.22 cal Pack rat exterminator

[CT10ring]

The pack rats are numerous and aggressive this fall - looking to climb unto my ( and everyone else's) truck, shed, RV's to build nests, and destroy wiring harnesses, fuel lines, brakes, etc. My neighbor uses a .22 revolver to end this situation, so I copied his methods.
I ran across a Ruger .22 Single-six revolver made in 1957 - basically unused.
So far, it's been a blast and effective.
I wonder if the rats are forecasting a colder than normal winter. Likely.

 

[scasa]

I have a similar setup for carpenter bees.

 

[drover]

The pack rats are numerous and aggressive this fall - looking to climb unto my ( and everyone else's) truck, shed, RV's to build nests, and destroy wiring harnesses, fuel lines, brakes, etc. My neighbor uses a .22 revolver to end this situation, so I copied his methods.
I ran across a Ruger .22 Single-six revolver made in 1957 - basically unused.
So far, it's been a blast and effective.
I wonder if the rats are forecasting a colder than normal winter. Likely.

I am in your vicinity and have had more pack rats around this year than in the last 10 or so. Whether or not it is a sign I am unsure but like you I have found that a 22 revolver with some bird shot is an effective thing to use on them.

drover

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Very smart Rodent. These traps and pepperoni slices have worked on the sly ones.

 

[Majday]

However unconventional, but believe it or not a paintball gun works wonders. I tried sub .22 just go through. Nixed that idea. Then I got one in the basement and shop and tried the paintball gun. Problem solved with ricochet noise and won't go through walls inside the house. I killed 13 in 1.5 months when moving into house 4 years ago and most were killed via paintball. It will either stun them very hard or kill. I found I could typically get a few feet from them hiding under something. Stick the barrel in front and shoot. It really does work well.

 

[Brians356]

I wonder if the rats are forecasting a colder than normal winter. Likely.

Not in central Idaho. It's a 100% El Nino winter. Here's what the NOAA Climate Prediction Center shows:


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[Will Henry]

I have always used CCI CB Longs for pack rats. Well, not always. One time I was out with my dog, Beagle Bailey. I was carrying the 303 Lee Enfield which is my usual walk about gun. Bailey sounded off and dove into a rotted, hollow log; a pack rat shot out the other end and climbed up to the top of a little, 12 foot, fir tree. I didn't even give it a though but swung up with the 303 and nailed that rat dead center. It positively rained rat! For several seconds.
Another time, I was cleaning up the hunting camp, in anticipation of the first group of hunters coming in. I had taken up a generator and shop vac to clean the cabins. I was vacuuming under a bunk bed when a pack rat scurried up the wall. I poked the vacuum nozzle at him , and I had a rat stuck on the end of my vacuum and none too happy about it! I had an old single shot 22 leaned up, just for rat emergencies. I held the nozzle out and gave Mr. Rat a CB Long behind the ear.
I always considered myself to be pretty deadly with the 22, but the truth is, Beagle Bailey, in her dozen years, accounted for a lot more rats than I did and got dozens of assists as well. WH

 

[Monte F]

We have had more this year in our target shed at the range than ever. We have set an electrocution trap in there and been catching them each week we hold matches. We turn it on when we set up on Sat. morning, when we come back to take the targets down there will be one in it. Reset it and Sunday morning will have another and again when we put the targets away in the afternoon. So three usually each weekend we shoot.

 

[Kalitrazescapee]

I used a box trap in Oregon at the shop I worked at...I put whatever bait in a sardine tin...I think the tin was the trick...then a crossman

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Got the little buggers here too. Under my shed, under the deck, and at night my outdoor cams see them feeding under the bird feeder. I've been using my Beeman R-10 .20 cal springer with HP pellets on them during the daytime when one carelessly shows himself, but they're pretty much nocturnal, so traps and poison have ben the best so far. They seem to avoid the Victor rat traps....experience?

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Got the little buggers here too. Under my shed, under the deck, and at night my outdoor cams see them feeding under the bird feeder. I've been using my Beeman R-10 .20 cal springer with HP pellets on them during the daytime when one carelessly shows himself, but they're pretty much nocturnal, so traps and poison have ben the best so far. They seem to avoid the Victor rat traps....experience?

Never any luck with the Victor on rats.

 

[M-61]

Had a Jack Russell terrier. Loved her but was a psychopathic killer. Rats, raccoons, anything.
Even attacked one of my llamas. Never a rodent problem in the barn or house. It gave me a much clearer definition of the word ‘fearless’.

 

[762willdo]

I like .22 birdshot for rats but have been unable to locate any an I’m down to my last 8 rds……anyone seen any?

 

[TrapperBR549]

Got the little buggers here too. Under my shed, under the deck, and at night my outdoor cams see them feeding under the bird feeder. I've been using my Beeman R-10 .20 cal springer with HP pellets on them during the daytime when one carelessly shows himself, but they're pretty much nocturnal, so traps and poison have ben the best so far. They seem to avoid the Victor rat traps....experience?

I modified the trigger so it was a pan to step in like a foothold trap and caught a couple but we don't have many around. The most effective mouse trap I've used is a bucket trap. I wonder if it would work on rats?

 

[Hino895]

Make up .38 shotshells using #8 shot and a grain or two of shotgun powder.
It does the trick.

 

[brokeasajoke]

Make up .38 shotshells using #8 shot and a grain or two of shotgun powder.
It does the trick.

I've been making piles of these with 4gr of 231 but I need to check that load. Wait I'll just go take a pic of Speer data.

This is for the capsules but has worked well without. Powder, over powder card, shot, overshot card, heavy roll crimp and then glue

 

[rayporter]

going to the dump to shoots rats in high school was weekend entertainment.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

I use a 22 rifle with a single shot block and super colibri. Not even as loud as a pellet gun.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

The only time I have ever got a good look at one was surprising it when opening a car hood. Not shooting in there.

 

[jsn]

Not sure if it will work on rats but is supposed to work on mice and I saw something about squirrels the other day too.

Corn meal and baking soda, 50/50.