Posted July 7, 200816 yr Well some of you may know we have "sighted" rats 3 times lately at night. We've been baiting to keep them at bay, but two weeks back we changed baits from the ratsak seed which got all eaten to the ratsak pellets which have not been touched. Well last night tragedy has struck... we have 5 chicks and one egg about to hatch in a nest, the egg is gone as is one whole small 3 days old chick and half of a 5 day old chick has been left behind (missing head and half of it's belly). I tried to give the rats benefit of the doubt that they were here only to eat excess seeds but after having lives taken I am now VERY PEEVED! We're hiring a exterminator, and Bob and I will be staking them out tonight with a big shovel and smacking ANYTHING over the head as hard as I can... I don't have the balls to drown them, but after lives been taken I will be hitting things! We were quoted 120 for an exterminator with 3 years warranty but since we live in the same suburb as him he's now said 90 so we're doing it. They come back, so does he
July 7, 200816 yr I remember talking with you about your rats and at the time you didnt want to be killing them. Its really bad once they start to kill something precious to you and attitudes about the rats then change. Ken, who used to feel sorry for them, and release them in another place once caught...... now kills the rats as he finds them. I am sorry you have had losses now too Libby, but urgent action must be taken as they breed way too fast and if you cannot get on top of it disaster strikes.
July 7, 200816 yr Author I agree, I'm a big softy when it comes to killing animals, but once something of my own loved animals is harmed their life is not as precious as the animals I love. As sad as that is to say as all life is equal I'm not willing to risk any more harm to mine. They were 3 of Mars' chicks Kaz The man is coming round at 4pm to set everything up, including sticky traps(which I feel bad about) but I have no other option now...Perhaps if others feel the same as I did before I could post a picture of the chick it left behind to show the damage they can cause. I really had to see the harm with my own eyes before I realised that it's better them than my animals.
July 7, 200816 yr Those who like the rats and feel they should be rehomed have never suffered losses. I have had rats in the aviary, but never suffered losses. I say kill them all!!!!!!
July 7, 200816 yr Author That's the part which annoys me the most! They're not in the aviary, only the cabinets because they manage to get through the bars... Some say I need to clean up seed hucks lying around, but that isn't what is attracting them either, because they're eating directly from the cabinet feeders :@ Lose lose situation, but definatly Dave, they will all be killed now!
July 7, 200816 yr You now need to put locking devices on all your sliding doors on nestboxes and hatch doors to breeder cages Lib. The rats are smart and can open breeder cages and nestboxes. Make sure all food sources cannot be contaminated. Check all birds for signs of stress as sleepless nights and rat invasion will make them sick very quickly. Sorry to hear about Mars chicks.....you need to put some meds through Mars and partner in case they have got infected from droppings or contact with the rats in their nest. They can also let your good birds free if they can access the doors and get in. Mice get through bars but rats open doors. Edited July 7, 200816 yr by KAZ
July 7, 200816 yr Author What meds would you advise? The rats don't lift doors, they squeeze through the bars and got into the nest box through the holes... Tonight just to make sure before the exterminator is effective we're covering all cabinet fronts with 1cm x 1cm wire to make sure there's nothing going to happen to the birds inbetween now and when they're killed
July 7, 200816 yr Put the birds on some Triple C or similar to counteract any ecoli or salmonella infections and scour their breeder cages, all surfaces and perches and remove and replace all food and water containers.
July 7, 200816 yr Author Good thing I have a few spare new feeders to replace them with :budgiedance: For some strange reason the rats like only this singular cabinet... every time we have caught one it wss in this cabinet :S Where do i get tripple C from?
July 7, 200816 yr Good thing I have a few spare new feeders to replace them with :PFor some strange reason the rats like only this singular cabinet... every time we have caught one it wss in this cabinet :SWhere do i get tripple C from?Sulpha meds will do just for a day or two. Is this cabinet accessible...as in low to ground ? Can you put the breeder cages up on tables ?******************** BY THE WAY....rats climb brick walls, so pulling the cages away from the wall and raising them up on tables so they cannot get a foothold will help.
July 7, 200816 yr Author Smart Idea Kaz, i'll pull them out and away from the walls (which is how we've seen them climb in) and cover the bars at the front so there's no chance of accessing them...
July 7, 200816 yr Oh Mate !!!! KILL EM KILL EM ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry to hear what has happened ! You, Kaz and Me have rat problems this is a NIGHTMARE !!!!!!!! I have worked out an idea that I am going to try when the babies have fledge * Going to tip the avairy on the side and weld HUGE A SS sheet metal to the base of the avairy to stop anything coming from the bottom in... Then we are colourbonding the sides to Knees hight ... Now the rats here are hoppers and jumpers My avairy is place in the middle of the side yard so there are no fences I have removed anything that the rats / mice can climb in - I have a all metal stool base that I have put an old frying pan base onto so nothing can climb into the feeds!! I hope that exterminator gets there quick smart and i pray that you and Kaz for that matter have no more losses ....
July 7, 200816 yr Author Thanks for all your thoughts guys... I have 4 cats throwback :budgiedance: only problem is none venture out back other than the hero (vronsky) to harass us at the back door to come in... other than that they don't venture there because of the dogs... Now usually my dog will catch and kill mice, but due to her being a kelpie x heeler she has short hair that doesn't keep her warm at night, so when they're coming at night she's inside peeving me off at the end of my bed keeping warm... We used to have a kelpie x collie who slept outside all her life, but when she died of pneumonia at age 11 I vowed never to let short haired dogs sleep outside again
July 7, 200816 yr Maybe you can ask one of these guys This advert on top of your post! How scary is that! :budgiedance: BIG BROTHER GOOGLE! Is watching! Hope lonebudgie doesn't see this! He will go off his banana Google database The following people have a rat problem........................... Edited July 7, 200816 yr by throwback
July 7, 200816 yr Author Haha wonderful i'm being tracked by the google demons LOL! Sorry guys! we've already booked someone lol
July 7, 200816 yr Maybe you can ask one of these guys This advert on top of your post! How scary is that! BIG BROTHER GOOGLE! Is watching! Hope lonebudgie doesn't see this! He will go off his banana Google database The following people have a rat problem........................... :hap: How ironic is that
July 7, 200816 yr These traps are very good...bait them with meat and it catches them alive ....no poison to bother your other pets. We have these traps and they are brilliant. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Humane-live-mouse-m...1QQcmdZViewItem
July 7, 200816 yr Only problem with catching them alive is then what ... Drop trap and all into a bucket of water. Edited July 7, 200816 yr by KAZ
July 7, 200816 yr I am so sorry to hear of your rat problem Libby, i hope you get it under control and do not lose anymore chicks.
July 7, 200816 yr Biggest hugs Lib!!! I'm so sorry for your losses and I agree with the others... KILL THEM ALL!!! Good luck!
July 7, 200816 yr Only problem with catching them alive is then what ... Drop trap and all into a bucket of water. Ahhhhh .. lol, I had visions of you and hubby holding their head in a bowl of water :budgiedance: ohhhhh deary me ....
July 7, 200816 yr Only problem with catching them alive is then what ... Drop trap and all into a bucket of water. Ahhhhh .. lol, I had visions of you and hubby holding their head in a bowl of water :budgiedance: ohhhhh deary me .... To be honest Neat...I walk the trap over to my fish pond and drop it in.....half an hour later I remove it.
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