Aussie Finch Forum

Blujay
You have really made my day, going by the figures of 10 rats per ones you see that means alot of work.
Actually I am sure my trouble was due to me being lazy and not setting baits around the outside of my aviary complex.
I am staggered by how they got in as I have been around the outside many times,they can't climb up the wire and go through the room as they would need to crawl over my electric fence set up which runs 24/7 yet there they are.The more I think about it the more I am convinced that they have been in there for quite some time. The feed on the ground was enough to sustain them.Each day I scatter seed onto an internal concrete path for the birds to forage on.
With the exceptional amount of rain and heat my grass clumps are now huge and have created a great nesting place not just for the birds but I guess rodents.
I will win eventually especially as we are nearing clean out time and virtually all plant growth is heavily pruned or cut back to the ground.

E Orix,just a note,a friend of mine had pigeons a few years back,the rats got so prolific ,holes every where,we got a few jack Russell and my ferrets ,rats went every where and the dogs cleaned them up,to our amazement rats popped up 20mtrs away in the next door neighbors,just to let you know they can tunnel a bloody long way ,garyh

You could be right but we have looked and looked.
Does anybody know how many babies a rat has at one time.
the reason being I have just come in after my afternoon check there was another 1/3 grown young rat
that makes 4 so far that I have found.It looks like they crawl out of the grass clump with a belly ache and die.
By the way this grass clump covers an area 2.5 m x 2m and is about 700mm high,major exercise trying to remove it.
I decided not to touch it but keep them feeling safe and ring it with bait stations.So far so good I think.

Up to a dozen, E Orix! Yikes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b3nbLDd ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

OMG, E Orix, this happened here................ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKoTgY5H ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My son used to breed rats when he was heavily into snake keeping. Hes just said a female rat has on average 6 or 7 young, and the parent rat is ready to breed again about 6 weeks. The young become sexually mature at about 2 months.

Reminds me of a funny story...years ago I had a large avairy in Mackay....found after couple of seasons some rat tunnels....so I thought best way was to pour petrol down all the holes I could see (bet you can imagine what happped next) well there was about fifteen holes all with fuel in them...I put the container out of fire range, went to the furthest part of the avairy to light the first hole (not thinking they were all interconnected) lit it and next thing I know I was surrounded with explosions birds going nuts..and no way of getting to the door and no way through the tough wire lol lol...after a couple of minutes it all settled down but it was pretty hairy for a while...needless to say I have never poured fuel down a rat or mouse hole again...best thing though killed all the $%^$#s..

that is to funny, vettepilot_6, reminds me of the mistake we made with sweat bees! You can only imagine what happened, did not feel to good with all the stings! Bet you were as ruffled as the birds!

Wondering, are there roof rats here? http://www.crocodiledave.com/Roof_Rats.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, Those puppies can walk the power lines without any worries.

This is new to me, never heard of it, then check to see if availble here, and it is, so might work for squirmish, http://www.derwenttraders.com.au/conten ... s/d98.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BB - we regularly get in pregnant rats for dissection at my work, and I'd say the average for young inside them are 10-12 even!

Thanks alot,if I get many more I will have to string them up and show them off just like a fox hunter