Evening all, I've got a rat infestation. My neighbors have started to complain about it now. We always knew we had one in the garden when we moved in here first and we never really worried too much about it as we didn't see very much of it. We do feed the birds in our garden, and we put a stop to that as that will attract the rats. We've bought a humane rat trap, we would have caught two, but when Mrs realized the first one was a young one she got all soft about it and let it out ! We caught another one the following day so found a field to release it in. Whilst they mean us no harm, they are vermin and we do look after dogs for people and I'd hate for a dog in our care or one of us to catch limes disease. I know she'd like to avoid killing them, but I'm not so fussy.
That depends on the cat, my current cat is a prolific hunter (mice, rats, rabbits, pheasants), the previous couldn't give a monkeys about hunting, he used to just sit there and watch mice run around the garden. If you really, really want dead rats, find the local farmers and ask them who does their ratting for them. A man armed with a couple of terriers can clear rats out of just about anywhere. Not for the squeamish though.
I wouldn't suggest poison for someone who looks after other peoples dogs! If you are a patient man then get an air rifle, place some bait (peanut butter is a good one) and settle in for a long wait.
Sounds like you got a dud on a more serious note, if you want to remove them humanely then stick with the trap and release them as before. If you do nothing the chances are your neighbours will put poison down and the mrs will find them dead in the garden.
I approve this message. Rats are serious filthy vermin, there is no place for sentimental feelings towards them ( nothing like fancy rats or other small cute furry pets )- trap them, shoot them or get in the pest control people who will do the same thing at higher cost.
Had some in my garden used a trick my grandad showed me. Get a large plastic bucket rammed a stick through a can covered said can in peanut butter laid that over the top with a piece of wood so they can run up it. They go up try for the peanut butter an fall in an cant get out. Then just use an airsoft rifle or .22 and dispose of them.
Rats are just rats. We invaded their ecosystem (they were here first!) so they eked out a niche in ours. They are no more vermin than we are. So let's be honest about it: this is just a competition between two species. We've got the bigger guns; they breed faster (as most animals that are prey to others do). Let the best rat win. But since we like to think of ourselves as the self-aware, moral humans, if we kill them we have an obligation to do it quickly and painlessly.
I don't enjoy killing them but shooting them is the quickest and cleanest way, I've seen one caught in a spring trap it was horrific the rat was screaming in agony I shot it asap. Up here they like to catch them in a humane trap not to let them go but to train their dogs, that's even worse and pretty barbaric. Just a thought its said that you're never more than 6ft away from one
Much thought provoking, many philosophical, wow. And you're also wrong Same as grey squirrels, same as rabbits ( hares are native, rabbits are not )- we were here first as it happens, they are unwelcome and are upsetting the eco system- you only need to look at what happened to red squirrels, the issues with myxomatosis in rabbits and the damage they cause to crops and undermining hedges rows, train tracks and embankments. Rats are no different, best off dead...
And how did the rat spread? I.e. why is it it here in the first place? Did it swim across the oceans and climb the mountains? +1
Ok, well I guess he can humanly trap them and send them over to your house so. Enjoy the complimentary Weils Disease.
It wasn't a strawman it was a sarcastic gibe. Just like your post. If you're going to call me out on something at least get it right.
Sarcastic gibe and strawman aren't mutuality exclusive. I called you out on what you wrote, which was a gross misrepresentation of someone's arguement.
Peanut butter never worked for us, they'd never touch it. They seemed to like digestive biscuits though.