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 Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
    
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | Ive never had any problems before but I now am dealing with destructive little bastards! Eating my hose although its picked up high, ate a hole in my oxy-gen Mega Oil 5 gallon barrel last night and oil is all over the floor. Bite marks on my saddle I used to keep in the barn.. I have rat traps set all over and every exit they have from the hay pallets and it/ they walk right passed them! I already caught one and I have another to deal with...
What can I do to get these suckers?! I have it baited with peanut butter, ultium pieces and bacon.. No poison... Its too close to the horses and their food source. |
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Posts: 46
| A few years ago the barn I was at was going through this. We put a request on Craigslist to relocate rat snakes that were caught. Brought out 4 snakes and within 3 months problem solved! |
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | Ohhh no... I can NOT handle snakes. My grandma had a black snake she let stay in her barn for years and he scared me once as a kid and I never went back in her barn again lol I know they are great snakes but snakes scare the daylights out of me. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Jo_Cat - 2017-12-02 9:52 AM
A few years ago the barn I was at was going through this. We put a request on Craigslist to relocate rat snakes that were caught. Brought out 4 snakes and within 3 months problem solved!
Now, that sounds like something I'd do!
I like the snakes. The rats, not so much.
To the OP, probably the only other thing you can do is poison. They make enclosed containers for the poison that only the rats can get in. We used them once. It kept the dogs out of the poison, but keep an eye out for dying rats. If you have cats and they eat one, they can get poisoned, too. Rats are very smart. They will get wise to traps and teach each other how to avoid them. But, I'll be watching this thread in case anyone else has had any rat eradication success they want to share. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| My blue heeler is a ratting and catting machine. Anything smaller than him on four legs is in trouble large. |
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 Popped
Posts: 20421
Location: LuluLand~along I64 Indiana | i would suggest a rat terrior or some other dog that might be good for getting them. i would have to veto the snake option too... would rather burn the barn down. haha.
Good luck and keep us posted.
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | Nita - 2017-12-02 9:40 AM Jo_Cat - 2017-12-02 9:52 AM A few years ago the barn I was at was going through this. We put a request on Craigslist to relocate rat snakes that were caught. Brought out 4 snakes and within 3 months problem solved! Now, that sounds like something I'd do! I like the snakes. The rats, not so much. To the OP, probably the only other thing you can do is poison. They make enclosed containers for the poison that only the rats can get in. We used them once. It kept the dogs out of the poison, but keep an eye out for dying rats. If you have cats and they eat one, they can get poisoned, too. Rats are very smart. They will get wise to traps and teach each other how to avoid them. But, I'll be watching this thread in case anyone else has had any rat eradication success they want to share.
Ill look into them and grab some to put out but they are mostly searching out water not really food. I think they are happy w the food source and I cant do much more to secure whats there. We have two HUGE wild cats around but the arent coming into the barn this year like they did last winter... Im still shocked they ate a hole in the mega oil barrel
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | Cats. Some of the animal shelters will give away adult or feral cats for a very small fee. |
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10797
Location: Kansas | I'll trade you my gophers for your rats. Destructive little varmits.
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Dash4KJ - 2017-12-02 11:04 AM
Nita - 2017-12-02 9:40 AM Jo_Cat - 2017-12-02 9:52 AM A few years ago the barn I was at was going through this. We put a request on Craigslist to relocate rat snakes that were caught. Brought out 4 snakes and within 3 months problem solved! Now, that sounds like something I'd do! I like the snakes. The rats, not so much. To the OP, probably the only other thing you can do is poison. They make enclosed containers for the poison that only the rats can get in. We used them once. It kept the dogs out of the poison, but keep an eye out for dying rats. If you have cats and they eat one, they can get poisoned, too. Rats are very smart. They will get wise to traps and teach each other how to avoid them. But, I'll be watching this thread in case anyone else has had any rat eradication success they want to share.
You might need to change some things around, put your supplements into something they can't chew through. I keep all of my edibles in a fiberglass dock box. Except for hay, of course. It works great to keep rodents out. I've also seen people using old chest freezers. If you eliminate their food options, they will be forced to eat the poison. If your house is close to the barn, I'd go ahead and put some there, too. Once you put anything they can eat, they will be in search of food anywhere they can find it. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I have 4 barn cats, all free from a clinic, neutered and shots, I never see so much as a dropping. |
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 Saint Stacey
| I had the same problem once. I used to be terrified of mice. After dealing with the rats, mice aren’t much of a problem for me now. We got rid of the ones we had with poison. If you don’t want to do that, buy a couple of Manx cats. They are deadly hunters and rats would be no problem for them. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 555
Location: In the rockies. |
Water!
They can't swim!
5 gallon water buckets filled 3/4 full put a few around they will drown.
Good Luck!
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| GOBABYGO - 2017-12-02 8:16 PM
Water!
They can't swim!
5 gallon water buckets filled 3/4 full put a few around they will drown.
Good Luck!
THIS!!!! We did this and every morning we would have at least 4 or 5 trapped/drowned in the buckets. |
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | GOBABYGO - 2017-12-02 7:16 PM
Water!
They can't swim!
5 gallon water buckets filled 3/4 full put a few around they will drown.
Good Luck!
I actually thought about this but figured it wouldn't work. I'm getting all my buckets out tomorrow!! If not, I'll try the rat motels w the poison inside |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 516
| We had to completely take away their food source. It was a pain but we locked up all the grain and supplements and set out traps. Caught two and I think we were lucky enough to only have those two. We did set out poison for a bit but we have outside cats and didn't want anything to happen to them. |
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  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | Nita - 2017-12-02 10:40 AM Jo_Cat - 2017-12-02 9:52 AM A few years ago the barn I was at was going through this. We put a request on Craigslist to relocate rat snakes that were caught. Brought out 4 snakes and within 3 months problem solved! Now, that sounds like something I'd do! I like the snakes. The rats, not so much. To the OP, probably the only other thing you can do is poison. They make enclosed containers for the poison that only the rats can get in. We used them once. It kept the dogs out of the poison, but keep an eye out for dying rats. If you have cats and they eat one, they can get poisoned, too. Rats are very smart. They will get wise to traps and teach each other how to avoid them. But, I'll be watching this thread in case anyone else has had any rat eradication success they want to share.
Be very careful with these containers please!! I have noticed the rats here will take out a chunk of the poison and leave it lying around in front of the container...... Luckily I noticed it before my dog or chickens could get to it but now I monitor it very closely.
I don't like the poison, but the humane traps I put out are being ignored. So I had to do something else.... |
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | cranky B4 10am - 2017-12-03 8:22 AM
Nita - 2017-12-02 10:40 AM Jo_Cat - 2017-12-02 9:52 AM A few years ago the barn I was at was going through this. We put a request on Craigslist to relocate rat snakes that were caught. Brought out 4 snakes and within 3 months problem solved! Now, that sounds like something I'd do! I like the snakes. The rats, not so much. To the OP, probably the only other thing you can do is poison. They make enclosed containers for the poison that only the rats can get in. We used them once. It kept the dogs out of the poison, but keep an eye out for dying rats. If you have cats and they eat one, they can get poisoned, too. Rats are very smart. They will get wise to traps and teach each other how to avoid them. But, I'll be watching this thread in case anyone else has had any rat eradication success they want to share.
I don't like the poison, but the humane traps I put out are being ignored. So I had to do something else....
same here... I'm getting nowhere with traps.. They just go around them. I don't have anything out and I don't feed supplements. Just had the oil and I haven't fed it in 6-8 months so it's not really a loss. They have chewed everything plastic and my saddle pads and saddle as well. I have taken those out and put them in jn the trailer. Such a pain! Lol |
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Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | Dash4KJ - 2017-12-03 10:00 AM cranky B4 10am - 2017-12-03 8:22 AM Nita - 2017-12-02 10:40 AM Jo_Cat - 2017-12-02 9:52 AM A few years ago the barn I was at was going through this. We put a request on Craigslist to relocate rat snakes that were caught. Brought out 4 snakes and within 3 months problem solved! Now, that sounds like something I'd do! I like the snakes. The rats, not so much. To the OP, probably the only other thing you can do is poison. They make enclosed containers for the poison that only the rats can get in. We used them once. It kept the dogs out of the poison, but keep an eye out for dying rats. If you have cats and they eat one, they can get poisoned, too. Rats are very smart. They will get wise to traps and teach each other how to avoid them. But, I'll be watching this thread in case anyone else has had any rat eradication success they want to share.
I don't like the poison, but the humane traps I put out are being ignored. So I had to do something else.... same here... I'm getting nowhere with traps.. They just go around them. I don't have anything out and I don't feed supplements. Just had the oil and I haven't fed it in 6-8 months so it's not really a loss. They have chewed everything plastic and my saddle pads and saddle as well. I have taken those out and put them in jn the trailer. Such a pain! Lol
I hate rats.... So I might end up sitting out there with our .22 to just shoot them....
So far I only caught rabbits with the humane traps.... Even the possum that is living under our shed is too smart to be caught..... ugh.... wish we had a decent barn instead of a run in, so I could have a barn cat or two. But for now I can't or it won't have anywhere to hide from our dog.... |
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | cranky B4 10am - 2017-12-03 9:46 AM Dash4KJ - 2017-12-03 10:00 AM cranky B4 10am - 2017-12-03 8:22 AM Nita - 2017-12-02 10:40 AM Jo_Cat - 2017-12-02 9:52 AM A few years ago the barn I was at was going through this. We put a request on Craigslist to relocate rat snakes that were caught. Brought out 4 snakes and within 3 months problem solved! Now, that sounds like something I'd do! I like the snakes. The rats, not so much. To the OP, probably the only other thing you can do is poison. They make enclosed containers for the poison that only the rats can get in. We used them once. It kept the dogs out of the poison, but keep an eye out for dying rats. If you have cats and they eat one, they can get poisoned, too. Rats are very smart. They will get wise to traps and teach each other how to avoid them. But, I'll be watching this thread in case anyone else has had any rat eradication success they want to share.
I don't like the poison, but the humane traps I put out are being ignored. So I had to do something else.... same here... I'm getting nowhere with traps.. They just go around them. I don't have anything out and I don't feed supplements. Just had the oil and I haven't fed it in 6-8 months so it's not really a loss. They have chewed everything plastic and my saddle pads and saddle as well. I have taken those out and put them in jn the trailer. Such a pain! Lol
So far I only caught rabbits with the humane traps.... Even the possum that is living under our shed is too smart to be caught..... ugh.... wish we had a decent barn instead of a run in, so I could have a barn cat or two. But for now I can't or it won't have anywhere to hide from our dog....
We have a huge tom cat that winters in my barn and had jack rabbit remains on top of my hay or behind my big saddl rack. I see him around the barn but he hasnt helped w the rats yet.. I did catch a sparrow in one of the traps the other day lol |
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 Member
Posts: 41
| A good shot and a .22! Lol! It's fun too! :) Cats work wonders and if you don't have dogs or anything that will eat it, poison. |
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 To the Left
Posts: 1865
Location: Florida | Get the rat posion that is the green pellets. If you don't have any dogs of cats the yellot bars work but don't lose track of them becaiuse theyy will kill a little dog. |
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| Don't know if this will work on barn rats, but have heard that bubble gum will kill gophers and prairie dogs. They eat the gum and can not digest it. |
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 Half-Eaten Cookies
Posts: 2076
Location: Fort Worth / Springtown | Dash4KJ - 2017-12-02 9:44 AM Ive never had any problems before but I now am dealing with destructive little bastards! Eating my hose although its picked up high, ate a hole in my oxy-gen Mega Oil 5 gallon barrel last night and oil is all over the floor. Bite marks on my saddle I used to keep in the barn.. I have rat traps set all over and every exit they have from the hay pallets and it/ they walk right passed them! I already caught one and I have another to deal with...
What can I do to get these suckers?! I have it baited with peanut butter, ultium pieces and bacon.. No poison... Its too close to the horses and their food source. They are trying to eat the Ultium, but not when it is on the trap? Are the traps against the walls? You want them against walls.
Are you sure whether these are rats or mice?
Edited by txbredbr 2017-12-04 9:55 AM
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| Go to tractor supply or walmart and buy a rat zapper. They work great, are safe, and reusable. We have gotten everything from small field mice to rats the size of squirrels. They are quick to kill (which makes me feel they are more humane) and easy to empty after they have killed. You don't even have to see whats in there if you don't want to because a little red blinking light tells you when there is one in there and you just dump it out. I highly recommend these.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Victor-Rat-Zapper-Classic-Trap/22577588?a...
edited to add a better link. :)
Edited by turnthree 2017-12-04 12:01 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 2489
Location: somewhere up north | We tried a couple different things. We had holes in the corners of a bunch of our stalls. They had tunnels under the barn and into our indoor. After these holes and heavy rain flooded a few stalls and our tack room and then it was cold and froze I said enough! We called an exterminator and wish we had done it MUCH sooner. It was a couple hundred dollars and he guarateed it for 6 months and they have not came back and it's been a year. It didn't even bother our barn cats. We did have to keep our dogs out of the barn for at least a week. Highly recommend it before there are more and it gets worse. |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | Large trash can. Run a dowl through a few inches from the top run the dowl through the middle of a can or bottle so it sits in the middle. Apply peanut butter and or seeds put 4 inches of water in the bottom add a ramp so the rats can travel up it . They will try to reach the peanut butter aND roll off into the barrel and drown. You need the large one so 5hey can't jump out. Go to pinterest.com and search ..build a better mouse trap to see what it looks like. |
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Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | Large trash can. Run a dowl through a few inches from the top run the dowl through the middle of a can or bottle so it sits in the middle. Apply peanut butter and or seeds put 4 inches of water in the bottom add a ramp so the rats can travel up it . They will try to reach the peanut butter aND roll off into the barrel and drown. You need the large one so 5hey can't jump out. Go to pinterest.com and search ..build a better mouse trap to see what it looks like. |
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Rats have moved into my barn. HELP!