Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK I HAVE BEEN RAISING ANIMALS FOR A LONG TIME AND OF COURSE LIVING ON A FARM WE HAVE FIELD MICE WHICH THE CATS ALWAYS BRING HOME TO ME. YESTERDAY I WAS IN THE YARD AT 2:30 IN THE AFTERNOON AND NOTICED IN ONE OF THE OUTSIDE PENS A RAT. NOT TO BIG A CUTE BROWN RAT. NEVER THE LESS A RAT. NOW THIS RAT DIDNT SEEM TO CARE THAT IT WAS DAYLIGHT NOR THAT I SAW HIM. HE WASNT BOTHERING THE DUCKS AND WASNT BOTHERING THE RABBITS. JUST SAT THERE NIBBLING ON PELLETS. SO TODAY I SEE THIS RAT AGAIN. SAME TIME 2:30 AND HE DOES TE SAME THING. WELL I DONT WANT TO PUT POISON OUT IN CASE ANY OF THE ANIMALS GET INTO IT AND I DONT WANT TO PUT OUT A MOUSE TRAP. SO WE HAVE A MINNOW TRAP FOR FISHING THAT WOULD CATCH HIM ALIVE. I PUT SOME FOOD IN AND AND TIED A ROPE TO IT SO IF I SAW HIM IN THERE I WOULDNT HAVE TO GET TO CLOSE TO SCARE HIM OFF. I CLEANED EVERYTHING - AND WE CLEANING EVERYTHING EVERY DAY. SO THERE WAS NO FOOD REMAINING. I PUT THE DUCKS AND RABBITS IN EARLIER AND SET CAMP IN THE YARD. I HAVE BEEN OUT THERE NOW WATCHING THE THING RUN AROUND IN THE ENCLOSURE AND AVOIDING THE ONE DARN THING WITH FOOD FOR HIM. NOW I DONT WANT TO KILL IT BUT NOW IT SEEMS I AM OBSESSED WITH GETTING THE GUY. HE IS VERY BOLD . WE HAD A PET RAT THAT SLEPT ALL DAY AND NOW HERE IS THIS BROWN FUZZY THING THAT IS RIGHT THERE WITH NO FEAR. SO THE DUCKS AND RABBITS ARE LOCKED UP AND THE TRAP IS ON THE GROUND WHERE THE RAT SEEMED TO BE SPENDING MOST OF HIS TIME. AND I AM ON A BREAK FROM RAT PATROL. ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? I AM OPEN TO ANY IDEA NO MATTER HOW WACKY IT COULD BE. THANKS. ILESHA

I have the same issue since I began raising ducks. Seems rats really enjoy duck pellets. My husband set up a trap that catches, not kills, but so far Mr. Rat has eluded the trap. I cannot tell you what works, but I can tell you what to not waste your time with... Cheese, bologna, duck pellets, hot dogs & lunch meat (ham) so far have all been put in the cage and not attracted him. In addition to the rat, there are quite a bit more mice running around. My cats seem to be taking care of the mice if they are foolish enough to get into our house.

Good Luck with your Mr. Rat.

Pam

just a little side note, if you see ONE you've probly got a nice sized colony of them, we had some come around once, we had 3 snap traps(yes we killed them) set them out for about a week every morning there'd be 3 dead rats, mind you we only saw one, either the rats got wise or we killed our pesky problem rats off, also rats WILL kill your stock if they feel they're a threat or are just hungry for some protien, you could set up some no kill traps with the trap doors but that probly wont take care of your problem.