pest control for chickens

Rat Trap Internet Shopping

I like to internet shop because I hate drudging round shops unless it’s a camping or outdoor gear shop. Much fun can be had by boring my husband to death. I so enjoy pointing out some really naff “must have” gadget to make our camping lives so much better.

Why are Rats So Difficult to Catch?

Today however was all about shopping for rat traps and rat removers. What a minefield!! I now know how to psycho-analyse the little furry bar steward. To catch one, you have to get inside its devious little head to outsmart him (it surely must be a him – sorry guys) into getting into my traps. To achieve this, I will be wearing some fetching gloves so as not to transfer my “human” scent onto the means of their destruction. Apparently, they will meekly submit to my wrath. Here’s hoping I get it right.

Today I spent the grand total of over a hundred quid on rat traps, and bait. I also had to buy other little ratty things so I can rid myself of this rat problem I am having.

The Cunning Plan

Apparently rats send a taster rat into a strange place and get them to eat the bait. Then it is told, that this taster rat, let’s call him Nobby, gets to huff his baited breath all over the other rats. This is to tell his ratty mates that it’s all good by the smell (assuming Nobby is not dead). Killing Nobby at this stage is counter productive but you have to set the scene for all the others. Now the other rats seek out the same smell now that Nobby has done his ratty duty. The rats will how happily gobble up your nasty bait. I think for this to work you have to bait your nasty bait with more Nobby-style nice bait. A bit of a flaw in the old logic there, but hey ho. I am thinking that as my rats (notice I am now claiming ownership?) like the smell of chicken poop that I will smear it over the traps and job done. Chicken poop trumps human smell so they won’t be scared of the traps. Nobby and his mates are then ex-rats if the theory pans out.

Normally as with internet shopping you get excited about your parcel arriving. I have to confess to being a little excited to receive my new rat traps which probably makes me rather a saddo. Diamonds would be nicer but a girls gotta get her excitement where she can. Especially as Uhtred son of Uhtred or Poldark or The Witcher is not likely to come calling around very soon.

Have I seen a rat – well no – or droppings – but I have seen a hole big enough for a rat. The bait is going missing so hopefully I have e-raticated some already. My carefully placed netting “doors” have all got more than one rat sized hole appearing nightly, that my chickens are using as handy escape hatches, so I must have quite a problem.