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My favoured method of dealing with rats is the old-fashioned fire-poker. Unfortunately you can't use that until they have nowhere to run. When we had a rifle-using neighbour we used a cage trap, and he shot them in the trap. Fortunately we don't seem to get them at the moment. Last ones we had here climbed the cable at the back of the fridge-freezer (in the brick shed) and chewed their way into the insulation. The freezer was no longer freezing, because there was very little insulation left! We resorted to poison, replaced the fridge-freezer, and now have a 'magnetic' rodent repeller. I don't think it will totally keep them out, but it should put them off climbing cables.....
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Flowers come in too many colours to see the world in black-and-white. -
I tried the 'sonic' repellers in the loft of our last house, and it didn't make any difference. I've been nasty this time and put down bait - I went for the wax block type. I put one down last night, outside on the corner where we hear them climbing in
It had gone this morning, and we had a quiet night!
I have more blocks ready ....
All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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Don't blame you for the blocks. Before our old terraced house came under a Compulsory Purchase Order (30 years ago) we had rats in the cellar and underneath the bay windows. Four houses in a yard and three of us dug out the bays and filled with concrete and broken glass and called in the council to bait the cellars. Unfortunately one of the neighbours denied having rats - I believe she thought it made her dirty, so we had them for years anyway as they came through her house back into ours! It was a relief when we were rehoused. My husband was more terrified of them than me and I recall being 7 months pregnant going down the stone steps to put a shilling in the gas meter while he stood at the top of the steps clapping his hands!!Granny on the Game in SheffieldComment
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The sonic repellers are pretty useless, but there are ones that are claimed to work by electromagnetic stuff allong the wires, so it affects all wiring in the house. Having had 'fun' with rats chewing wires (a major cause of thatch fires BTW) anything which deters them from doing so is good. It is supposed to need 'witching' between the 2 frequencies every few weeks, so they don't 'get used to it', but I reckon it keeps them from chewing cables regardless, and that is the important bit!Originally posted by Glutton4... View PostI tried the 'sonic' repellers in the loft of our last house, and it didn't make any difference. I've been nasty this time and put down bait - I went for the wax block type. I put one down last night, outside on the corner where we hear them climbing in It had gone this morning, and we had a quiet night!
I have more blocks ready ....
When we have to get drastic (in Spain) I use the 'sachet' type bait packs. When I used blocks, they were ignored.....Flowers come in too many colours to see the world in black-and-white.Comment
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We've just had to buy a new drain hose for the dish washer as the pesky meeces have munched little holes in the old one - as we found out when we heard a "water spraying" noise coming from behind the fridge (where the hose goes to the drain) the other night!! Have been poisoning the little blighters since we moved in (they - or their cousins probably, made a right mess of our last house) to try and keep on top of the problem, but they just seem to have gone mad recently! They get into the cupboard under the sink and chomp and poop a'ways! Have spoken to an ex-pest controller friend, and he said just keep loads of poison down in loads of places......off to B&Q to get some more....Comment
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Heard a little more scratching last night, so put another block down this morning and it was gone by the time I got home about 2:30! Glad I bought a bag full.
Oh yeah, I'm beginning to think there's a conspiracy; I went to feed the Horses this afternoon, and for some reason looked in my chap's Stable on my way past. Laying there, on the floor, was a huge adult Roland. Dead.
Bladdy things
All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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It's the ones you find in the waterbuckets that are really bad eeeeeyuk........
The mice seem to be eating the rat bait so we've got dying mice outside in various points, but the ones indoors seem to be surviving too well for the moment
Hayley B
John Wayne's daughter, Marisa Wayne, will be competing with my Other Half, in the Macmillan 4x4 Challenge (in its 10th year) in March 2011, all sponsorship money goes to Macmillan Cancer Support, please sponsor them at http://www.justgiving.com/Mac4x4TeamDuke'
An Egg is for breakfast, a chook is for lifeComment
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Pain in the wotsits aren't they?
Daft, I know, but I'm ok with live ones - as they run away. But the corpses have to be dealt with don't they *shudders*
Looks like I'll be putting bait down at the yard now too! All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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just pray when they die its somewhere where you can get the corpse,if not the house will really smell and it will be bad very very bad
Last edited by Pies; 20-11-2009, 06:57 PM.Comment
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Yes, been there, done that. For those that don't know - it's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad, and lasts over a fortnight!
All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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Sorry to laugh but your woes reminded me of a similar encounter a few years back when I kept fancy rats,totally diiferent beastie to the wild type - as I was about to find out.
There I was at the pooter tapping away when out of the corner of my eye I saw a rat tail flip under the vax hoover. It took me nearly a minute to realise what was wrong - a) my pet rat was curled up asleep on my lap and b) she didn't have a tail (young child + rat + back of sofa don't mix).
I thought I'd be kind and catch and release and nearly got savaged - it flew at me several times teeth bared before I caged it, I'd swear it was foaming at the mouth! The cats were no b@**!y use as they knew better than to attack what they probably saw as another pet!Comment
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Yes, cat's don't like 'em but won't chase or catch a biggun, my old Dog would catch them though when he was younger. May have to get another dog
All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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"Ben, the two of us need look no more............"
Sorry - it's always what pops into my head when people mention rats. That and James Herbert's book.A simple dude trying to grow veg. http://haywayne.blogspot.com/
BLOG UPDATED! http://haywayne.blogspot.com/2012/01...ar-demand.html 30/01/2012
Practise makes us a little better, it doesn't make us perfect.
What would Vedder do?Comment
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When we started poisoning the mice at our old house, we would get a few days whiff of success. After a while, we started finding sexton beetles around the place too, guess they had come around to "tidy up"! Natures a wonderful thing...Originally posted by Pies View Postjust pray when they die its somewhere where you can get the corpse,if not the house will really smell and it will be bad very very badComment
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Jack russel terriers kill rats - its what they were bred for apparently! Ferrets do too. If we get any rats here I will get a ferret - that will stop 'em!Comment
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