Rats rats everywhere - help

[1873]

I live in the sticks and get rats here now and again. I hate killing things but do it when necessary. It's legal to use shotguns out here but rats are really hard to kill cleanly with one - they seem to squeal and kick about for ages afterwards and that's something I hate to be responsible for. By far the cleanest way to kill one is with an accurate head shot with an air rifle. I've found the most humane way is to set up my rifle upstairs and stick some birdseed to the patio with peanut butter and wait. They appear in regular time slots, early morning, mid morning, early afternoon, mid afternoon and then dusk. From above I can get a clean head shot and they're dead instantly. If you break up your silhouette with the curtains and a couple of tshirts dangling from the curtain rail they won't really see you if you keep still. I alway re-zero before lying in wait - you'd be amazed how much different your point of impact is when you change distances so for a clean kill you need to be pinpoint accurate. I use a .22 BSA Scorpion T10 but at such short range almost anything firing at 10 ft/lbs or more will do the trick instantly. Afterwards I pick them up on a shovel (if injured they'll bite you if they get the chance and you may not realise they're not dead yet) and bung them into the household wheelie bin. If there's blood on the patio I wash that down with a mild bleach solution just in case then rinse it off with a bucket of water so the dogs don't get anything irritating on their paws.

As far as rifles go, I really like the killing power of the .22 at close range and the flat trajectory of .177 at longer ranges so I have one of each in position and I'm ready to go as soon as a rat is seen either at the top or the bottom of the garden. I've found (personal opinion) that springers seem more accurate if they're in .177 than .22 I reckon it's the movement of the internals having to work harder to push the larger pellet but the rifle just doesn't seem to move as much in the smaller calibre - so that's worth investigating for yourself if you want to reduce wounding as much as possible. I agree with the people who rate a secondhand Weihrauch for the job - I have an HW80 that's thoroughly reliable and if I had to use a springer then that'd be the one I'd use.

BTW - if anyone tells you that all Jack Russells are excellent ratters then that isn't so - my two will kill a rabbit or a pheasant in a heartbeat but won't go near a rat. Maybe it's the smell or maybe a sixth sense but they absolutely refuse to be interested in rats.

Good luck - and remember, killing a rat with a rifle (assuming you can shoot straight) is more humane than poisoning them or drowning them, so if like me you hate killing things then it's worth remembering that if you don't do it with a clean and accurate shot then someone else will do it with poison, a badly placed shot or worse.

[TDes]

If you are baiting them to a specific position, use solar led lights (that just stick in the ground). They get used to them after a week and is easier than using a torch.

Unfortunately, I have them in my loft, so a bit confined for the rifle!! Snap traps and poison are my only choices!!

T

[mdunn]

You don't want a dead 1 in your loft. Atb mick

[angrybear]

I don't post on here very often but read with interest. I don't mind rats particularly and have caught a few in humane cages, fed them and then released them miles away. However, they are now starting to eat the vegetable patch that we have created and need to go.

I loved airguns when I was younger and still have a couple of pistols, but need to get an air rifle again to take them out as they are completely ignoring the bait box. I don't want to spend lots of money (<£300 ideally). Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to buy?

Many thanks.

I'm inclined to say, if you can, then buy a used .22 outfit from a local shop, and your choice is going to be down to what is in stock,
I'm a firm believer in buying a better item used, over buying a cheap one new, so a used Weihrauch would be top of the list, don't just buy the cheapest pellets either.

[Shedder]

You could ask if anyone on here lives in the area and has night vision and is willing to volunteer to come down for a couple of night time sessions. Poison is ultimately like to be the best control, but they will ve more likely to eat it if there are no other ready sources of food.

[rapidresponse1]

never saw one in my garden for ages ,come out back garden today and one went diving in to hedge row make some poision up later

[Faerie]

never saw one in my garden for ages ,come out back garden today and one went diving in to hedge row make some poision up later

Likewise we never saw any rats for years after moving to this house, then Yorkshire Water decided to flush out the sewers in the area with some kind of high pressure device and suddenly we were seeing rats regularly.
We saw a couple running along the street nearby, then I spotted (& shot) one that had somehow managed to climb the Dog Rose in our garden to get to the bird feeder. The final straw was when one strolled across the patio right in front of the house in broad daylight & it became apparent there was a nest of them under the hedge between our & the neighbour's gardens.
We have young grandchildren & there's no way I'm going to tolerate the risk to their health so live traps & poison were put down. Caught a young rat in one of the traps, but also caught a toad, a wood mouse, and the hedgehog that sleeps in the garage & does a great job of keeping the slugs down, so I had to stop using the live traps & rely on the poison, which thankfully seems to have done the job.

[jeff0100]

This fits the bill perfectly. Add a small scope and you're up and running.

[rapidresponse1]

well made some rat poision up with flour sugar and bicarbonate of soda all mixed together always works

[rapidresponse1]

yes that will do the job jeff

[Mr.Fixit-Norm]

Not sure if I’m allowed, but I’ve just put my tuned Remington Express compact, complete with 6 x 40 scope and bag in the for sale section.
It’s running at 10ftlbs and is pretty accurate, and is well within your budget.

Would make a good ratter

If I’m not allowed to advertise this on here then I’m sure the mods will remove it !

Norm

[Sooty]

Reading this with interest as I've noticed 2 rats during the day this past week, I've never shot a anything living and need more practice to shoot anything else!!
Question on the bicarbonate of soda poison, how is that made and how does it work?
And in terms of red filters is there a specific type I should look for? I've put down some granules in a rat bait trap but my concern is any other creatures getting to it.
Thanks

[rapidresponse1]

i large spoon full of self raising flour one of bi carb one of sugar mix it well together ad a touch of water roll in to balls and put out where you se rat droppings or a rat hole,2 dead this morning

[Sooty]

i large spoon full of self raising flour one of bi carb one of sugar mix it well together ad a touch of water roll in to balls and put out where you se rat droppings or a rat hole,2 dead this morning

Wow that straight forward? Many thanks, will do this tomorrow

[where's it gone]

..Question on the bicarbonate of soda poison, how is that made and how does it work?..

Watch this, very similar end result, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REJi5Heeurk
Rodents can't fart so the pressure on the organs kills them.