Do Shop Bought Rat Poisons Work?

[The_DADDY]

Electric fence and an air rifle was the best method I used for a rat problem. 

[XPertByExperien]

7 hours ago, The_DADDY said:

Electric fence and an air rifle was the best method I used for a rat problem. 

They had a bit of a Rat problem up at GVS back in the old days, and I don't just mean old Freeman!  

 

 

[redruby]

If you think the rats entry point is somewhere cobwebby like a cellar, have a look for likely entry points with no cobwebs. That’s a big clue the rats are running through and breaking up the cobwebs. The put your bait in strategic place on the suspected entry point. Rats are clever and suspicious so they might avoid the bait at first but give it time.  You could do similar with a trap but I haven’t tried that.

[PRESLEY]

1 hour ago, redruby said:

If you think the rats entry point is somewhere cobwebby like a cellar, have a look for likely entry points with no cobwebs. That’s a big clue the rats are running through and breaking up the cobwebs. The put your bait in strategic place on the suspected entry point. Rats are clever and suspicious so they might avoid the bait at first but give it time.  You could do similar with a trap but I haven’t tried that.

You don't wear a Deer Stalker and  smoke a Pipe do you .    Only Joking, all good common sense spoken.  

[Chekhov]

2 hours ago, redruby said:

If you think the rats entry point is somewhere cobwebby like a cellar, have a look for likely entry points with no cobwebs. That’s a big clue the rats are running through and breaking up the cobwebs. The put your bait in strategic place on the suspected entry point. Rats are clever and suspicious so they might avoid the bait at first but give it time.  You could do similar with a trap but I haven’t tried that.

They eat the bait like it's party food, but it doesn't seem to affect how many of them there are !

There are two options :

 

1 - They're immune to it (and therefore it's actually attracting them as a food source !).

 

2 - They're dying but just not in our promises, possibly returning to the sewers then keeling over. But one would have thought we'd get the odd body, which we'd know about because they stink they place out and/or you get loads of flies for a week or so. It's months and months since that last happened, yet they're still absolutely gorging on the bait.....

Edited March 3, 2023 by Chekhov

[RJRB]

@Chekhov

You are right about the stink.

We had a problem in a void under the house and after dropping block and pellet poison it seems that we got it or them,but the smell was sickly.

Spent more on aerosols than poison.

A more recent problem in the loft space seems to have been solved by a tray of pellets,but no sign of bodies or smells.

I am at a loss to trace where they get into the house,but we no longer put out bird feeders having witnessed  their ability to run up a metal rod of about 1/4 “ diameter to get to the seeds.

[PRESLEY]

29 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

They eat teh bait like it's party food, but it doesnt; seem yo affect how many of them there are !

There are two options :

 

1 - They're immune to it (and therfore it's actually attarcting them as a food source !).

 

2 - They're dying but just not in our promises, possibly returning to the sewers then keeling over. But one would have thought we'd get the odd body, which we'd know about because they stink they place out and/or you get loads of flies for a week or so. It's months and months since that last happened, yet they're still absolutely gorging on the 

Our old School cook would kill off the blighters, the only School I know where all the  Staff and Pupils took a pack lunch.   No Dinner tickets ever got sold.   

Edited March 3, 2023 by PRESLEY

[Prettytom]

31 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

They eat teh bait like it's party food, but it doesnt; seem yo affect how many of them there are !

There are two options :

 

1 - They're immune to it (and therfore it's actually attarcting them as a food source !).

 

2 - They're dying but just not in our promises, possibly returning to the sewers then keeling over. But one would have thought we'd get the odd body, which we'd know about because they stink they place out and/or you get loads of flies for a week or so. It's months and months since that last happened, yet they're still absolutely gorging on the bait.....

A couple of things spring to mind.

 

First of all, have you tried different types of poison? You can buy various different sorts of wax blocks on eBay. It might be worth varying the type of poison. And put some traps down  too. You can buy easy set ones from Big Cheese.

 

Secondly, it might be time to call in a professional. Rentokil are eye wateringly expensive, but there are plenty of well priced small firms out there.

[XPertByExperien]

1 hour ago, PRESLEY said:

Our old School cook would kill off the blighters, the only School I know where all the  Staff and Pupils took a pack lunch.   No Dinner tickets ever got sold.   

Back in the Primary school days I used to go Home for lunch, because for some reason the teachers didn't want me on the premises at lunch time.

 

I wouldn't mind but surely even in the early to mid 80s they were equipped to have disabled kids on the premises!  

 

 

[Padders]

1 hour ago, XPertByExperien said:

Back in the Primary school days I used to go Home for lunch, because for some reason the teachers didn't want me on the premises at lunch time.

 

I wouldn't mind but surely even in the early to mid 80s they were equipped to have disabled kids on the premises!  

 

 

Lucky you Mr. X.

They used to make me stand in a corner with a big pointed hat on..