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Rats in Compost Pile
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Author:  plharts [ Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:52 am ]
Post subject:  Rats in Compost Pile

Rats have found a home in my compost pile. The snap traps have not worked. What are good options to getting rid of them?

Author:  CaptainCompostAL [ Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rats in Compost Pile

Frequent turning or poking in the compost piles.
Also keep them moisturized frequently.

Author:  user_48634 [ Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rats in Compost Pile

How are the snap traps failing you? There are a few tricks to them.

Author:  plharts [ Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rats in Compost Pile

The bait will get stolen and the trap will be snapped but no rat. Thanks

Author:  user_48634 [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rats in Compost Pile

Got it. Thanks. I'm not a rat professional but in the past I was a building coordinator that worked with the exterminator when rats finally reared their heads in the offices. I picked up a couple ideas from the professionals.

Use bait that is gooey. I like peanut butter with bacon bits in it. Crisco and raisins is good, too.

Tie the trap down with a chain. Chain it to something solid that a big rat could not pull very far. I use a light chain, open the end link, and connect it to the trigger bar at the back of the trap. When I have multiple traps I chain them to one long chain that is attached to something heavy. I saw one rat that was so big it was not killed by the trap. The only way we caught it was that it was chained down. That rat had three legs, having gnawed one leg off that was caught in another trap. That rat was a big as my forearm.

At home I've seen insects steal trap bait. In particular cockroaches and pill bugs are good at it. They are light enough to not snap the trap. Snapping the trap and not getting caught takes some talent.

Don't get discouraged by a few misses.

Author:  plharts [ Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rats in Compost Pile

Thanks. Those look like good tips. Yes it is discouraging to get out smarted by a rat.

Author:  CHF3 [ Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rats in Compost Pile

plharts wrote:
Thanks. Those look like good tips. Yes it is discouraging to get out smarted by a rat.


I use peanut butter in mine, I will usually catch 2 per day when they are bad in my neighborhood, after a week or so the trap stays lonely until ants get the peanut butter.

...no rat is going to get all that peanut butter out of there before the thwack cometh.

Hunter's Creek in Frisco has major rodent issues, lot of former predator habitat got dozed when they built the subdivision and while we have a few bobcats and a number of snakes they just can't keep up with the rats and rabbits.

LOL... the few rat snakes I've seen look very very happy and fat though so in a year I expect the rats and bunnies will be in short supply and folks will complain about all the snakes.

Author:  LucyBelle [ Sat Nov 14, 2009 8:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rats in Compost Pile

TO KEEP OUT RATS AND ROOTS: I made a frame to sit my compost pile on (made it out of 2x4 wood)....then stapled hardware cloth onto the frame, then built my compost pile on top of that.

In a second application, I sat my black pyramid composter (from Garden Supply) on top of such frame. THIS KEEPS: rats and moles out, also keeps roots out! and it lasts long time......with extra benefit of airflow under the pile and you can take a trowel and shovel out stuff to put around your plants. It really angers the varmints who cannot get in. :lol:

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