Rat control with odorous things

[Scribbler]

I’m thinking about rat control in the barn loft where I could tolerate some odors in a way I wouldn’t in the house

I’m being FB spammed by a company selling a citronella oil mix that you put on cotton balls or something on rat trails. I think they are over priced, but their rationale is interesting. They say rats navigate by smell and intense odors will repel them as they can’t figure out where to go. It’s not that they dislike a certain odor, it’s that strong odor disrupts their paths

Has anyone tried similar? I’ve read about using mothballs which is a little too intense even for the loft. Also dryer sheets which I can’t stand for laundry but could tolerate in the loft. Has anyone tried the rear view mirror air freshener hangies, or febreeze type pods? I don’t use any of these IRL so would need to go source. I wonder if incense cones would work, I may have some stashed around? I could find citronella oil but IME essential oils fade in a few days.

The barn has an endemic rat problem that exploded after our province banned rat poison outside of food industry. We’ve now got all our feed in metal bins and have been trapping, but since they are willing to eat oat husks out of horse manure, it’s hard to make the place 100 per cent attractant free. Also the mice go for the seed heads on the hay.

I’m.just thinking about discouraging them in my own 11 foot square hay/tack loft. I can’t physically block all the gaps and wouldn’t want to because air flow. They are still cruising through regularly looking for attractants that no longer exist since I cleaned up some months ago.

Has anyone tried this in any form?

[Janet]

Are cats not possible?

[Simkie]

Although I’ve never used it, peppermint oil is said to deter rodents. And might be a less smelly option than citronella? Mothballs are a no go–they’re really pretty toxic and not something you want to be around.

Is removing oats from the horses ration a possibility? I found the same issue with whole flax seed, and grinding it was the only thing that solved that issue.

[Chall]

Rat zapper (4 double D battery) electrocution things or the plastic jaw that grips and strangles them quickly. Cats definitely make rats less visible, but I don’t know if they dent the population.
Not all cats will kill things.
Terrier dogs.
@Bluey mentions the drowning bucket for rats.

I have no faith in odiferous repellents or electronic frequency emitters, though I haven’t tried any.

[Calvincrowe]

Cats aren’t good at killing rats— they are too big and fight back. They make rats cautious but not dead. I doubt citronella is going to repel or deter rats from taking up (or staying) in residence. Traps or terriers work best.

[Trekkie]

We had a terrible rat population problem in our barn and in the chicken coop–they had a large colony that lived under the coop with an extensive network of tunnels and they had free choice chicken food to eat. They were huge and bold. We got a couple of kittens and raised them in the tack room. They both (sisters) turned into magnificent hunters even though they were well fed. Within a year not a rat to be seen. Some cats can make a huge difference.

[SMF11]

There’s a rat birth control pellet you can put out which reduces the rat population over time. My equine vet told me about it, and I would use it, except it cannot be sold in NY or CT.

[luvmyhackney]

I use the rat/mouse birth control for my barn. It works amazing and worth every single penny.

I also have 6 of the electric traps set up in the hay stall to catch stragglers.

Honestly, my heeler is a huge deterrent as she chases them and is tenacious.

Peppermint oil is a wise tale imho. The mice/rats had zero problems eating a container of peppermints.

[NancyM]

We’ve had the best luck with live traps. I bait them with extruded horse kibble, works well. A piece of onion also works for us.The rat goes in, up the ramp, which drops him into the end cage, and a prop drops down holding the ramp solidly closed behind him/her. Our main issue is pack rats, which stink, and get into everything, including vehicle engines, etc. I have a spot where I release them, far from home. They don’t come back. If anything else gets caught in the trap, I can simply release it again at home. I caught an ermine last year. He was lovely.

[Scribbler]

Our cat is aging and is not catching rats.

I stopped feeding flax temporarily but we are self board and everyone is on their own program. The track trainers like their oats

Rat birth control sounds like just what we need.

Edited to add: I’ve found a link and sent it along to the relevant person on our board. This is brilliant.

[fanfayre]

Ooooh, ooooh : could you post it (or link it in a PM if you don’t want to post it)?
We, too have a disgusting rat issue every winter, and it takes my BM too long to admit, yes Virginia, there IS a rodent problem, plus, she doesn’t have the pesticide license, so there’s that, but if we could prevent reproduction, well, hallelujah!!!
Rats oog me out- give me snakes any day; only spiders are as freaky as rats

[trubandloki]

@SMF11

except it cannot be sold in NY or CT.

I wonder why that is?
(Why did they make this decision in NY and CT?)

[Scribbler]

ContraPest - Rat Fertility Control

[endlessclimb]

I have never heard of this, genius idea.

[fanfayre]

Thank You so much!! I too am going to forward this to my BO. It’s a pretty reasonable price too, if it works.

[SMF11]

I don’t know; the website says in CT one needs a “RUP” license to use it.

[SMF11]

Actually, I just went yo the website and placed an order, so something has changed! Last year when I tried to order I couldn’t. I’m in NY.

[fanfayre]

Hmmm, I just tried to “order” some, but it only ships to US…

[Texarkana]

I keep meaning to pick up some Irish Spring soap to see if it does anything.

I caught one rat in my rat snap trap this summer. That was a momentous occasion!

Then I sadly caught and killed my rat snake in the same snap trap, who was doing far more to reduce the rodent population than the stupid snap trap.

[luvmyhackney]

I know you can buy it in Canada. I have a friend in Montreal that uses it