Variation on a rat problem

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Variation on a rat problem
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Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Oct 28, 16 9:04 pm Post subject: Variation on a rat problem

Earlier in the year I had a rat problem, and was very diligent on putting out rat bait. The amount they got through before it stopped 'disappearing' was quite shocking. However, it did the trick, and the chicken food also stopped 'disappearing' so rapidly.

Just lately though, the food consumption has gone up again, and there's been a steady increase in scurrying noises while shutting the chooks in. A couple of nights ago, I spotted one briefly in the torch light, but apart from it's size, and rodent shape, I couldn't tell much about it. Small rat? Tonight, there was rustling pretty much whichever way I shone the torch, and I managed to see at least three different beasties, from baby rat size to small rat size, and all with relatively short furry tails . . .

Does rat poison work on voles?

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 16 7:11 pm Post subject: Re: Variation on a rat problem

Woodburner wrote:

Does rat poison work on voles?

A google suggests yes but try searching for the exact poison name and vole. The voles may not like the bate though, rats seem to eat anything.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 16 11:03 pm Post subject:
Snap traps with apple slices (or even beet slices!) work quite well on voles, but need re-setting frequently. Best if place perpendicular to walls, etc where they're likely to run

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 16 12:09 pm Post subject:

Googling reveals the poison to be nasty to all sorts of things, in several ways, so I might well try trapping, although there hasn't been so much activity now it's colder.

I'm not too keen on snap traps, but I can't find the plans for a home made, mostly wooden, humane tunnel trap, that I have seen before, and I can't remember how the one way entrance works or if/how the door is tripped.

Getting v frustrated with google lately.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 16 1:07 pm Post subject:
To be honest, although I have a reputation for being a bit of a 'killer' I could live with voles and I wouldn't kill them with any method.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 16 6:28 pm Post subject:
Are not voles rare nowadays and protected? Two local youngsters called up last week to find out if I would allow them to shoot rats,they had one before leaving,called back later on and had another 10 between them,one had an infra red light sight of some sorts,and worked a treat.

Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2571
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 16 8:56 pm Post subject:

Here's what I found out about small rodents that live where I do.

Chipmunks are - relatively speaking - restrained in their breeding habits. They breed twice a year and have 4 or 5 young in each litter. Generally live 3 years in the wild.

Deer mice are more active in the population increase stakes. They have anywhere from 1 to 11 pups but usually 4 to 6 in a litter. They breed every 3 to 4 weeks in warm weather. They can get pregnant while nursing the current litter. The young can reproduce at 35 days but more commonly at 49 days. Mortality of young is high, and adults seldom live more than 1-2 1/2 years.

Voles live a short (3 to 6 months on average) but sexy life. Voles reach sexual maturity at 1 month, have a 3 week pregnancy, and anywhere from 5 to 10 litters a year. With 5 to 10 young per litter that's a low of 25 to a high of 100 young per vole per year.Voles are eaten by raccoons, owls, hawks, falcons, coyotes, foxes, snakes, weasels, cats and dogs.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Nov 09, 16 11:16 am Post subject:

Ty Gwyn wrote:

Are not voles rare nowadays and protected?

Two local youngsters called up last week to find out if I would allow them to shoot rats,they had one before leaving,called back later on and had another 10 between them,one had an infra red light sight of some sorts,and worked a treat.

passive ir is ok but active is awesome( if you spend a lot on it) ,the cobra i got off brownbear is an amazing bit of kit for shooting or for observing ,x4 mag, deep and widish field of view and with the pinhole cover on in will work in dayliight as well.

tis a bit chunky but less bother and more effective than lamping.

mousjoos

Joined: 05 Jun 2006
Posts: 1986
Location: VERY Sunny SW France

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 16 1:46 pm Post subject:

Jam Lady wrote:

Deer mice ? With antlers & everything ?

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 16 2:17 pm Post subject:

mousjoos wrote:

Deer mice ? With antlers & everything ?

The bigger problem is that they often come with deer ticks (and associated Lyme's disease)

How do the ticks know to go to deer, and the mice named after them?

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Dec 14, 16 11:58 pm Post subject:

update:

Snap traps are useless, and poison is no longer an option.

So, I've been looking for multicatch rat traps online, and discovered that I already have the wherewithal to make a bucket trap, I just need daylight to find everything and put it all together.

Most of the bucket traps have some kind of seesaw involved, and I remembered that there was a seesaw involved in the tunnel trap too, and putting 'seesaw tunnel rat trap' into google brings up the type I was looking for when I posted before, so I will have a go at making one of those too.

Looks like I have a lot of work tomorrow!

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 16 9:26 am Post subject:
I'd love to see the finished article. I've had this book on my book shelves for years, I can't remember the last time that I looked at it but its full of that sort of stuff. https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=20084946217&searchurl=kn%3Dtraps%26sts%3Dt%26sortby%3D17%26an%3Dbateman

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 16 10:26 pm Post subject:
I believe a milk bottle also works. But then, I once caught a mouse in the toaster.

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 16 3:56 am Post subject:
Crispy! At the Yorkshire Show last summer, the game/hunting set were selling a gas-cartridge-powered rat thumper. I forget all details aoart from the duagram daying rat approaches, sticks head up tube to sniff bait, and KAPOW! They were expensive though.

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 16 2:10 pm Post subject:
I'll post piccies if either of them work!

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