With all the clean up, shifting of wood piles and major reno’s around and in the croft barn and lacking our normal fall skunk, we have a rat problem that the barn cats are not keeping up on.

They are Norway Rats and they are as bold as brass and they have moved from the big wood pile they were in to the croft barn as it has gotten colder. While the barn cats are killing at least one or more daily, its not enough.

We have placed out the flip bucket lid traps and have started baiting our big square metal multi catch rat traps, that one needs to be left open and feed in for a few days before you set it and then you go back to it being open and not catching anyone etc.

I am not sure why our skunk didn’t come this fall, almost every fall and for the past five years a lovely female skunk has come visit the farm for a few months in the fall/late fall and feasted on our yard grubs, moles, mice and happily hunted the wood piles and barns/outbuildings for the rats.

Once the bigger rat/mice population that grows over the summer season of bounty is take down, the skunk will move on.. but this year maybe due to the warmer weather? we have not gotten our annual six to 12 week skunk visit and boy O boy is it bad news.

We can not and will not use poison bait due to our cats/dogs/local owls/hawks and more. Ah, i mean they are always around but the number should be low enough you never see them.. if you can see them. you have a BIG problem indeed..

Right now, this week are Barn cats – 5, Flip top bucket -3, traps- 0 and way to many rats.

What is your favorite non poison rat trap that works for you?

30 Days Challenge Day 24th of blogging daily..