How do I keep a presistant rat out of my garden, without poison.
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My gaden is located next to my chicken coop. And rats resently moved in.
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Oh no!! Try placing cotton balls around the permiter of the coop, check it out: http://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/pest-repeller/q-how-to-get-rid-of-rats-mice-in-the-garden-16668750?expand_all_questions=1
Good luck!!
Why are they there? Food? Shelter? Eliminate or make it easier to leave...
make sure your chook food isn't in an open container that the rats can get to food you can place rat traps around outside the coop. Do you know where it is getting in? As if you do that would be a good place to put rat trap. The big thing is to not feed your chooks on the ground as this is a great way to attract rats. If you breed your own chickens rats will kill the young ones so you need to get on top of it
Because of the chickens, many of the rat repellents are out of the question, even the natural ones. Rats don't like mothballs, ammonia, or peppermint. I just read that a perimeter of mint plants work as a rat deterrent, and might be worth a try. Bay leaves are eventually fatal to rats, I've read, and even plain baby powder is supposed to deter them. Ground pepper, sprinkled around entrance holes might be worth a try too. I just discovered a rat nest in a duct leading into my attic, (and have several rescue cats living near that entry point!) so I am buying a humane trap, along with trying several of the natural deterrents. Finally, if you can find an entry point, wait until night, when rats are normally most active, and away from their dens, and stuff it full of steel wool. If that goes undisturbed for a day or so, permanently block the entrance and start looking for others.
I almost forgot, I don't know how the chickens will feel about this, but I have heard that owl feathers and plastic snakes in the area can deter rats, also used kitty litter (but I doubt this last one, because I have actual CATS living near the rat's nest I just found, and it doesn't seem to deter them at all
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I have many owl feathers I've gathered when walking in the woods, so I might give it a try.
If you can, use the copper type scrub pads instead of steel wool. They chew right through steel wool. Put the chicken feed in a metal, tight lidded container. Spray with a really strong Irish Spring and water soap mixture. Follow up with cayene pepper.