Rats!

[GazzaS]

While cleaning up for my granddaughter's birthday party, I discovered well-hidden signs of rat infestation.  So, I bought your standard spring operated large-sized rat trap at the local hardware giant.

 

Now...  I often give my dogs beef neck bones.  Keeps that tartar off their teeth and keeps them outta my way when I get off work.  I had assumed that they chewed them up.  But no.  Anything left over, the rats either dragged into the chest freezer or put them atop a 7-foot tall cabinet with smooth steel sides.  Yes, they climbed the red brick walls carrying chunks of bone and hid them among the automotive tools and modelling crap that I casually laid on the top of the cabinet.

 

So, I set up the trap baited with a piece of salami and a bit of peanut butter.  And twice, it's been set off with no rat trapped, and the bait partially eaten.  After it's gone off, it's been a few days before the rat went back for more.

 

So...  I need a better rat trap.  These bloody Aussie rats must have extra strong necks or something.

[Wumm]

The Rats here are also far too clever to fall for mechanical traps...

We live near bushland in F'Lake, and there's often 'evidence' left around the BBQ. Rat traps invariably have their bait pilfered, and we don't use poison baits as there's Powerful Owls in the nearby park who would perish after eating the carcasses. So we resort to keeping the BBQ area as clean as possible, and putting the occasional trap out.

Thankfully, they don't seem to get into the house. We sometimes hear them at night on the roof (could also be Possums) but there was no evidence in the roof cavity last time I was up there. The Spaniels have the run of the house 24/7, and my girl is an excellent Mouser!

S

[smitty44]

I imagine the rats down there are as big as dogs?

[BlrwestSiR]

Our cat Sunny has gotten quite the reputation in the neighbourhood as an exceptional ratter. When folks realize he's out cat, they almost always say he's doing a great job killing rats in their yard.

One morning last year u was looking out our kitchen window when I see something fly straight up out of the ferns. Then a few seconds later it happens again. I go outside to see what it is. Sure enough Sunny has caught a rat and is throwing it up in the air over and over again. 

I guess that's what happens you have a rescue "barn" cat. 

Carl

[recon]

Get glue traps, I have used them and they work every time.

Mike

[Bomber_County]

Rats, love chocolate. A good trap and wire the chocolate to the trap, you’ll have them then……..

[krow113]

'nuff said:

[belugawhaleman]

Never have experienced a rat infestation myself, but I've had problems with mice!

When I lived with my folks, they had a remote garage on their property that I used as

A workshop. Mice everywhere. The creatures even got inside my lathe and chewed

up the wiring inside its control box. This happened twice! They also infested A 1961 Chevrolet Corvair  I had been working on at the time. I used traps of all kinds.....and an

Air rifle to solve the problem.

[GazzaS]

After ensuring there was nothing else to eat and watching a video on accentuating the use of the trap, I reset it last night.  No bites yet.

[Wumm]

2 hours ago, belugawhaleman said:

Air rifle to solve the problem.

That would very soon have the Police around. You get arrested here just for having a replica.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-02/man-with-replica-gun-detained-in-rochedale-south-brisbane/6994344

3 hours ago, Bomber_County said:

Rats, love chocolate. A good trap and wire the chocolate to the trap, you’ll have them then……..

Quick Gaz, try that now while it's Winter. From September to April however, that would soon turn into a melted brown puddle!

S

[belugawhaleman]

6 hours ago, Wumm said:

That would very soon have the Police around. You get arrested here just for having a replica.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-02/man-with-replica-gun-detained-in-rochedale-south-brisbane/6994344

Q

uick Gaz, try that now while it's Winter. From September to April however, that would soon turn into a melted brown puddle!

S

I wonder what the Ausie  police would have made of policing my parents pond of snapping turtles with my '71/'84 Mauser? Something was killing their Koi , and action

needed taking! ....... Just kidding....... or am I ?

[GazzaS]

4 minutes ago, belugawhaleman said:

I wonder what the Ausie  police would have made of policing my parents pond of snapping turtles with my '71/'84 Mauser? Something was killing their Coi , and action

needed taking! ....... Just kidding, or am I ?

You wasted 71/84 ammo on turtles?  I used to have a 71/84 and ammo was not easy to get.  I found one box and shot off half of it for fun...  but kept the rest just to have it.

 

BTW...   it's not totally gunless.  But the cops have the right to come to your house and show them all of your guns so that they can be sure that they are there, and secured properly.  I have a friend who was a gun collector and wouldn't turn in all of his stuff.  Periodically the cops come by to make sure that all the guns are under lock and key, chained to their fixtures, with the bolts (they are all military, non-auto rifles) removed.

 

As for killing animals...   everything is protected here...   except for kangaroos when the want to cull them and wild pigs.

[GazzaS]

10 hours ago, krow113 said:

'nuff said:

There are enough cats roaming the neighborhood at night here.  Our cat only gets out when she is lucky enough to escape.  Cats tend to kill everything around them...  not just rats and mice.

[belugawhaleman]

14 hours ago, GazzaS said:

You wasted 71/84 ammo on turtles?  I used to have a 71/84 and ammo was not easy to get.  I found one box and shot off half of it for fun...  but kept the rest just to have it.

 

BTW...   it's not totally gunless.  But the cops have the right to come to your house and show them all of your guns so that they can be sure that they are there, and secured properly.  I have a friend who was a gun collector and wouldn't turn in all of his stuff.  Periodically the cops come by to make sure that all the guns are under lock and key, chained to their fixtures, with the bolts (they are all military, non-auto rifles) removed.

 

As for killing animals...   everything is protected here...   except for kangaroos when the want to cull them and wild pigs.

No, not really turtles. I had at one time a huge collection of firearms. Mostly 19th century

Stuff . I did take a few potshots with my '71/84 at turtles, but I was never was successful.

I hand-loaded for just about everything I had so cost was a small issue. At one time I was

able to form and load for about 45 obsolete cartridges. It was fun. But things changed and my collection was eventually sold. No, I never enjoyed hunting

or killing with my guns. My interest was mostly in history and my love for all things mechanical.

I did have three boxes of original 71/84 ammo from 1886. I tried one and it fired perfectly. The loads I loaded myself and I used new brass made in Australia.

A US outfit, Midway, sells just about everything to make this possible.