Mustelids and possums
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@Chris-B he ain't trapping animals these days 😁
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@Chris-B Funny that you should bump this. I have only just installed the possum trap on a different property a week ago and I know the bugger is down there but I haven't got it yet.
I have a Good Nature rat / stout one as well but they recommend that you put out these little tester things for them to nibble on for a few days to find the best spot. Not sure that I need to (given that something is getting into the hens eggs and both the rat and I know where the eggs are). However I'll do as I'm told for once and try to get it right.
Will give you an update in a few days. I do have an alternative for the possum - very well balanced weapon it is too.
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@Paekakboyz said in Mustelids and possums:
@Chris-B he ain't trapping animals these days 😁
Yeah I am, just different types - remember they all deserve it.
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@Snowy I love that you wear the skin of your online persona so graciously. Ah, has anyone seen @MN5 or @Rancid-Schnitzel lately?
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@Chris-B said in Mustelids and possums:
@Snowy How did you get on with your trapping programme?
I've got at least a couple of bait shy rats living in the ceiling and need to find a new way of taking them out. Saw those Good Nature traps in Farmlands a couple of days ago and was reminded of this thread.
Do they work?Just remembered that I was going to get back about this. I have both the possum and rat killers set up and haven't got anything. Whether I have them in the optimal place I don't know. With the rat one they give you cardboard baits that the rats chew so that you can find the best location, but it hasn't been effective. The cat on the other hand is doing a great job - gets a couple of rats a week.
As for the possums, neighbour has an air rifle and I'm going to try more traditional traps and just shoot them if I get any. Will try some spotlighting as well. I know where they are as they are territorial and they leave trails in the long grass. Quite handy as if you do kill one another will take over the territory and you can just keep getting them in the same spot.
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@Snowy A neighbour tells me a wild cat has raised a nest of kittens in her hedge and the rats in the ceiling have disappeared. Might just be they've moved to their summer quarters, but something good might have come from the wild cat.
My cat is too old and useless to catch rats - she mainly operates a catch and release programme with mice - once she's brought them inside.
Disappointing to hear those traps/baits aren't particularly effective.
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@Snowy I have a couple of good size pythons living around my place I can send you if you want
Also a big goanna getting fat off the eggs from the neighbors chickens.
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@mariner4life said in Mustelids and possums:
@Snowy I have a couple of good size pythons living around my place I can send you if you want
Also a big goanna getting fat off the eggs from the neighbors chickens.
Straya!
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@mariner4life said in Mustelids and possums:
@Snowy I have a couple of good size pythons living around my place I can send you if you want
Thanks, but I'm good for now (all snakes are on my animal shit list). My sister had a huge python at her place in Sydney, called Monty (of course). I hated the thing and wanted to make shoes out of it.
Thisss one of yours being "shipped"?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/118431038/snakes-on-a-plane-python-found-on-queenstowns-runwy-after-stowing-away-on-jetAlso the reason for getting rid of the rats is that they are getting the chicken eggs - so a goanna probably won't help by the sounds of it.
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@Chris-B I'm going to check the operation of my A12 possum trap because they must be better than my one seems to be.
I bought a standard cage trap yesterday, set it last night, possum in it this morning. Now I look like Davey Crocket (actually I hated shooting the thing and didn't make a hat, so have been reading up on how evil they are for NZ).The A24 rat trap hasn't been any better really so will set a cage out tonight. Did you buy a trap?
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@Snowy No - I've just persisted on with my standard trap and caught an unwary rat in it a couple of weeks ago.
I wonder whether you could try baiting your rat trap with peanut butter instead of whatever flavours they've given you (I think I saw chocolate in the store). Peanut butter is the best bait I've come across.
I am still somewhat tempted by these re-setting traps though, because where they've nested is an incredibly difficult place to get near to in the ceiling - so I don't want to be crawling there every day to re-set a trap (or peer at an empty one).
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@Chris-B Yes the bait is chocolate. Good idea with peanut butter, have had plenty of success getting mice with that.
As for the resetting trap just remember that if you don't check it you are going to end up with rotting rats in your ceiling, so not much better off really. Assuming that it works of course.
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@Snowy My house is a pretty old one and has had the ceilings lowered so has false ceilings and sort of crawl spaces. You'd like it!
If I set the trap cunningly it will hopefully kill the rats and let them decompose, without any nasty impacts.
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@Chris-B said in Mustelids and possums:
@Snowy My house is a pretty old one and has had the ceilings lowered so has false ceilings and sort of crawl spaces. You'd like it!
If I set the trap cunningly it will hopefully kill the rats and let them decompose, without any nasty impacts.
Put the trap on a plastic tray or something if it’s on the lowered ceiling. You don’t want a gross stain on the gib as nature takes it course.
Pretty much every house I’ve worked on has at least one decomposed mouse headfirst in a PowerPoint . If theres a lot of mice and rat signs I get them to buy some poison for me to chuck up in the ceiling as I line it. There’s been a few people over the years I’ve felt tempted to scatter a few loaves of bread around in the ceiling instead. -
Our aircon at work gave up the ghost last summer - we replaced it at considerable expense last year. All of a sudden we had water leaks in two rooms.
Rats in the ceiling - 152 holes in the piping. Farkers must be coming in at night as we were totally unaware. We have plenty of bait stations around as well so they must be friggin thirsty.
Issue now is traditional anti-coagulant baits make the bastards thirsty but don't want to go old school and find we have maggots dropping from above. Staff are antsy enough already.
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@dogmeat said in Mustelids and possums:
Staff are antsy enough already.
One of my staff was on the loo (standard small room, not cubicle) last month, knickers around her ankles and a rat ran out from behind the toilet bowl. She is now trapped in a confined space with a rodent.
Apparently the cries of shock, fear, and embarrassment where something that may never be heard again.I can't look her in the eye anymore, nor can I stop laughing.
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As for Possums - WTF am I supposed to do with the carcasses? The first one went in the bin, the neighbour throws them in the bush. Is that alright? I just imagine more flies and rats?
If I can get my digger fixed I'll bury them but it is a bit labour intensive. I know my rep around here, but I seriously don't know how to get rid of bodies?
