Rats and Baits.

[Deefa]

Hi all, popped the bonnet on the Dmax the other day and found a Rat making a nest in the oil filler cap area of the plastic cover over the motor. Not the first time either! I know they can do some pretty destructive damage and would like to know if anyone has a favourite, tried and tested lure to put on, or in their trap of choice?
I'm not a fan of the poison baits as i've also had them die in the air vent of the wifes Beep Beep Barina. Also have dogs and if the birds and Goanna's get a baited rat, they die as well, not good.
Living in a rural area it's a common issue this time of year when the pricks are after a warm spot to set up camp.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Cheers, Steve.

[pig75]

Just google bucket trap lots of ideas

[AW1]

Deefa

Travelling last year with the Mice plague I tried baits (they dissapeared very quickly) spred throughout the ute and van, I also tried Peppermint Oil in water and sprayed around all the openings and most underbonnet areas, also left some paper towels soaked in Pepermint oil. I also left the bonnet up which seemed to have in effect.

One night it was raining so I put the bonnet down but not closed, next morning started the engine to have the Check Light come on. Checks revealed that they had moved the Pepermint soaked paper to under the engine cover and built a nest between the tappet cover and the intake throttle body, and in doing so had eaten the 2 wires that were above them. This was in the Mudgee area of NSW.

A quick repair and I was on my way, and took no further action to discourage them and had no further issues, but I was still well within the area that was claimed to be affected by the plague.

Those that I know who live in areas where they are abundant often leave the engine hood (or bonnet) open at night, as they are looking for warm sheltered areas for their nest. I have seen them nest in car or tractor air filter boxes.

Regards
Athol

[Deefa]

 I,ve made the bucket water traps before with slight success but might make another couple this arvo over a beer or two.
I,ve also resorted to leaving the bonnet up whenever i'm not driving it, . The little buggers have also now got in the back and chewed my camping gear. Pee and Shite everywhere.
Google came up with Amonia, Mothballs, Vinegar, Garlic and Onoin. Smells they don't like. That could result in them picking an even worse spot to set up,
Thought of even borrowing Mums little Terrier rat dog. Problem with him is everything around here is bigger than him so he wouldn't last long,
Steve.

[watsea]

I heard camphor works. I read where people had placed camphor sticks at places in their vehicle and camping gear while stopped.  Hope it works because I placed some camphor sticks in a storage box with the third row of seats while they are temporarily out of the vehicle.

[VALKIE]

If anyone does find an effective way, please tell.
My son is always having the damn things eating his car electrics on his farm.

[Deefa]

They don't seem to mind the old Worcestershire Sauce! The bottom of the plastic bottle was chewed off and now in the back, it smells of that. They also ate the hole side off a plastic Tuppaware container to eat the whole container of those Smako Beef Straps (beef jerky type) treats i had for the dogs.
So i've set up the water trap with Peanut Paste, and with a healthy sprinkling of Smako dust over the top, and also taken away the snap traps they didn't touch.
Stay tuned!!
Steve.

[VALKIE]

We camped next to a creek a few years ago, the rats had never been there before, but were everywhere this particular year.
They ate through my canvas larder, then even climbed a tree to get at a hanging larder we had.
The eskies had chew marks on them as well.

Went to the local bunnings and purchased a couple of different traps.
The snap traps were useless, one even dissapeared, obviously dragged away.
But the metal cage trap was extremely successful.
1st night got 4, drowned each one and tossed it into the bush on the other side of the creek as far as I could throw.
Second night only got 2.
Third night nothing, but got another one on the 4th night.
After that, nothing.
They either got the message or it was only one small nest.
The following years never saw another rat.
I think if you find a way to kill them effectively,  they go elsewhere.
But I carry the trap wherever I go now.

[Deefa]

VALKIE what did you use to entice them into the cage?
I've used these before as well but the cages tend to get smashed up when my dogs get at them.
My oldest dog, nearly 18, was licking something under the BBQ trolley this morning. Thought she'd finnally lost it but she was licking cooking oil from the bottle on top of the trolley that had been eaten into and was leaking. So got another bucket water trap set up under the BBQ. When the rats went through my camping gear they went for the cooking oil as well. I've put some oil on one of the water traps to test them. Got one that is wrapped in the Smako's too.
I'm on a mission now! Before they get in the house. I'm surrounded. But I will win.

[VALKIE]

No dogs where we were camped.
But because they were going the bread more tgan anything else, we used bread and peanut butter in the trap.
The first night I was up and down several times, they were jumping on the trap and setting it off, but still caught 4 of the blighters.
After that, they just seemed to walk in.
I drowned them in a bucket of fresh water, they were quite large and very aggressive,  tried to bite me as i picked up the trap.
I used fresh water so the trap wouldnt rust.
Have used it at home when they pulled down an abandoned house next door, got 3 of them in my garage roof.
Its a good trap.

[xcvator]

Slightly off topic but years ago a place that I worked at had a bit of a rat infestation .Nothing was safe, though the main target was the palmolive hand soap, we used to poke a bit of fence wire through the middle of it and attach a bit of light chain , 1 cake would last about 3 days, even rat traps had to be chained down

[VALKIE]

Again, off topic.
When I was a lad, we had a rat in the roof of our old house in Marrickville.
Dad went up into the roof and put a big old rat trap up there.
We were watching the news when the trap went of followed by a lot of banging and noise in the roof.
Dad got up there and after several expletives it became obvious that this was a huge rat, and that it was still alive.
More banging, more expletives and the request for a hammer or "something" to kill the rat was shouted down through the manhole.
I handed dad a hammer and immediately there were more bangs and then a foot through the ceiling.
More expletives, more banging and finally an "I got ya"
The biggest (and bloodiest) rat I had ever seen was handed down to me to dispose of as dad came back out of the roof cavity.
It was years before the ceiling was properly fixed, horse hair and plaster ceilings were a buggar to fix.
I was only about 8 or 10 at the time.

[Andz]

Plague in WA at the moment, Got one in my camper recently that I stupidly bated and didn't used a trap. Camper smells like a morgue. Using vinegar to try get rid of the smell.

[Deefa]

Andz I can feel your pain! The smell is another reason for me not using poison baits.
Over the weekend I cleaned out the draws that had been eaten by rats. The prick, or pricks were back but nothing for them to eat so they Efd off. I set every trap I had and reckon they were watching me and didn't return the following night.
Frustrating.

[mewgaf]

They love peanut butter. Fyi