Ground rodents vs tractor exhaust?

[ebinmaine 67,437]

What have you folks done to use your tractor's running engine to eliminate underground rodents?

We have something, likely a rat, under the area that is part Chicken Coop and part outdoor workshop. 

There are three known exits. Likely several more.

Two are out where the dog can reach. One is in the actual chicken run. The others unfortunately I think are under the building and not accessible to us.

 

My thought was to collapse two that we can access easily and run the tractor exhaust into the third. Let it sit there for a few minutes with an engine that I know smokes a little bit and see what comes out, or not. Or where.

 

Best I can come up with is a short piece of flex pipe off the muffler and then into what I'm not sure...

 

 

 

 

 

Mods as always please feel free to relocate this as needed. I wasn't quite sure where to put it.

 

 

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

Get a few cats…🐈‍⬛
and apparently a black box…

Edited October 28, 2022 by Horse Newbie

[ebinmaine 67,437]

2 minutes ago, Horse Newbie said:

Get a few cats…🐈‍⬛
and apparently a black box…

I brought that up myself a couple times but until our dog goes away there will be NO other animals. 

 

The dog has tried to catch whatever is in there multiple times but of course, can't.

Edited October 28, 2022 by ebinmaine

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,315]

  I had a rat that moved in under my precast steps on the front of my house. I blocked off all entrance/exits that I could find and with a piece of pipe I directed the exhaust under the precast stairs. Used my C-105, it’s not a smoker, although I think the exhaust fumes alone would do the job. I pulled the choke just a wee-bit till it was running rough and “smoking” some. 
  Never saw the rat again. 

[rmaynard 15,436]

I did the same with chipmunk tunnels in my yard. I don't think it was successful due to all the entrances and exits they have. Since then, my neighbor and I have been using have-a-heart traps. This summer between the two of us we have relocated about 20 of the critters.

[Rob J. 1,941]

24 minutes ago, rmaynard said:

I did the same with chipmunk tunnels in my yard. I don't think it was successful due to all the entrances and exits they have. Since then, my neighbor and I have been using have-a-heart traps. This summer between the two of us we have relocated about 20 of the critters.

You have to. If you don’t keep the rats down they will over run you. Thankfully we have enough foxes around the squirrels are kept at bay naturally. While I have yet to see any actual rats up where I live there are enough chipmunks to go around. 5-10 every year mostly with rat traps. Moles used to be a problem. Bought a trap for those and after about 30 trapped those are no longer a menace. 

Edited October 28, 2022 by Rob J.

[Pullstart 62,838]

The exhaust on the GT14 is pointing straight down.  I found a piece of steel tubing that slides right over the exhaust and comes to ground level.  I stuck a stick across the hole of a woodchuck this summer to keep the tube in place and let’er run.  I went a good hour+ with no choke settings for smoke.  It’s not the oil smoke that gets ‘em, it’s the carbon monoxide byproduct that is the silent killer.  
 

I’ve done other variations too with long pipes, even with PVC extensions taped onto the first steel piece.  CO is actually lighter than air by the way, but nothing has ever returned to the ‘chuck hole I gassed.

[Achto 27,565]

I used my C141 to take care of the moles in my yard. Plugged off every open hole I cold find, put an extension pipe on to get the exhaust into their tunnels, left the tractor run for 2+hrs. Did this 3yrs ago, ain't had a mole since.

 

Like Kevin said, no need to run the choke or use a tractor that smokes. Just need to get CO into the kill zone. 

[DET 105]

Bill Murray would be proud.

[Pullstart 62,838]

EB.  Just to be clear, are we speculating that this is a rat or have you seen it?  Got any pew pews for target practice?

[JoeM 7,873]

Long fuse M80 but them hens might stop lay'n for a while!

 

Might have weasels. they love them chickens. 

 

[lynnmor 7,305]

I had a groundhog set up housekeeping under my shed, he kept the entrances back under beyond arm reach.  I fed a garden hose back in till it found the hole and then pushed it in several more feet.  A full blast of water for some time caused the resident to find another location. 

[pfrederi 17,729]

I used one of the gas grenades on  a woodchuck that tunneled under my workshop...BIG MISTAKE!!!!  he died under there a couple days later the smell hit it was strong and lasted for over a week!!

[Ed Kennell 38,146]

I tried to clear my lawn of moles  for a couple years using  traps, mole poison, carbide, and a frog gig.    Nothing worked until I used three Wheel Horses to pump the tunnels full of exhaust.

   Haven't seen a mole tunnel for 10 years.    

[Achto 27,565]

1 hour ago, pfrederi said:

MISTAKE!!!!  he died under there a couple days later the smell hit it was strong and lasted for over a week!!

A week of stink vs potentially $$$ of damage. Decisions 

Edited October 28, 2022 by Achto

[ri702bill 8,316]

4 hours ago, pfrederi said:

I used one of the gas grenades on  a woodchuck that tunneled under my workshop...BIG MISTAKE!!!!  he died under there a couple days later the smell hit it was strong and lasted for over a week!!

And that prooved to His relatived that you are not to be taken lightly... 

[Jeff-C175 7,200]

6 hours ago, ri702bill said:

And that prooved to His relatived that you are not to be taken lightly... 

 

When I finally got the grand daddy rat a while ago, I hung him by the tail where the others could see him, only disposing of it when the flies started hatching.

 

The others left.

 

 

 

 

[Snoopy11 5,714]

14 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

We have something, likely a rat, under the area that is part Chicken Coop and part outdoor workshop

Why wouldn't you just use a cube of bromethalin and eliminate it?

 

I made a bait station like this. Dog cannot access it, neither can chickens or turkeys. I never have issues with mice/rats...

 

 

 

Don

[ebinmaine 67,437]

9 hours ago, Snoopy11 said:

..... use a cube of bromethalin

 

 bait station like this. Dog cannot access it

Our dog can and absolutely would shred a plastic container of any type within minutes.  🙄 🤪 🐕 She ain't quite right....

🙂

 

But it doesn't matter... 

We REALLY prefer not to use poisons here because of the large volume and variety of predators.  

Some normal healthy predators will not chase or consume a sick or dead animal. Scavengers certainly will.  

There are vultures most of the year and a constant active population of Bald Eagles.  Not to mention all the ground dwellers.   

[ebinmaine 67,437]

23 hours ago, Pullstart said:

.

 

Interesting pic. 

 

Just between you guys me n the walls I been thinkin' on howta get the BBT a 953/1054. 

((Ssshhhhhhhhhh....))

 

@Sparky and @Herder it's your "fault". 

That GT14 model is on my own.... List.... 

[ebinmaine 67,437]

23 hours ago, DET said:

Bill Murray would be proud.

Don't I wish I had some C4.... 

[ebinmaine 67,437]

23 hours ago, Pullstart said:

EB.  Just to be clear, are we speculating that this is a rat or have you seen it?  Got any pew pews for target practice?

Definitely have some high speed metal throwing devices, yes. A few. 

The species of the pest is educated speculation. 

We've had 3 or 4 other rats here last year maybe?

 

It could be a small weasel family member.  We have had mink here years ago.  

[Pullstart 62,838]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Interesting pic. 

 

Just between you guys me n the walls I been thinkin' on howta get the BBT a 953/1054. 

((Ssshhhhhhhhhh....))

 

@Sparky and @Herder it's your "fault". 

That GT14 model is on my own.... List.... 

 

They are quite the working team!  GT14 and 953 that is 

[ebinmaine 67,437]

Well we pulled the '75 C160 Automatic up into use this morning. 

Pics to follow.  

[ebinmaine 67,437]

Here's a pre action set-up.  

We locked the chickens out of the covered run and coop for awhile to keep them safe.  

 

We let the ole   beast run for a bit this way occasionally filling in around the hot pipe. 

 

 

We'll be repeating procedure this morning and rechecking for results daily.