Urban gardeners- advice on rat control? - Page 2

[bermudarats]

I will have a look and see if the blinking lights are available here and will try that too.  We tried the oatmeal packs last night, put out about 20 packets.  This morning the packets were all gone, we saw the last one being dragged into the bush by a medium sized rat.  So they definitely collected them to take to the nest to eat.  Now just to see if it's working.  I'm going to make like 100 more lol.  There are definitely quite a few rats in there and I don't know how much wax paper they need to eat to die.  Has this worked for anyone else or am I just feeding them and giving them more reason to stay? :)  I don't smell any dead rats this evening, it's not dark yet so I can't tell if I still see them running about.  Will keep you all posted.  Let me know if anyone else has tried this method and had success.

[number572]

A reason why rats are deterred by catnip/catmint:  (link says that a chemical in catnip smells like cat urine -  "trans-nepetalactone smells just like a chemical found in a dominant female cat's urine.")  {quote from article linked below}

http://www.scienceiq.com/facts/iscatnipadrugforcats.cfm

Originally Posted by moonmamajess 

Now I'm no experienced gardener by any means, but I do consider myself quite the home herbalist. It's funny but just earlier this evening I was reading A Modern Herbal by Maude Grieve and she happened to have a tip that may help with anyones garden rat troubles as well as be a useful addition to the home herb pantry. Maude suggests planting Catnip (also known as Catmint) to ward off the rats. Maude writes, "Rats dislike the plant particularly, and will not approach it even when driven by hunger. This dislike of rats for Catmint might well be utilized by growing it round other valuable crops as a protective screen...Catmint is easily grown in any garden soil, and does not require moisture in the same way as the other mints. It may be increased by dividing the plants in spring, or by sowing seeds at the same period. Sow in rows about 20 in. apart, thinning out the seedlings to about the same distance apart as the plants attain a considerable size. They require no attention and will last for several years if the ground is kept free of weeds. The germinating power of the seeds lasts 5 yrs." The flowering tops of the catnip plant are the parts utilized for medicinal purposes and can be harvested in August when plant is in full bloom. This herb is useful for restlessness, colic, nervousness and is a mild nervine especially for children. This herb also aids in healing from colds and fevers! hope this helps someone!

                                                                                               love, Jess

Also, we had a raccoon problem and were recommended to buy coyote urine or bobcat urine, available at outdoor sports stores, and soak cotton balls in it and line the perimeter of our house.

And a neighbor of mine has pieces of wood about a foot wide and as long as his garden that are wrapped in a black rubbery layer that has a bazillion staples, spikey side up, surrounding his garden beds.  He sprinkles the boards with salt and cayenne pepper as well.  He says that the spikes and salt and cayenne all keep away different sorts of pests (slugs, mice & rats & cats {that use garden beds as a litter box}) and that his gardens only get attacked by birds sometimes.  He says that he uses the birds as worm control though and he doesn't grow bird food foods anymore (strawberries, etc) b'c he doesn't want to cover his garden in chicken wire.  hth!

Also just remembered reading about installing bat boxes as mouse protection... not sure if bats eat rats, or if you're not wanting bats around.  We have bats here and they keep to themselves but I've read that they eat a hugs amount of pests and are very beneficial to an ecosystem.  Google "how & why to install a bathouse", interesting stuff.

Edited by number572 - 5/27/11 at 4:58pm

[lunita1]

Please don't do oatmeal in wax paper packets.  That's just feeding rats.  Heck, I googled "oatmeal wax paper rats" and I got one link that suggested doing exactly that as a treat for pet rats!!! 

Snap traps are effective and inexpensive.  Google "rats ipm" for more ideas and details about the best way to position and bait the traps. 

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html

[lunita1]

Here's another link about rat control http://nwco.net/PDF/rat.pdf

Please, don't feed the rats anymore.  The oatmeal is a tasty treat (here's a link about feeding pet rats oatmeal http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html)

[amberskyfire]

We have tried every single kind of poison/bait/trap out there and frankly, rats are just too smart. The only thing that has worked is getting cats. We adopted a brother and sister and they are hard workers, lemme tell ya. In only one month, not one single rat or mouse to be found ANYWHERE. They really earn their keep and they are snuggly, too!

[jokcoen]

Try this: use a somewhat large trashcan, place a ramp and place some rotten fruits or veggies in there. In the morning, you should be able to find live rats. This is a more humane tactic, but trust me, you don't want dead rats stinking up the place and not knowing where they are located.

Read more about rat control and you will also find that there are electronic rat traps, like the Victor brand, that can store many carcasses. I would still advise humane methods though, as it is cleaner and more effective in non-obvious traps.

[amberskyfire]

A good friend gave her advice. She says to get one of the large electic rat traps that electrocutes them. Put peanut butter in it every day for a week. The next week, turn it on. She said she'll do this and find about twenty dead rats and mice in the morning. Gross, but fairly humane and you only have to clean the trap once at a time rather than check it every day.