Barn rats
#6878028
05/20/20 09:57 PM
05/20/20 09:57 PM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,515 West Central MN
20scout
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West Central MN
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Just got a call from a farmer who has a problem with barn rats in his silage bags. His biggest concern other than trying to get rid of them, is that he doesn't want them to move across the road to some other out buildings. I don't have alot of experience wit barn rats but know they get trap wise real quick. Farmers is also concerned about his cats so I think poison is out of the question. Any suggestions?
Common sense is a not a vegetable that does well in everyone's garden.
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Re: Barn rats
[Re: 20scout]
#6878087
05/20/20 10:47 PM
05/20/20 10:47 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 776 MN, USA
star flakes
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MN, USA
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There was a story in The Trapper decades ago, about the reality of exterminators who worked in cereal companies, and how you can never kill all the rats. They would poison, use sonic devices, trap and eventually bring in people to shoot them in the dark, and still there were rats left. The only effective means you have is poison in a series of different flavors. Place the poison in the silage bags. You can use a T shaped plastic pipe to keep the cats out, and that should contain the problem in they will die in the silage bags.
I read once that you can make a bait using soda, I think it was, as rats can not burp, the built up gas kills them. Never tried it, as it seems too pie in the sky.
Just tell the farmer that poison is the only alternative, otherwise you are going to own his farm for all the hours you are going to put in, not killing rats. Have him sign off on it, knowing you are trying to not feed dead rats to his cats, and that is all you can do. He already knows what happens when the corn is moved, in the rats move to the buildings, or they will move to the neighbors where there is food.
This is a no win situation, and that is the reason he called you, or he would have solved it.
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Re: Barn rats
[Re: 20scout]
#6878116
05/20/20 11:39 PM
05/20/20 11:39 PM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,515 West Central MN
20scout
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Pretty much what I was thinking. Like I said, I have little experience with barn rats but know how difficult it is to get rid of them. I said I would come out and look since it's not that far away but said I was not taking the job. About the only successful way I have ever heard was to clean up the place and store edible items in rat proof containers. No food, no reason to stick around but not always a practical solution.
Common sense is a not a vegetable that does well in everyone's garden.
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Re: Barn rats
[Re: 20scout]
#6878345
05/21/20 09:37 AM
05/21/20 09:37 AM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,515 West Central MN
20scout
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Can't use minks but did ask if the farmer knew of someone who own a ferret or two. Seen some videos on YouTube of hunting dogs with rats, really fun to watch but doubt I could do much with just one dog.
Common sense is a not a vegetable that does well in everyone's garden.
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Re: Barn rats
[Re: 20scout]
#6879139
05/22/20 10:06 AM
05/22/20 10:06 AM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,515 West Central MN
20scout
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Getting rid of the food source isn't possible as they are in the silage bags. So far about the only reasonable answer is poison but that's not necessarily the right answer. Had several locals tell me to catch one rat and singe it with a torch, then let it go. The theory is that it will go back to the colony making the rest think there is a fire. Then they all leave the area heading up wind. Even if that works your just passing the problem onto the neighbors. Think I'll pass on that one.
Common sense is a not a vegetable that does well in everyone's garden.
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Re: Barn rats
[Re: 20scout]
#6880761
05/23/20 11:52 PM
05/23/20 11:52 PM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,515 West Central MN
20scout
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I was told today that guinea hens will chase out barn rats since they eat mice young rats. Anyone else hear of this?
Common sense is a not a vegetable that does well in everyone's garden.
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Re: Barn rats
[Re: EatenByLimestone]
#6881013
05/24/20 11:31 AM
05/24/20 11:31 AM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,515 West Central MN
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Do they chase them out or do the rats leave because of the noise? Guinea hens eat mice and young rats. I'm guessing since they would be a threat to young rats, the adults would move to a less threatening area, probably the neighbors.
Common sense is a not a vegetable that does well in everyone's garden.
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Re: Barn rats
[Re: 20scout]
#6882218
05/25/20 08:28 PM
05/25/20 08:28 PM
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,672 Ohio
Willy Firewood
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The farmer does not want dead rats rotting in the silage bags. One year we had a good number of turkeys. The spring was sunny and warm, perfect for growing hay and for nesting turkeys.
So I have a customer who after a dozen or so, became frustrated with getting off the tractor to move turkey hen with a nest of eggs. So he turned up the fuel a bit and from then on just ran the hens with their nests right through the haybine. Later he came back and raked. Still later he came back and made round bales.
As a good farmer he stacked the bales inside hay sheds and barns. Eventually the bales started smelling bad. after awhile that went away. That winter most cows would not eat the hay. Those that did got sIck. He scrapped about 350 big round bales.
Cows react similarly to bales used as a raccoon toilet.
FRAC LIVES MATTER
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