I have had issues with rats getting into my garage, it's a messy garage and I have chicken food stored there. I live rural and use baits when I notice rats around, plus I shoot them which is much more fun. Despite having four cats and a temporary dog staying here a rat has got onto my boat and eaten parts of my hand held GPS and the handle on my used once Stradic, my Thunnus and the foam around the butt section of my Synit Hellbent. I don't know why that has happened all of a sudden.

Do the electronic rodent controllers work? I'm pretty sceptical that they do.

Having tried two different brands of those rodent repellant devices, I would state they didn't work to any measurable degree. In fact found one rat hole chewed through the shed wall only six feet from where one was plugged in, whilst it was supposed to be keeping them away. I cut back on feeding my two cats so much, that worked better.

Rats Smudge starting to wreck the fishing gear! Can't have that. Don't know how but they find there way into ceiling at home and bach now and then.I use Storm secure bait. It says nail one bait to framing timber. I load up a four inch nail with three of them and place a few around. They pig out on it, drives them to water and die, apparently. Works for me, good luck.

every winter we get invaded by mice in the house. tried poison. doesnt seem to work even to the extent the mice chew through the plastic container to get it. electronic repellent doesnt work. local cats dont get a look in as our dog is pretty keen on eating them (the cats that is). so its traps for me... lots and lots of traps. inside outside in the roof under the floor. seems to keep them under control but never seem to get completley rid of them

We have just been experimenting with an electronic (ultrasound) device in part of our ceiling. We are surrounded by bush and despite 2 cats and a dog that doesn't like rats we still get a few every winter. Only had this ultrasonic thing for a few weeks, but there does appear to be a rat free zone around where we put it into the ceiling. Wouldn't bet my life on it just yet, but am going to get another one for another part of the ceiling to see what happens.

prevention is the key have bait stations with poison in them all year round to keep the numbers down and prevent them from breeding,the problem with rats is if they were born in or close to a shed or house they will return year after year to breed there again or when the weather gets colder, and there young will do the same this can go on for years until you kill all the generations that were born in that area


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Spent years killing rats and mice. Electronic thingies don't work but good block rat bait (same as used by those on Kiwi Conservation Blocks) does.

For years, we had a female sausage-dog/terrier cross and she was the best deterrent and killing machine ever. Even carried out monitored trials with her compared to specially laid baits....she won hands down.

Some good ideas there thanks. I've been a keen rat shooter and trapper since I was a kid, I may have killed more rats than I have caught gurnard but this year they have me beat. I used to find spring and cage traps very effective but they are no longer working and if they do I'm only getting very small rats in them. I'm 100% certain the older rats have seen their mates caught and have learned from that.

I have plenty of bait but have stopped poisioning them as I don't want my cats eating them and they do eat rats. The little dog is a foxy but in the two weeks we've had it I've never had so much rat damage. At night I sometimes sit in the garage and wait for the rats to show so I can shoot them with my old 22 air rifle .

I have found a bucket of water very effective for mice but have never caught a rat in it. I have set one up outside for rats but it needs a roof as it's filling up with water - you only want enough in there so the rats cant stand up.

I've gone back to poisoning and hope my cats don't get poisoned. Maybe the cats are driving the rats into the garage where they feel safe.

Was hoping an ultrasound would do the trick but I doubt it will. Good tip on the dates for bait, I have used cheese, peanut butter, bread, bacon rind and animal fat. Peanut butter works well when it's fresh. About the only thing these horrible creatures haven't chewed is the bag holding the rat bait. Grrrr.

I had occasional signs and noises of rats inside the ceiling and outside - especially around the filleting table, I think from the dogs bones he buries as well. Last time (about a year ago) I set spring loaded plastic traps in the ceiling and nabbed a couple, and the noises stopped. Although after not checking the traps for some time I found one that had been chewed so badly it looked someone had taken an angle grinder to it. More than half of the front lid was completely gone. Outside I also found a couple drowned in the big plastic bin that sits under the sink in the filleting table, fallen in with no way out. 

cirrus wrote: Just feed them a few drops of whatever it was Bazza gave you to drink on Saturday night. That will get em.

I'm not that cruel Cirrus!