Got a rat problem

[Fishstiq]

I have a very deep bucket I thinks its a 7 or 8 gallon and I am gonna make that trap tonight, fill with some water and see how it works out

Don't fill it or the rats will climb out.  Just put in enough so that they can't touch bottom, that way they can't jump.

Also, insider tip - *skip the water.  Use antifreeze.  Kills quicker, and no smell even if you don't check your trap for a while.   

[Austrian Hunter]

Regs page 145 article 6.  Baiting rats is illegal in the state of Washington.    Sorry I had to 

[Johnb317]

Bought my bait boxes and poison on line.  Make sure you get the poison that doesn't secondary kill.  Ie a dog or cat doesn't die from eating the poisoned rat.

[notellumcreek]

 

Had the same thing happen on my parents farm. Chickens came, then the rats. Caught a few in traps before the suckers got smart and quit going for it, then they moved into the house. Unless you have a lot of time to try to get rid of them, poison is going to be your best bet.

[Stick em]

I was in Pest Control for a few years. Rats love the protein, dog food is perfect for them. It sounds like the big one is the King Rat. Most packs have them and you will have to kill the smaller ones before you get to trap him. Snap traps (big ones kill mice too) with peanut butter (Adams, the oil is what you really want) work best for immediate removal. Male rats leave a scent trail everywhere they go, that's how other rats will find food & shelter. The stronger the trail (the more often it is used) the stronger the odds are that others will follow it. The scent trail last for an amazingly long time (years) so you will have rats coming to your place for a long time regardless of what you do. That being said, get ready for a killing spree. You have to use the combo of traps and bait boxes. You can get bait boxes online, or hardware stores. The bait needs to be replenished monthly or when it is used up, whichever is first. These bait boxes are the real answer. The ones that don't die stop visiting because it makes them sick. My best advice is to kill the immediate ones and stay on guard for the new ones that will come by. If they get under your house then you have holes that need closed up so check all your vents good. Good luck.

[Special T]

IMO you need to do a few things.
1 reduce the cover around your home. Trim up the schurbs, weed the gaden, keep the lawn mowed SHORT as far from your house as possible.
2 QUIT free feeding your pets! Reduce the ammount of food around your home. I know your neighbors have chickens but there is not much you can do about that.
3 Use traps and bait stations to kill off as many as you can. I have 3 of these bait stations. They keeip my dogs and kids away from the bait. I place them in places where there is some cover for them to hid/travel. I keep a couple of them along my foundation under a bush.
http://www.tomcatbrand.com/rodent_station.html

[Heredoggydoggy]

I had a smart little rat in my old house one time.  Smelled something in the kitchen, and found that the rat was stealing dog kibble and stowing it in the condensation pan under the refrigerator. Set a mousetrap (he was no bigger than a mouse), and that little sucker could take the bait off the trap pan without setting it off.  So I fooled him--I tied a piece of monofilament line around the bait, and wrapped the line around the bar that held the trap loaded.  that night I heard a "snap!" and the next morning he was dead a few inches from the trap.  The trap snapped on his nose as he was stealing the bait, and he bled to death!  More rat stories later...  Stay tuned! 

[L8NITE]

Get a rat zapper they work awesome...once you get them under control use the Tomcat bait boxes 

[seth30]

I have a very deep bucket I thinks its a 7 or 8 gallon and I am gonna make that trap tonight, fill with some water and see how it works out

Don't fill it or the rats will climb out.  Just put in enough so that they can't touch bottom, that way they can't jump.

Also, insider tip - *skip the water.  Use antifreeze.  Kills quicker, and no smell even if you don't check your trap for a while.   

I plan on using the rats as food for yotes and whaterver else goes to my trail camera

[Smossy]

I live in the burbs and everyone around us has chickens now, since the chickens came we now have rats living in the backyard.  I have a humane trap since we have two small dogs that like to eat what gets put in the snap traps.  I'm looking for bait ideas peanut butter no longer seems to work, and they fill up on dog food during the day.  The biggest problem is there is a huge one the size of a chihuahua, yes I'm sure I thought it was our dog when it was pigging out at the food bowl.  Any ideas short of torching the yard or bombing would be helpful.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Invest in a BB gun, Lets you practice with aiming and makes for good fun while exterminating.

[Yelper Guy]

Time to unleash an all-out, hand-to Rat attack. Grab a club or bat, water hose and any other device of destruction you may have.
Start filling the unplugged hole with water and be on the lookout. These things are potentially eating your house so it's time to get even. Think RAMBO!

[seth30]

I just made one in under a minute and filled it with 8 inches of water   I will check the trap at dusk and when I wake up tomorrow before yote hunting

[Goldeneye]

If you were looking for a different bait for your trap here's on that has worked for me in years past.  It's not as wild as some of these guy's ideas though.

  A white piece of cloth saturated by the scent of vanilla is especially attractive to rat's. The best bait is one that cannot be easily removed. Tie it with a string tightly to the trigger.  I've used it in the past when the normal baits didn't get the smart rats.

[biggfish]

Luckily we have a slab foundation sou they can't get in the house. I shoot probably 4 a month they just get used a bait and stay away from. I got a terrier that runs them around and I shoot when I can get a safe shot. My dog isn't bright though he thinks he's a pointer. I really want to kill the big sucker  he's brazen enough to strut his stuff in broad daylight and pellets won't take it down.  If I could get away with it is kill a bunch of chickens and have a barbecue I think that would solve the problem.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I just made one in under a minute and filled it with 8 inches of water   I will check the trap at dusk and when I wake up tomorrow before yote hunting

I think you left him to big of a smelly trail ..he may get full before getting to the top of the bucket