Ahhhhhhhhhh...Rats

[Sark79]

I have an insanely bad fear of rats, in fact I hate the things.

Yesterday, while I was playing poker I looked out the window and to my horror, I saw a rat run across the ground outside my window.  I immediately got up and locked the front door as I have heard these creatures are intelligent. Fortunately they haven't worked out how to get a yale lock open yet, but I fear it is just a matter of time before they work out a way to pick it. At the time I was playing three HU tables on betfair and I screamed and just left things without even shutting down. 

I crept towards the window and watched for a while for any signs of rat activity. After about 10 minutes, I saw a couple come through the wall at the end of the path leading from a neighbours garden. A few moments later another came through.Armed with a fake plastic Rambo knife I walked down the garden in the general direction they had come from and took a look across into my neighbours garden.  My neighbour was just outside her shed so I called her across. I explained I had just seen three rats come from where she was standing. Her response was they live under her shed every winter and they are harmless. 

Ok, I understand there are millions of rats in every corner of the globe, however when they are just outside my door this concerns me.  Some people are afraid of open water, spiders, heights, birds, etc, etc, etc. I am terrified of rats. It stems from a childhood incident where I was cornered in a garage workshop by a gang of the biggest rats in the UK at the time. These rats where body builders.

I hate rats, but if I have the choice I would prefer not to hurt them.  Has anyone had any experience with the below devices or do I have no other option than to use more extreme measures to rid my garden of them. 


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Procter-Bros-Ltd-Wire-Cage/dp/B000FII3XS

or one of these for in the house as well as the cage

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gardman-Rodent-Gard/dp/B000QVUKUI/ref=pd_bxgy_lp_img_b


thanks.  My friends father tells me poison is the only thing they understand.   

[RED-DOG]

If you don't want to hurt them, the trap in the second pic in this link is the best one to use.

http://www.trap-man.com/rat-traps.htm

[bolt pp]

get a nail gun, get some mates round(optional) have a few drinks and make a game of it

[thetank]

get a nail gun, get some mates round(optional) have a few drinks and make a game of it

It's actually a pretty humane way of doing things, so long as the nails are big enough.

[Sark79]

Nahhh, some of my friends are in the building trade and they would have an advantage over me Bolt.

Ok, Red ty .  I will give it a try.  Do you know if these sorts of things have much success?  

[bolt pp]

get a nail gun, get some mates round(optional) have a few drinks and make a game of it

It's actually a pretty humane way of doing things, so long as the nails are big enough.

sigh!

then what are the least humane ways then?

[RED-DOG]

Ok, Red ty .  I will give it a try.  Do you know if these sorts of things have much success?  

It depend how well you use them Sark, don't make it seem like a trap. Rat's are good at smelling a rat, as it were.

Don't handle the trap with you bare hands, you'll get your horrible human smell on it.

Site it close to a wall or fence, away from the light, rats tend to stay away from open spaces.

Bait it with raw bacon, sunflower seeds, or chocolate, but not too much.

If you catch one, don't go outside to examine it. There will be another one along in a minute.

[thetank]

then what are the least humane ways then?

Mousetrap baited with cheese from lidl

[bolt pp]

then what are the least humane ways then?

Mousetrap baited with cheese from lidl

lol

[Dino]

What do you intend doing with them once you've caught them?

[bolt pp]

soup

[Sark79]

Thanks Red, I will use these tips. 

Dino -  I plan to take them to the forrest about 2 miles from where I stay. As far as I know there are no houses nearby and the rats will take there chances there when I let them go.

[thetank]

So you're scared of rats when they're outside your house, but not so much when they're in a bag in the back of your motor while you're en route to this picnic in the forest?

[Dewi_cool]

Make sure they are not homing rats

[RED-DOG]

Make sure they are not homing rats

They will end up on other people's heads.

No wait....  That's roaming hats.