Identify these gnaw marks

[Kent]

Or the rats live at yours and eat at hers. If she has rats then so do you

 

[cumbriasteve]

I once was asked in the mid 70's to weld some broken pens at the local slaughter house, told to come down in the evening once they had finished for the day.

Arrived about 6pm on a winters evening, hit the light switch and the whole floor area where the draining grooves ran to a large gulley was alive and moving, no idea how many but if I guessed several hundred to over a thousand I would not be far out and some of them were 'super rat' size.

This was located in a part of the old town and there were plenty of little terraced houses all around, bet they had constant problems.

When I went to get paid next day the owner just said 'oh yeah it's bad', they had no pest control and simply were not bothered and refused my offer of using up some lead with my BSA Airsporter....could have been fun.

 

[rockweasel]

Or the rats live at yours and eat at hers. If she has rats then so do you

Good point.

 

[GW8IZR]

Worst thing you could do. Traps are seasoned by hanging them out u touched by human hands for a few months. Some boil them first. Human pee is liquid human

agreed, it would be counter productive.

Though you dont need to be too prissy about them if they are your own traps used in the environment where store them.

 

[Kent]

They would be closed down now well prior to things getting that bad. Random and constant. Ministry vet checks

 

[rockweasel]

agreed, it would be counter productive.

Though you dont need to be too prissy about them if they are your own traps used in the environment where store them.

Is that because every thing is likely to have your scent on it?

 

[Kent]

agreed, it would be counter productive.

Though you dont need to be too prissy about them if they are your own traps used in the environment where store them.

I don't even consider handling traps used for rat without gloves. Not worth the risk of infection. Been a long while since I employed traps and snares for other stuff but again I gloved up to avoid transferring scent (larsen and later traps for pest birds are different because thier scenting power isn't great at all)

 

[GW8IZR]

Is that because every thing is likely to have your scent on it?

pretty much so, it sometimes takes a day or so if I take a trap somewhere to help out but otherwise hunger / curiosity takes over.

Thing is there are lots of rats about but they are very bright and keep out of the way, people tend to not notice the signs 'til they are very obvious and by then they are established - then it takes a bit more effort to shift them.

 

[GW8IZR]

I don't even consider handling traps used for rat without gloves. Not worth the risk of infection. Been a long while since I employed traps and snares for other stuff but again I gloved up to avoid transferring scent (larsen and later traps for pest birds are different because thier scenting power isn't great at all)

yes both points are valid, I've never trapped anything but vermin. I always use gloves setting traps or handling bait / results - using a black light round your traps is interesting.

 

[arther dailey]

Although our barn may be rat heaven, I don't think we're the one with the problem. There hasn't been any sign of ratty since the gnaw marks appeared, and we've even left the barn door open to let him in to see the trap. All the horse feed is kept in plastic bins with locking covers. The horse feed bucket with a loose cover has been the rats target, but that's locked away now. Our neighbour across the road gas several horses and her place is messy. She also keeps dog outside and the bowls of food may be attracting vermin. Maybe one of her rats wandered over here for a meal but has given up since we locked everything away?

you should be so lucky.....

 

[arther dailey]

one of the best things I have found over the years , because of our loverly horsey neighbour(rat navana) is peanut butter on traps, they love it..even new traps get quick success, generally then I remove traps and use bait box(six actually) for a week or two and just rotate like that, put a bit of old corrageted tin against a wall some wheres, they love hiding behind/underneath if you lay it flat,little hay for nest ,makes em feel right at home. then bait bags.
Of course if you have chickens and just scatter feed on the floor, well the old saying is where theres feather theres fir, they bragged next door that went to feed the rabbit in its hutch as soon as they did arat would appear and eat what they just put out, rabbit died of starvation, these are so called animal lovers, rat had gnawed through back of hutch and just waited till heard clank of food bowl.
nice people eh

 

[Migmac]

In my experience it doesn't take long for human scent to fade away after handling traps or snares. Never worn gloves to prevent scent. If your traps are placed in the correct place the target animals inquisitive nature will take over. We used to snare rats round our feeding areas on duck ponds, i used to set the snares then start to put the feed out for the ducks. You could hear the swish of the snares going off whilst I was working. Never met anyone with weils disease but I always used a stick to pickup the dead rats, horrible creatures. Don't know how anyone can have them as pets

 

[ronan]

Never met anyone with weils disease but I always used a stick to pickup the dead rats, horrible creatures. Don't know how anyone can have them as pets

Knew a few lads over here who caught it, one was an older chap and he was never right after it, it triggered all sorts of health issues and he died young. They were members of river fishing clubs and used to do work on river banks. Personally i wouldn't rest if there were rats on the premises, foxes, squirrels, hedgehogs around the garden i really wouldn't mind, but rats are a different story.

 

[ronan]

Although our barn may be rat heaven, I don't think we're the one with the problem. There hasn't been any sign of ratty since the gnaw marks appeared, and we've even left the barn door open to let him in to see the trap. All the horse feed is kept in plastic bins with locking covers. The horse feed bucket with a loose cover has been the rats target, but that's locked away now. Our neighbour across the road gas several horses and her place is messy. She also keeps dog outside and the bowls of food may be attracting vermin. Maybe one of her rats wandered over here for a meal but has given up since we locked everything away?

Plastic containers are no good. when i was involved with the horsey set years ago, we used large steel barrels, well washed out and with a steel lid. the galvanised steel dustbins might be good, and keep the spillages swept up. A couple of jack russells or the like around the place are worth their weight in gold too, fearless little barstewards.

 

[colnerov]

There's a saying "You never see old ratcatchers"

 

[eSCHEn]

Shame you're a bit far mate. Got a team of three terrierists here.

 

[Migmac]

There's a saying "You never see old ratcatchers"

That was more due to the poisons they were using!

 

[Kent]

That was more due to the poisons they were using!

It wasn't it was lack of care and sanitation handling rats n such. Weils disease was once called "rat catchers yellows" my old doctor called it that still in the 80s!

 

[Kent]

In my experience it doesn't take long for human scent to fade away after handling traps or snares. Never worn gloves to prevent scent. If your traps are placed in the correct place the target animals inquisitive nature will take over. We used to snare rats round our feeding areas on duck ponds, i used to set the snares then start to put the feed out for the ducks. You could hear the swish of the snares going off whilst I was working. Never met anyone with weils disease but I always used a stick to pickup the dead rats, horrible creatures. Don't know how anyone can have them as pets

Can't use the old spring willow snares now in England. A snare must not be set to kill only capture. Heck I was taught the opposite that it must kill instantly or quickly! Having a live anything was a mistake to regret. I don't now. Too many badgers and such

 

[Robotstar5]

All the horse feed is kept in plastic bins with locking covers. The horse feed bucket with a loose cover has been the rats target, but that's locked away now.

Plastic bins didn't keep rats out at a stables Mrs Robo used some years ago, she had buy galv steel bins to stop the problem.