil on an evening to see if it has any mates.
Cheers
Chippendale (with clothes on)