Get Rid of Rats in the Garden Now! - Part 2

(This is the continuation of Part 1)

I've used rat poison before to exterminate rats. I'm not sure though how truly effective it was. That's because I didn't immediately see results.

I see the rat bait poison decrease though so I'm guessing it's taken by rats. Sometimes my dog manages to catch and kill rats. And no, she doesn't eat them. My dog isn't really very quick in catching rats. My theory there is that the rat has been poisoned already and has become sluggish.


Rat Poison Bait to Kill Rats

So this time, again, I'm giving the rat poison bait another try. This time, it is for the rats passing through the metal beams of the garden arbor, using it as a bridge from my roof to my neighbor's.

Why rat poison bait? Well, I'm thinking the rats have become bigger and now more clever. None of the glue traps and mouse traps that I've set have worked on them.


Choosing the Poison Bait to Exterminate Rats

At several supermarket and hardware stores, there are only a few leading brands for rat poison bait. I was actually looking for the one that was the fastest-acting and most potent. However, I came to realize that those two may not really be the best qualities to eradicate pests like rats.

I was particularly attracted to this rat poison label of Racumin Ready-Made Bait by Bayer:


"Does not cause BAIT SHYNESS as poisoned rodents will appear to die of natural causes, thus preventing other rats in the colony to be warned of the poison." Like I said, these rats have become too smart for traps and other baits.

"Causes dehydration, minimizing FOUL ODOR emanating from dead rodents." Yes. Who wouldn't want that? Dead rats killed by traps and glues are a bit of a hassle to dispose. And if you don't notice the trapped dead rats, the resulting stench from decomposition is unbearable.

The 250-gram box of the Ready-Made Bait by Racumin is 74.75 Php which I think is reasonable enough for eradicating the rat pest problem.





Where to Position the Rat Poison Bait

Now that I knew what bait to use and where the rats pass, where and how do I position the bait?

From the known rat tracks in the preceding article, I've decided to place the bait along the beam. Because I wanted the bait to remain dry even if left unconsumed, I wanted to find a spot where it may be shielded from the rains.

The small spot below the roof gutters would be the best spot, I concluded.


There, the roof gutter partially protects the rat bait from the rains. The rat bait would hopefully remain dry and still be appealing to the rats.


How to Make a Rat Poison Bait Holder

There should be a receptacle or container of some kind that would hold the rat poison bait in the identified spot. So I looked around for disposable items around the house to hold the bait and keep it secure.

Materials
  • Disposable Plastic Cup - a transparent cup would be preferred for easy visibility. With a clear cup, you'd immediately know if there is any unconsumed bait or when you need to replenish. The rat would also easily notice the bait. For this project, I used a small clear disposable gravy cup from KFC.


  • Tie Wire - any thin wire would also suffice. This item is for tying and securing the rat bait holder.


(See Part 3 for the continuation of this article)




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