Deterring Scavengers on the Homestead

As fall creeps in and the weather cools off many animals are looking to secure food and shelter. This of course means rodents are more active; and we all know where humans and livestock live so do they. This is obvious for most farmers, but for our new-to-farm life readers or new backyard flock owners welcome to the nuisances of keeping livestock. Here is a quick review on the signs that rodents are present.

Suspend Feeders Off the Ground

Keeping feeders off the ground or getting a “mouse proof” feeder may help discourage rodents as well as save you a few extra bucks on lost feed by your messiest flock members. Having a “sweep up” system to remove any spilled food can also make a big difference, ideally done during evening farm chores.

Fix That Leaky Faucet

Secure water sources so you aren’t providing for the needs of unwanted guests. Chicken waterers are harder to safeguard against rodents but suspending them off the ground may help.

Organize Your Space Inside and Out

Store hay, straw, bins, equipment, etc., in a way that exposes the presence of rodents, i.e., do not stack or place them against a wall or too tightly in a corner. Otherwise, you end up creating a safe haven for rodents to thrive in the colder months.

In addition, if you have cats, be sure they have access to the entire perimeter of the area so they can easily catch rodents trying to set up residence. If you really want to put your barn cats to work, move everything about a foot or two away from ALL walls so your furry friends can catch your furry nightmares. In addition, better lighting can help deter rodents and help you easily identify problem areas.

Cleaning up and organizing outside areas is equally important when exposing and deterring rodents. Wide open spaces make rodents insecure and easy pickings to predators that will maintain the population for you. You should keep this in mind as you assess the outside of your barns and buildings. Simply ask yourself, “What could harbor rodents?”. Think tall grasses, shrubs growing alongside the building, old machinery or debris sitting in the yard, etc.

POPULATION CONTROL: HOW TO CHOOSE

*DISCLAIMER TO READERS- WE DO NOT ADVOCATE ONE METHOD OF RODENT CONTROL OVER ANOTHER. THE FOLLOWING IS A GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT RODENT CONTROL METHODS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.

Rat Poison & Rodenticides

When working with any dangerous substance, please do your due diligence and research it.

Rat poisons, also called rodenticides, are categorized as anticoagulant and non-anticoagulant. Anticoagulants are blood thinners; they stop the blood from clotting. In rat poison, depending on the amount consumed by rodents, it causes excessive bleeding and death which usually ranges from four days to two weeks (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2023). Non-anticoagulants vary in their affect and time to induce death. Again, please do your own research when choosing the type of rodenticide.

What you should consider:

• Location of bait trap and how far rodents will travel until the poison causes death.
• Likelihood of causing secondary poisoning in children, pets, and other wildlife.
• How to properly dispose of the infected carcasses. A generic Google search says to wear safety gloves and double bag it before tossing it in the trash or burying it four to five feet deep (depending on county and state laws on dead animal disposal). You can also contact your local animal control for recommendations or even for carcass pick up. Whatever you do, research it first, take appropriate safety precautions, and please do not leave the carcasses out in the open where anything can consume it.

If you want to learn more about rodenticides you can find helpful information at:

• “Restrictions on Rodenticide Products” -U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
• “Rodent Control Pesticide Safety Review” -U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
• “Rodenticide Toxicity”, College of Veterinary Medicine
• “Anticoagulant Rodenticide (Warfarin and Congeners) Poisoning in Animals” -Merk Manual: Veterinary Manual

Snap Traps

Arguably one of the most common methods of rodent control. The key to using snap traps is not just the type of bait used, but where you place it and how often you check it. If you check it too often, rodents might smell your scent and learn to stay away from the traps.

Another factor to keep in mind is that rodents, especially rats, are quite smart. They will learn your tricks well and find ways around them. This happened to me constantly as I’m sure the experienced farmer has also seen empty rat traps with the bait taken. Sometimes, if they can’t get to the bait, they often learn to leave the traps alone after seeing them in action once or twice.

In the past I found that snap traps are effective short-term or intermittently long-term. Otherwise, rodents get used to and avoid them. When we initially had a rat problem at my house, we were quite successful for a week using snap traps because we had a lot of young and inexperienced rats living in the shed. Often, we would catch two rats in one trap; however, there was a learning curve and after a week a half I did not catch anything else, yet they were still around.

Electrical Traps

Electrical traps can also be effective and have the added benefit of being less messy. The only issue is that you have to check them consistently, which means being careful not to leave too much of your scent behind, i.e., wear gloves/no perfumes. You can compensate for the presence of your scent and frequent check ins by figuring out which bait your resident rodent likes best or picking the smelliest one. You can read about bait ideas in the section after “Disposal of Rodent Carcasses (Non-poisoned)”.

Live Traps

These traps can be effective for smaller rodent issues, and if you want to drive a few miles away to release them. A few things to consider when performing a catch and release:

• How prevalent is your rodent issue. If you believe you have a nest of rats, you can always consult a professional, try a combination of traps, or adopt a barn cat(s).
• Release the rodent five miles away from where you caught it. I found that distance gives me peace of mind. It is controversial as to an acceptable distance; therefore, I encourage readers to do further research.
• Pick a responsible place to relocate them, i.e., not your boss’ house. If you care about the creatures, you should also keep in mind that rodents introduced to new environments often perish because they can’t find food or water, and/or are unable to find shelter from predators. A wooded area away from people is the best possible scenario for a catch and release, being it is their natural habitat.

Disposal of Rodent Carcasses (Non-Poisoned)

Since I wrote on the internet approved way to dispose of rodent carcasses in the above section on “Rat Poison & Rodenticides”, I will add my opinion here. I found that tossing the carcass in the woods, away from walking places, to decompose naturally is the most convenient disposal method. If you are concerned about your pets picking it up and eating or playing with it, I suggest a burial of 3 to 4 feet. As long as the carcass does not contain rodenticides, natural disposals are of no real danger to people or other wildlife. DO NOT toss the carcass into a waterway, down the toilet, or in a street drain.

Best Baits for Snap Traps and Live Traps

If you’re wondering what baits work for rodent traps, consider asking: is it smelly?

• Peanut butter
• Beef jerky
• Wet dog/cat food
• Tuna
• Canned chicken
• Bacon
• Cheese

If you don’t want to smell it, you can try some of these: (personally, our rats liked Cheetohs, who knew)

Non-stinky

• Cheetohs
• Marshmallows
• Bread
• Dry dog/cat food
• Tomato slices
• Nuts
• Cereal

Glue Boards

These tricky traps should be checked regularly as they do not cause death but simply immobilize their victims like a tar pit traps animals. One of the biggest issues with using these is of course what to do once you catch a rodent. Please do your research on glue board traps. I will not go down the rabbit hole on that, but I will mention to be careful when freeing other creatures that step on these. Cats, dogs, snakes and birds, are often the victims instead of rodents. I was told once that Pam cooking spray has been known to release animals from glue boards but do your own research, please.

If you are curious about learning more about glue boards, here is a site with a list of frequently asked questions:

“Glue Traps: FAQs” -Humane Society International

Ultrasonic Rodent Repellent Devices

A more controversial method to rodent control. Simply put, it is a device that emits an ultrasonic sound that irritates rodents into leaving an area. It’s true that noise loud and repetitive enough will scare or annoy anyone into leaving a space; however, rodents can adjust to the sound and will learn where to expect it. They may leave or they may bear it and stick around. You can guess what I’ll say next: It’s best to do your own research into this method.

DIY Water Bucket Trap

A non-toxic, relatively safe way to catch and dispose of rodents. All you need is a container deep enough to hold about a foot and a half of water. Many people use a 5-gallon bucket filled up a bit more than ¾ of the way up. Deep enough to drown the rodent, but not high enough to allow them to escape. Use black sunflower seed oil, bacon grease, other liquified animal fats, enough to coat the top layer of water as bait.

Place a stick or a bench at the edge of the container as a ramp for rodents to crawl into the bucket. You can also try this method without bait if you are in a dry area where animals are always searching for water sources. You should check back daily but remember your scent can deter rodents from approaching the trap; and like most rodent traps, there is the risk of catching something other than rodents.

Summary of Rodent Traps:

• Place traps in strategic and safe locations that will be the least risky to people and other animals, such as family pets and wildlife.
• Check traps regularly, but keep in mind too much human scent around a trap will likely cause rodents to avoid the area.
• Rodents can get used to the type of trap set and avoid it all together, so after a period you may want to alternate between the types of traps and bait.
• Do your own research and understand the risks of each type of trap (i.e., what else could be caught/poisoned).