Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved in"
under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no doubt attracted
by free food. The food source is now removed, and despite 2 traps and a
large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still have rats. They seem pretty
smart. They're obviously hungry because we see them by day nicking bread
left for the birds.

Alpha Rat (now called "Shredder Bin Laden") is definitely a boy and has at
least one wife. Scorched earth tactics are called for before we have a
plague. I have various questions:

TRAPS
Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible to rats?

POISON
Our rats seem wise to "commercial" poison so I'm inclined towards the
Ukranian approach....lacing some chicken food with some kind of lethal
toxin. What? Where can I legally buy it?

GAS
Pipe from car exhaust into tunnels with all possible exits blocked. Wife
thinks I'm mad. Surely this will work? Can you also get pyrotechnic
fumigators?

ASASSINATION
Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I really don't have the
patience to stalk the Prey though...but the Dirty Harry fantasy "Probably
the most powerful airgun in thge world" does have some appeal.

VAPOURISATION WITH JAMES BOND LASER (son's suggestion)
Unfortunately my 1mW, 630 nm eye safe pointer just doesn't have the grunt.
Star Wars technology is beyond my budget and probably not CE approved
anyhow.

Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

David

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 08:20:19 -0000, "Vortex"
squeezed out the following:

Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved in"
under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no doubt attracted
by free food. The food source is now removed, and despite 2 traps and a
large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still have rats. They seem pretty
smart. They're obviously hungry because we see them by day nicking bread
left for the birds.

Alpha Rat (now called "Shredder Bin Laden") is definitely a boy and has at
least one wife. Scorched earth tactics are called for before we have a
plague. I have various questions:

Airgun worked for me - rats will often let you get quite close.

--
Colin Irvine

In article ,
Vortex wrote:

Alpha Rat (now called "Shredder Bin Laden") is definitely a boy
and has at least one wife. Scorched earth tactics are called
for before we have a plague. I have various questions:

TRAPS Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible
to rats?

I use a Big Nipper with a piece of fatty fried bacon
securely tied to it. That catches youngsters, but the
big old ones got to be old ones by being more cautious
and crafty. They are very leery of anything strange.

My pal uses a cage, because he reckons that once one
youngster is seen in the cage (apparently ok) then all
the others will follow. But then you have to kill them.

ASASSINATION Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I
really don't have the patience to stalk the Prey though...but
the Dirty Harry fantasy "Probably the most powerful airgun in
the world" does have some appeal.

An air rifle needs practice but it is interesting,
and practicing gets the rats used to the sound.

Rat's eyes seem to be very sensitive to the slightest
movement near their level, but they don't appear to
have much awareness of things above them. So I bait
a particular area below an upstairs window and zero
the air rifle for that distance. Choose a day when
the wind is in your face.

If you shoot a youngster, stay still and leave it there,
because there is a good chance that a parent will come
to investigate, quite quickly.

--
Tony Williams.

Vortex wrote:
Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have
"moved in" under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no
doubt attracted by free food. The food source is now removed, and
despite 2 traps and a large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still
have rats. They seem pretty smart. They're obviously hungry because
we see them by day nicking bread left for the birds.

Don't leave bread out for the birds (and ask neighbours not to) until you've
got rid of them.


TRAPS
Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible to rats?

http://www.sorex.com/proddetail.asp?...categoryi d=1


POISON
Our rats seem wise to "commercial" poison so I'm inclined towards the
Ukranian approach....lacing some chicken food with some kind of lethal
toxin. What? Where can I legally buy it?

Your neighbours might not be best pleased when their cat dies :-(


ASASSINATION

It's an option.


VAPOURISATION WITH JAMES BOND LASER (son's suggestion)

Meanwhile, back in the real world..... ;-)

"Vortex" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved
in" under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no doubt
attracted by free food. The food source is now removed, and despite 2
traps and a large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still have rats.
They seem pretty smart. They're obviously hungry because we see them by
day nicking bread left for the birds.

Alpha Rat (now called "Shredder Bin Laden") is definitely a boy and has at
least one wife. Scorched earth tactics are called for before we have a
plague. I have various questions:

TRAPS
Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible to rats?

POISON
Our rats seem wise to "commercial" poison so I'm inclined towards the
Ukranian approach....lacing some chicken food with some kind of lethal
toxin. What? Where can I legally buy it?

GAS
Pipe from car exhaust into tunnels with all possible exits blocked. Wife
thinks I'm mad. Surely this will work? Can you also get pyrotechnic
fumigators?

ASASSINATION
Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I really don't have the
patience to stalk the Prey though...but the Dirty Harry fantasy "Probably
the most powerful airgun in thge world" does have some appeal.

VAPOURISATION WITH JAMES BOND LASER (son's suggestion)
Unfortunately my 1mW, 630 nm eye safe pointer just doesn't have the grunt.
Star Wars technology is beyond my budget and probably not CE approved
anyhow.

Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

David

always use gloves to handle the traps, they can smell human otherwise.

gun is very useful, forget the exhaust pipe, remember if you see one then
there are at least a dozen nearby, persevere with poison, but again use
gloves.

"Colin Irvine" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 08:20:19 -0000, "Vortex"
squeezed out the following:

Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved
in"
under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no doubt attracted
by free food. The food source is now removed, and despite 2 traps and a
large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still have rats. They seem
pretty
smart. They're obviously hungry because we see them by day nicking bread
left for the birds.

Alpha Rat (now called "Shredder Bin Laden") is definitely a boy and has at
least one wife. Scorched earth tactics are called for before we have a
plague. I have various questions:

Airgun worked for me - rats will often let you get quite close.

--
Colin Irvine

Well I just found http://www.airpistol.co.uk/air_rifle_1.htm

..22 Air rifles for under £50.00!! I had no idea.

Looks like I'll be making some calls for technical advice and acquire some
weaponry next week.

David

I live trapped 16 of the beggars last winter, it took the whole winter to
get them. The best trap had a sprung door, although the trap with a flap did
give me three in one morning. Bacon seemed the best bait, often supplemented
by a trail of oatmeal leading into the trap from the entrance to the den.
I kept the traps baited year round and got another four this last autmn.

roy

Vortex wrote:
Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved in"
under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no doubt attracted
by free food. The food source is now removed, and despite 2 traps and a
large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still have rats. They seem pretty
smart. They're obviously hungry because we see them by day nicking bread
left for the birds.

snip

Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

Yes. Get a Jack Russell.

I took this approach four years ago. There was a delay of a few months
while the puppy grew but he killed his first rat when he was 6 months
old. He soon got the taste for it and, within another month, the rats
that were left alive decided to take up alternative residence. Since
then, he has deterred any further infestation. You will need to train
him/her to leave the chickens alone, though. Our JR showed an initial
interest in playing with the chickens but soon learned to leave them alone.


--
Howard Neil

"Vortex" wrote in message
...
.....
POISON
Our rats seem wise to "commercial" poison so I'm inclined towards the
Ukranian approach....lacing some chicken food with some kind of lethal
toxin. What? Where can I legally buy it?

GAS
Pipe from car exhaust into tunnels with all possible exits blocked. Wife
thinks I'm mad. Surely this will work? Can you also get pyrotechnic
fumigators?

The problem with both these is the smell of rotting rats where you can't
reach them and the plague of flies that accompany the bodies.

ASASSINATION
Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I really don't have the
patience to stalk the Prey though...but the Dirty Harry fantasy "Probably
the most powerful airgun in thge world" does have some appeal.

A silenced .22 rifle would be more effective as it has a longer range.
Whether you can get the firearms licence for it will depend on where you
live and the attitude of the local firearms officer. Ours is a keen shooter
and is very sympathetic to anyone with a genuine need.

....
Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

As already suggested, a Jack Russell. They are not terribly sane dogs, but
they do keep the rat population down.

Colin Bignell

"Vortex" wrote in message
...

TRAPS
Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible to rats?

Bread left out for the birds seems to be the thing for your rats!

POISON
Our rats seem wise to "commercial" poison so I'm inclined towards the
Ukranian approach....lacing some chicken food with some kind of lethal
toxin. What? Where can I legally buy it?

No idea but you don't want poisoned rat bodies lying around, they don't
smell nice and the chickens might eat them. Mine love rodents.

GAS
Pipe from car exhaust into tunnels with all possible exits blocked. Wife
thinks I'm mad. Surely this will work? Can you also get pyrotechnic
fumigators?

Again, you'll be left with bodies, you won't be able to find them all.

ASASSINATION
Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I really don't have the
patience to stalk the Prey though...but the Dirty Harry fantasy "Probably
the most powerful airgun in thge world" does have some appeal.

You could call in pest control. I've found them very helpful.

Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

A terrier.

Mary
Yorkshire

David

In article ,
Howard Neil wrote:
Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

Yes. Get a Jack Russell.

Think I'd prefer the rats.

--
*Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Huge wrote:
Pipe from car exhaust into tunnels with all possible exits blocked.
Wife thinks I'm mad. Surely this will work?

I've seen professional ratters do this with chainsaw engines.

Yes - no cat. A modern car might take a long time to kill due to the near
total removal of the CO by the cat. What you really need is a nice old
Cortina with a worn carb. ;-)

--
*Work is for people who don't know how to fish.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Vortex wrote:

Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved in"
under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no doubt attracted
by free food. The food source is now removed, and despite 2 traps and a
large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still have rats. They seem pretty
smart. They're obviously hungry because we see them by day nicking bread
left for the birds.

Alpha Rat (now called "Shredder Bin Laden") is definitely a boy and has at
least one wife. Scorched earth tactics are called for before we have a
plague. I have various questions:

TRAPS
Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible to rats?


Bird food.

POISON
Our rats seem wise to "commercial" poison so I'm inclined towards the
Ukranian approach....lacing some chicken food with some kind of lethal
toxin. What? Where can I legally buy it?


Rats will exapnd to fill the food supply. Killing one lot just allows
the next lot to move over.

GAS
Pipe from car exhaust into tunnels with all possible exits blocked. Wife
thinks I'm mad. Surely this will work? Can you also get pyrotechnic
fumigators?

Sure,m but see above.

ASASSINATION
Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I really don't have the
patience to stalk the Prey though...but the Dirty Harry fantasy "Probably
the most powerful airgun in thge world" does have some appeal.


OIts lots of fun. A scope equipped .22 air rifle is accurate and lethal
yp to aboutr 40 yards, less lethal, less accurate up to 60.

VAPOURISATION WITH JAMES BOND LASER (son's suggestion)
Unfortunately my 1mW, 630 nm eye safe pointer just doesn't have the grunt.
Star Wars technology is beyond my budget and probably not CE approved
anyhow.

Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

Traps. Rat traps work.
But unless you stop giving them a free lunch, they will always be back.

Terriers are good too.


David

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 11:01:17 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
squeezed out the following:

In article ,
Howard Neil wrote:
Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

Yes. Get a Jack Russell.

Think I'd prefer the rats.

g Beat me to it.

--
Colin Irvine

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 10:32:49 +0000, Howard Neil
wrote:

Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

Yes. Get a Jack Russell.


Dear group. I have an infestation of Jack Russels. Any advice on how
to shift the annoying little yappers ?

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 10:53:04 -0000, "nightjar"
wrote:

A silenced .22 rifle would be more effective as it has a longer range.
Whether you can get the firearms licence for it

Why on earth would you need an FAC ? They're only rats, not
ankylosaurus, and semi-domestic rats will let you get close enough
that range isn't an issue. A cheap CO2 or spring air pistol will do
fine - you don't need an FAC-grade air rifle, or a rimfire .22

I also doubt if you'll get a .22 rifle ticket these days unless you're
either very rustic, already known as a shooter, or join a target club
as well. New applications "for vermin control" are getting very short
shrift.

Cheapest option is probably a nasty .22 spring air rifle. But a
slightly better option might be a CO2 pistol with a decent sight and a
carbine stock. There are a few "rat killer" kits around offering this.
Provided the range is low and you can provide some simple rest for it,
ratting inside a barn or a small space will probably be easier for you
with a reasonable pistol than a long rifle.

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 13:49:09 UTC, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 10:32:49 +0000, Howard Neil
wrote:

Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

Yes. Get a Jack Russell.


Dear group. I have an infestation of Jack Russels. Any advice on how
to shift the annoying little yappers ?

Overfeed them on rats...


--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!

Rat's eyes seem to be very sensitive to the slightest movement near their
level, but they don't appear to have much awareness of things above them.
So I bait a particular area below an upstairs window and zero the air
rifle for that distance. Choose a day when the wind is in your face.

Excatly what I did to rid my parents place of rats.

Dave

--
For what we are about to balls up may common sense prevent us doing it
again
in the future!!

Vortex wrote:
"Colin Irvine" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 08:20:19 -0000, "Vortex"
squeezed out the following:

Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved
in"
under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no doubt attracted
by free food. The food source is now removed, and despite 2 traps and a
large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still have rats. They seem
pretty
smart. They're obviously hungry because we see them by day nicking bread
left for the birds.

Alpha Rat (now called "Shredder Bin Laden") is definitely a boy and has at
least one wife. Scorched earth tactics are called for before we have a
plague. I have various questions:

Airgun worked for me - rats will often let you get quite close.

--
Colin Irvine

Well I just found http://www.airpistol.co.uk/air_rifle_1.htm

.22 Air rifles for under £50.00!! I had no idea.


I had a link to chinese air rifles for just £23.50 but can't find it but a
quick google threw up the following offers.

..22 http://tinyurl.com/5xfgv £35

..22 http://tinyurl.com/69dlz £29.75

..177 http://www.ejmailorder.co.uk/pagetwo.htm £24.95 !


plink plink :-)



RT

Huge wrote:
"shaun" writes:
Vortex wrote:

TRAPS
Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible to rats?


http://www.sorex.com/proddetail.asp?...categoryi d=1

If that's "Neosorexa", I would agree. I use it on the rats here, and
it seems very effective.

It is very. Also their Sorexa CD is mustard for getting rid of mice - looks
just like bird seed.

"Huge" wrote in message
...
"nightjar" writes:

"Vortex" wrote in message
...

[14 lines snipped]

ASASSINATION
Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I really don't have the
patience to stalk the Prey though...but the Dirty Harry fantasy
"Probably
the most powerful airgun in thge world" does have some appeal.

A silenced .22 rifle would be more effective as it has a longer range.
Whether you can get the firearms licence for it will depend on where you
live and the attitude of the local firearms officer. Ours is a keen
shooter
and is very sympathetic to anyone with a genuine need.

Or a 410 shotgun. The ammo boxes even have pretty little pictures of rats
on them...

I wondered about that, but I only have 12 gauge, which is probably a bit in
the overkill range.

Colin Bignell

nightjar nightjar@ wrote:

"Huge" wrote in message
...

"nightjar" writes:

"Vortex" wrote in message
...

[14 lines snipped]


ASASSINATION
Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I really don't have the
patience to stalk the Prey though...but the Dirty Harry fantasy
"Probably
the most powerful airgun in thge world" does have some appeal.

A silenced .22 rifle would be more effective as it has a longer range.
Whether you can get the firearms licence for it will depend on where you
live and the attitude of the local firearms officer. Ours is a keen
shooter
and is very sympathetic to anyone with a genuine need.

Or a 410 shotgun. The ammo boxes even have pretty little pictures of rats
on them...


I wondered about that, but I only have 12 gauge, which is probably a bit in
the overkill range.

Yes, but it saves the suffereing.

If you use smallest gauge shot, and a wide choke you can sometimes get
two at once.


Colin Bignell

.22 Air rifles for under £50.00!! I had no idea.

Looks like I'll be making some calls for technical advice and acquire some
weaponry next week.

..25 is the kiddie for rats.
(if you can still get them)

..22 next best thing.

Keep well away from .177 as the pellets aren't "fat enough" to off-load
power to beast, they just go straight out the other side.

--
http://gymratz.co.uk - Best Gym Equipment & Bodybuilding Supplements UK.
http://trade-price-supplements.co.uk - TRADE PRICED SUPPLEMENTS for ALL!
http://fitness-equipment-uk.com - UK's No.1 Fitness Equipment Suppliers.
http://gymratz.co.uk/hot-seat.htm - Live web-cam! (sometimes)

"Huge" wrote in message
...
writes:
On 19 Feb 2005 13:11:41 GMT, (Huge) wrote:

Our "chainsaw engine" drove a fan that "dusted" burrows with "cymag".

Nasty.

Effective, if scary, I inevitably ended up with a headache on cymag
days, opposite of a placebo maybe.

I always reckon that if you see a rat you have hundreds, I've never
thought shooting muck of a control of rats, pigeons, rabbits or
squirrels, they all migrate and range over large distances. My elderly
FIL uses an self loading air rifle, recharges from a diver's air
bottle, and it is effective at killing. I infer from your previous
comment that the exemption for air weapons with muzzle energy
12ft-lbs is likely to end?

I suspect so. There have been rumours, and the usual faces are popping
up in the popular press, talking about "powerful" air guns (as they
did "powerful" handguns before those were banned) and "firearms
offences" when it turns out someone brandished un unloaded air
gun.


This is England and our traditional weapon is the longbow. Everyone should
practice for four hours a day and have overdeveloped right arm muscles g

"John" wrote in message
...


This is England and our traditional weapon is the longbow. Everyone should
practice for four hours a day and have overdeveloped right arm muscles g

Hurrah!

.... er ... have you ever hit a rat with an arrow from a longbow? I've never
managed a rabbit ...

Mary

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
et...

"John" wrote in message
...


This is England and our traditional weapon is the longbow. Everyone
should practice for four hours a day and have overdeveloped right arm
muscles g

Hurrah!

... er ... have you ever hit a rat with an arrow from a longbow? I've
never managed a rabbit ...


I've never tried to be honest. Mind you I could hit static targets using a
bow with fair accuracy in my youth. I do have a faily good rat score with a
four-ten shotgun and have also laid a fair few to rest with a .22 air rifle
with scope but the scope makes sighting a moving target somewhat chancy when
you consider the rats erratic/nervous movements.
The best thing about using a bow is the easy availability of materials to
create the weapon and the ammunition without much chance of officialdom
being able to monitor or prevent you. A half decent home workshop can also
produce a very effective crossbow which has more accuracy in use than a
longbow

"John" wrote in message
...


This is England and our traditional weapon is the longbow. Everyone
should practice for four hours a day and have overdeveloped right arm
muscles g

Hurrah!

... er ... have you ever hit a rat with an arrow from a longbow? I've
never managed a rabbit ...


I've never tried to be honest. Mind you I could hit static targets using a
bow with fair accuracy in my youth. I do have a faily good rat score with
a four-ten shotgun and have also laid a fair few to rest with a .22 air
rifle

er ... "This is England and our traditional weapon is the longbow."

Someone I could poke with a very short keyboard said that not very long ago
....

Mary

On 19 Feb 2005 21:30:37 GMT, (Huge) wrote:

MMMmmmmm. Rat aerosol.

and a ventilated chicken house.

Besides which, have you seen the price of 12 gauge shells? I wouldn't
even rabbit with a shotgun, let alone rat.

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 20:34:32 GMT, "Pet @ www.gymratz.co.uk"
wrote:

.25 is the kiddie for rats.
(if you can still get them)

Just how old are you ? Haven't seen those seriously in decades. They
were made obsolete by pre-charged rifles (and more to the point
carbines). It was now easy to achieve any muzzle velocity you could
legally have, so the old need for a heavy pellet to reach 12 ft lbs
with a spring made of old halfshafts disappeared. You no longer
needed the barrel length either, hence full-power carbines.

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 21:17:30 +0000 (UTC), "John"
wrote:

This is England and our traditional weapon is the longbow.

In England our traditional weapon is the crossbow, for dealing with
those pesky Welsh longbowmen. There's a notice to this effect on the
town gate in Chepstow.

Strange how Chepstow still seems to permit the shooting of any
Welshman encountered after dark, whilst it's really nearby Newport
that needs it.

"Vortex" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved
in"
under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no doubt attracted
by free food. The food source is now removed, and despite 2 traps and a
large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still have rats. They seem
pretty
smart. They're obviously hungry because we see them by day nicking bread
left for the birds.

Alpha Rat (now called "Shredder Bin Laden") is definitely a boy and has at
least one wife. Scorched earth tactics are called for before we have a
plague. I have various questions:

TRAPS
Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible to rats?

Scented soap. They have even been known to swim round the U bend of a
toilet to get to it in a bathroom if they smell it after you have enptied
the bath.



POISON
Our rats seem wise to "commercial" poison so I'm inclined towards the
Ukranian approach....lacing some chicken food with some kind of lethal
toxin. What? Where can I legally buy it?

Calais. They don't seem to have this sense of 'fairness' towards vermin
that Blair and co have.


GAS
Pipe from car exhaust into tunnels with all possible exits blocked. Wife
thinks I'm mad. Surely this will work? Can you also get pyrotechnic
fumigators?

Are you sure the tunnels don't lead under your house ? If not just pour
petrol down and light.



ASASSINATION
Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I really don't have the
patience to stalk the Prey though...but the Dirty Harry fantasy "Probably
the most powerful airgun in thge world" does have some appeal.

They're faster than you are.



Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

Put them down the tunnels to protect the rats then burn the lot of them.

"Vortex" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved
in" under the shed, and have created a network of tunnels - no doubt
attracted by free food. The food source is now removed, and despite 2
traps and a large amount of poison (blue pellets) we still have rats.
They seem pretty smart. They're obviously hungry because we see them by
day nicking bread left for the birds.

Alpha Rat (now called "Shredder Bin Laden") is definitely a boy and has at
least one wife. Scorched earth tactics are called for before we have a
plague. I have various questions:

TRAPS
Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible to rats?

POISON
Our rats seem wise to "commercial" poison so I'm inclined towards the
Ukranian approach....lacing some chicken food with some kind of lethal
toxin. What? Where can I legally buy it?

GAS
Pipe from car exhaust into tunnels with all possible exits blocked. Wife
thinks I'm mad. Surely this will work? Can you also get pyrotechnic
fumigators?

ASASSINATION
Maybe an excuse to get an Air Rifle or pistol. I really don't have the
patience to stalk the Prey though...but the Dirty Harry fantasy "Probably
the most powerful airgun in thge world" does have some appeal.

VAPOURISATION WITH JAMES BOND LASER (son's suggestion)
Unfortunately my 1mW, 630 nm eye safe pointer just doesn't have the grunt.
Star Wars technology is beyond my budget and probably not CE approved
anyhow.

Any other suggestions before the hunt saboteurs get me?

David




Are you quite sure they're rats, and not Siberian filigree hamsters?

But do they shoot sideways; Ha ha!!

"Vortex" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We've kept chickens for some years and this Winter some rats have "moved
in"

etc etc


FOLLOW UP

Thanks for all the advice.

* Yesterday I acquired a bucket of Neosorexa rat bait, when I got back I
noticed for the first time that the bait IS being taken...so we are now
making progress.

Also on the way back I picked up a .22 Air Rifle (non-Chinese). I do hope
there's the opportunity to get Shredder before the bait gets him. [This is
personal]

* Gassing experiment never occurred due to hose length limitations.

* Longbow/crossbow approach sounds interesting.

* I'd rather saw my leg off than keep a dog of any kind (personal
aversion).

* I am reserving available petrol for mowing the lawn later (it's
surprisingly dry here).

* What about ferret assisted assassination? Are they too large to flush
out rats?

David

Steve Firth wrote:
Howard Neil wrote:

Yes. Get a Jack Russell.

I took this approach four years ago.

Hunting with dogs is now illegal.

Is it?

shaun wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:

Howard Neil wrote:


Yes. Get a Jack Russell.

I took this approach four years ago.

Hunting with dogs is now illegal.


Is it?


Nah, but allowing your pack of hounds to kill a fox is!

shaun wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:

Howard Neil wrote:


Yes. Get a Jack Russell.

I took this approach four years ago.

Hunting with dogs is now illegal.


Is it?


Hunting for rats is exempt.


--
Howard Neil

"Steve Firth" wrote in message
.. .
Howard Neil wrote:

Yes. Get a Jack Russell.

I took this approach four years ago.

Hunting with dogs is now illegal.

Only if you enjoy it it seems ... :-(

If your dog gets the rats without your encouragement it can't really be
called hunting.

Mary

"Mike" wrote in message
...


Can anybody recommend a bait that is absolutely irrestible to rats?

Scented soap. They have even been known to swim round the U bend of a
toilet to get to it in a bathroom if they smell it after you have enptied
the bath.

What scent do you prefer, Mike?

Mary

"Vortex" wrote in message
news:W96dnY0tIdxW3IXfRVn-

Also on the way back I picked up a .22 Air Rifle (non-Chinese). I do hope
there's the opportunity to get Shredder before the bait gets him. [This
is personal]

Pitting your wits against a rat are you :-)


* I'd rather saw my leg off than keep a dog of any kind (personal
aversion).

So would I ...

Mary