Rats…

that's so cozy looking 

Spiffy, does it smell like woodsie potpourri??

I hate rats. I’ve struggled on and off with rat problems. I have not had much luck with poison, the rats won’t touch the stuff.

Trap wise the victor snap traps work well for me. I was using some other ones but I kept finding them tripped with no rat in them. I think that they weren’t killing the rats and they were able to somehow get away.

My dogs love hunting rats. They may not look like much but they are stone cold killers  They will “tree” rats on the fence and jump against it to keep it cornered until I knock it down for them to finish off. I took some still shots from a video of them doing it.

I too, declared unending war on rats many moons ago.  I use Victor traps.  My secret is raw Almonds with a hole bored through, stick them securely on the trigger (on that little spike you can bend it up.)  then I slather peanut butter on the almond. Without the nut attached, Rats can come in and eat all the peanut butter they want without triggering the trap.  You gotta give them something they want and try to pull off go that that trigger tripped .  Usually is a clean broken neck shot.  At my house they come in when its cold or wet. Bold ones would come into living areas for bird food on the floow. I'm dispatched more than a few with various weaposn my favorite was a 3-iron.  Worked like a pitching wedge. bonk into the wall like a ptiching wedge, scoop inside a paper bag, then pound that bag with a brick.  Also have a rambo spear that's got a couple cornered critters, but that's messy.

Also use baling wire to tie your traps so they don't get dragged away.

Hope thishelps.

Bushy

I have a yard with free ranging chickens.  The last thing I would want would be to have birds of prey hanging around. 

Sounds like you need beefier chickens.. 

They definitely are not very large.  Silkie breed.  Bantam size.  That's why they don't get eaten!  (Just kidding)  They're getting a little old now, but they have been good egg producers and do a splendid job of pest control in the garden. 

I too, declared unending war on rats many moons ago.  I use Victor traps.  My secret is raw Almonds with a hole bored through, stick them securely on the trigger (on that little spike you can bend it up.)  then I slather peanut butter on the almond. Without the nut attached, Rats can come in and eat all the peanut butter they want without triggering the trap.  You gotta give them something they want and try to pull off go that that trigger tripped .  Usually is a clean broken neck shot.  At my house they come in when its cold or wet. Bold ones would come into living areas for bird food on the floow. I'm dispatched more than a few with various weaposn my favorite was a 3-iron.  Worked like a pitching wedge. bonk into the wall like a ptiching wedge, scoop inside a paper bag, then pound that bag with a brick.  Also have a rambo spear that's got a couple cornered critters, but that's messy.

Also use baling wire to tie your traps so they don't get dragged away.

Hope thishelps.

Bushy

Wow! That is some hardcore anti-rat action! I'm impressed, and I'm going to have to try your almond trick.

Btw, I use these traps:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Victor-Outdoor-and-Indoor-No-Touch-Power-Kill-Instant-Kill-Rat-Trap-2-Pack-M144-2/305259917

I find them way, way, way easier to set and position than the "classic" traps (the kind that spring all the way over). The down side is that they don't always provide a clean kill, especially for the biggest rats, but I don't think rats can actually escape from them.

If you have something escaping from your rat traps, I'd suspect squirrels. I've had great luck with these for squirrels, and they also get a good number of large rats (a couple of small opossums and even a skunk have been caught):

https://www.amazon.com/Tube-Trap-Squirrel-Rust-Resistant/dp/B00K6JKVLS

They definitely are not very large.  Silkie breed.  Bantam size.  That's why they don't get eaten!  (Just kidding)  They're getting a little old now, but they have been good egg producers and do a splendid job of pest control in the garden.

I personally don't know much about birds, but did occasionally tend to family member's small backyard hens. The longest surviving out of the brood? started losing her vision and required hand stuffing cat food pellets down her gullet. Was sort of difficult at first but had it's cathartic moments.

More off topic: On a somewhat more cheerful side note, I learned today that some pigs apparently eat live chickens 

"Most pigs won’t randomly eat chickens. You’ll usually have a rogue pig who will decide they want some meat, but usually, pigs may eat chickens if the chickens get in the way at feeding time or if the pigs aren’t getting enough sustenance."

They definitely are not very large.  Silkie breed.  Bantam size.  That's why they don't get eaten!  (Just kidding)  They're getting a little old now, but they have been good egg producers and do a splendid job of pest control in the garden.

I personally don't know much about birds, but did occasionally tend to family member's small backyard hens. The longest surviving out of the brood? started losing her vision and required hand stuffing cat food pellets down her gullet. Was sort of difficult at first but had it's cathartic moments.

More off topic: On a somewhat more cheerful side note, I learned today that some pigs apparently eat live chickens 

"Most pigs won’t randomly eat chickens. You’ll usually have a rogue pig who will decide they want some meat, but usually, pigs may eat chickens if the chickens get in the way at feeding time or if the pigs aren’t getting enough sustenance."

Chickens are like pigs, they'll eat anything.  Had a Cochin (average size chicken) that cleaned out a mouse nest, including the adult.  Swallowed them whole.

How bout them tree rats.

I watched a squirrel schmooze up to a group of sparrows feeding on bird feed on the ground. It was like....hay guys, nothing to worry about here. Then, SNATCH ! He grabs a sparrow and drags him down his burrow. 

A co-worker swore that they didnt eat meat. I just witnessed it , bud.

Not my video but some proof.

One friend put up a pole, a lot like a clothesline pole with a crossbar on top. It’s an owl perch for nocturnal rodent control. They still have gophers, but fewer. It’s gotta be better than poisons that actually sicken or kill the predators you do want around.

One friend put up a pole, a lot like a clothesline pole with a crossbar on top. It’s an owl perch for nocturnal rodent control. They still have gophers, but fewer. It’s gotta be better than poisons that actually sicken or kill the predators you do want around.

This. I originally used poison outside my yard and may have accidently sickened my neighbors dog who said her dog may have eaten a dead rat. Not really verified but i get the concept.

I have had good luck with the large glue traps but they need to be anchored down as well.

Do the dead poisoned critters not cause issues in the house? I've witnessed maggots crawling out of a rat/mouse that was left dead in a trap that I forgot about.

One summer started getting a fly infestation that I couldn't figure out where they were coming from. Like 50+ flies a day in the house. That was a somewhat prolonged skirmish. Vacuum, sticky traps... but the coolest thing that came out of it:

How bout them tree rats.

I watched a squirrel schmooze up to a group of sparrows feeding on bird feed on the ground. It was like....hay guys, nothing to worry about here. Then, SNATCH ! He grabs a sparrow and drags him down his burrow. 

A co-worker swore that they didnt eat meat. I just witnessed it , bud.

Not my video but some proof.

This reminds me of the Instagram channel @natureismetal. Definitely worth a look - lots of videos showing how ruthless animals really are.

On the rodent control, part of the equation is sealing them out. Fine wire mesh at all the vents/eave openings, caulk or spray foam at any wide joints. Not that it completely stops them - if they want im badly enough they chew their way in - but it eliminates easy access, which many times can make the difference.

Traps are totally the way to go for removal. Cats and birds also help a lot.

For keeping them out of the car - dunno. Seems tricky, especially if it's not a car that gets driven often. 

 Good Winter topic here… F’n Rats
I’ve had my share, We call them RATWARS!
As you can see in the pic This guy wasn’t going down!
traps work for me, using Peanut Butter with bird see sprinkled
on top. Works Great!
A good cat is good at keeping them away

Scotty

So far two traps have been sprung w no dead rat (?!) one left behind a smear of something maybe blood. Traps are loaded w pb maybe I will add bird seed

Under the hood one block of poison bait went missing and maybe some chewing on two others

Don’t remember if I said this already but around same time local rat population was exploding we were noticing less birds in the neighborhood then found a rat had dismembered and ate a bird on top of my wife’s car battery Probably a chick taken from a nest