Absolutely true !!

AND......I haven't broken any fingers playing with the old 'snap type' rat traps, this afto'.....Yet.
These things make me very nervous, 'cos they're somewhat corroded.

....going to pop into the village and get some new ones.

The joys of owning chickens ......Such messy eaters, they just encourage their little furry friends round to supper each evening......Gits !

Cheers - Phil

Quote from: Orcs on 20 July 2020, 11:38:12 AM
A Well deserved Knighthood to Sir Tom.  As so many have said, at least he deserved it

Very much so -

Quote from: Techno on 20 July 2020, 01:57:50 PM

The joys of owning chickens ......Such messy eaters, they just encourage their little furry friends round to supper each evening......Gits !

I recently had rats in my back garden and under my wargames hut.

I sealed off the under-hut with wire mesh and sand and cement and slabs and then picked off the vermin with industrial strength rat poison in otherwise friendly rat traps.

Problem solved.

Can't really use poison with all the other animals around, Jim.

Even the bait trap boxes would be a bit of a no-no, as the rats could come out and die where one of the dogs would go and eat them.
There used to be a poison recommended by the Owl trust, called Eradibait......Only effects rodents and absolutely nothing else.
Can't get that anymore, sadly.

Cheers - Phil

Probs an organo-phospahte.

Quote from: ianrs54 on 20 July 2020, 02:49:02 PM
Probs an organo-phospahte.

Don't think so, Ian.

It 'apparently' affected only rodents by stopping their 'gut' from absorbing water....So they basically died from dehydration, and supposedly went back to their nest and 'mummified'.
It DID work !
There was one day I saw a ratty family (or two), lined up scoffing the food that our old chickens had spread around......I counted 15 of the little darlings....This was about 10 (?) years ago when everybody in our little valley wanted to call in the Pied Piper.

Put a load of Eradibait down in the pole barn........After two days they'd all gone....HUZZAH !

Cheers - Phil

Quote from: Techno on 20 July 2020, 02:07:35 PM

Even the bait trap boxes would be a bit of a no-no, as the rats could come out and die where one of the dogs would go and eat them.

OK, big plastic (dogproof) box with rat sized entry holes, bait and rat sized physical trap. Put a couple of bricks on top to keep it in place.

Failing that get a .22 (licenced).

Have seen a rat at the bird food a few times, disappears pretty quickly when the dog shoots out the door growling mind you. I suppose rats have to eat too.

I've got a 'pop gun*', Jim.

Trouble is the dogs get over excited if they see me with the 'shooty-bang-stick' and want to join in....Idiots !

I think I've just sorted out exactly what you've suggested  ......Rat 'boxes'....WITHOUT poison....But with enough space to put a snap trap in.
(Got the new ones, now. )

Matthew.....That's one of the only problems in putting out food for wild birds.....They chuck the food about too, and the ratties are only trying to survive, and will take the easiest option if there's some sort of food source.

If you see ONE rat....You've got quite a few more not too far away...Trust me.

What do they say ?...."You're only ever about 10 feet away from a rat."
At least I know where most of the ones around here are, cos they're after the bird or chicken food.

Cheers - Phil.

*It's only a .177....But I used to be able to drill a mouse sized rat between the eyes from 15-20 yards......Bet I couldn't do that now.

They use the palstic box traps all over the place - Elf and Saftey 

This one did look a bit smaller than the one I'd seen before so suspect there's a few about. Gardens a bit of a meadow so no doubt all sorts of wildlife in there. We get pestered by mice in the winter. We suspect they get in through the neighbors but pop into ours for a visit. Traps usually sort them, though did come home to find the dog pleased as punch standing over a dead mouse one time, so that helps too.

Not too bothered by wildlife pottering about outside, so long as they don't come in and make a mess of the house!

Quote from: ianrs54 on 20 July 2020, 03:54:30 PM
They use the plastic box traps all over the place - Elf and Safety 

Just put one of the ones we already had, in the 'big barn'.....Baited with peanut butter. 

Yet another thing to check on early in the morning. 

Cheers - Phil

It does not really matter if its a .177 or a .22. The pellet from the same power .177 travels faster than the .22 so kinetic energy is similar. However the .22 hold more kinetic energy at longer ranges, also .22 makes a bigger hole.

When I used to shoot my air rifle a lot , they used to say .177 for feather .22 for fur. Cos  the flying rats need armour peircing .177 to get through the feather Armour.

We had rats at the bottom of the garden. I shot 4 ver the space of a week. Not seen any since.

Quote from: Orcs on 20 July 2020, 08:58:21 PM
When I used to shoot my air rifle a lot , they used to say .177 for feather .22 for fur. Cos  the flying rats need armour peircing .177 to get through the feather Armour.

Thanks, Mark....I'll try and remember that. The sharp pointy pellets  for the flying rats.....The 'dum-dums' for the rats, proper.

It's a shame.....I really don't enjoy killing things*...but it has to be done or we'd be over-run with the wretched things......And rats are really destructive little sods, having to chew on 'anything' to keep their incisors 'under control'......If they didn't breed so fast, then go around chewing at the electrics in the barns.
I mean...Why plastic cable ?.....Go and chew on a tree, you oiks.

Cheers - Phil

*The exception being sheep ticks.......They give me the creeps. Find one of those on the dogs every couple of years.

My take on shooting things is that they have to be,  a pest or edible, preferably both.

If it fits this criteria, I don't have a problem shooting them.

Quote from: Orcs on 21 July 2020, 07:36:36 AM
My take on shooting things is that they have to be,  a pest or edible, preferably both.

If it fits this criteria, I don't have a problem shooting them.

Hmmm....covers some neighbours I've had.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 21 July 2020, 08:36:15 AM
Hmmm....covers some neighbours I've had.

Well if you insist on living next door to hefalumps and tiggers

Quote from: Orcs on 21 July 2020, 07:36:36 AM
My take on shooting things is that they have to be,  a pest or edible, preferably both.

If it fits this criteria, I don't have a problem shooting them.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 21 July 2020, 08:36:15 AM
Hmmm....covers some neighbours I've had.

Quite agree FK, I am sure if were allowed to dispose of neighbours that fitted the criteria mentioned the world would be a better place.


We have a traveller site about half a mile away , and the residents are always causing issues. We can see them from our upstairs back windows.  I have often wished for a 4" mortar and a dozen rounds. It would solve the problem permanently and the cost would be easily covered by saving to the police force in 6 months