Rats

[Manky Badger]

Apologies if this is a topic that has been done to death in the past - I'm new here
(please be gentle with me )

I've a Koi pond that is now into it's third year. Filtration is via a UV box system. The water then comes out and is retuned to the pond via a cascade.

The neighbours claim they've a rat problem since rats were disturbed from nearby wasteland (which has recently been built on), and they think the sound of the water from the pond is attracting the rats.

I'm looking at putting an ultra-sonic rat deterrent by the pond. Does anyone have any experience of this? Is the pond attracting rats? Will the ultra-sonic gizmo deter rats, and (most importantly) will the ultra sonic think be OK near the fish?

I'd be grateful for any help or advice.....

 

[koikeepr]

jeez louize! Rats!

I do think those ultrasonic thingees don't work (having lived in NYC nearly my entire life). LOL! Rats can survive the most unearthly of circumstances and pretty well stop at nothing to get food or water when hungry.

They could be coming to the pond in search of water, I guess. Have YOU seen the rats by the pond yourself? You could try traps or an electric zapper thingee to really spook them away.

 

[fish]

Does anyone know if an ultrasonic thingee will keep deer away from the yard/pond? Where can I buy an ultrasonic thingee?

 

[koikeepr]

Again, I've used these. I really don't think they work. But if you're so inclined, here it is.

 

[charrold]

As simple sounding as it is the best way to get rid of deer around your yard is still the simple Shishi Odoshi (deer scarer fountain). They really hate the unpredictable noise it creates. I do not have deer issues (too urban here for them), but many friends in the farther out areas around us do and these work great to keep them away. The ultrasonic things are lousy (the car ones they sell are equally worthless - buddy of mine hit a deer last fall with like 5 of those things on his truck).

Here is a link to how to build your own (no endorsement, it was just top of the list on Google). If you have a large space, you can run a couple of them with even a small central pump and some flexible lines to create different timings. It should really cause the deer to get nervous and bail.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4546510_build-shishiodoshi-japanese-water-garden.html

As for the rats - have you considered the Spanish rat repellent, AKA El Gato? :biggrin:

Good luck.

 

[koikeepr]

LOL! Since I am a spaniard by blood, I am assuming your mean gato pee. LOL!

if deer are hungry enough, they will bypass pee/soap and all the other olds wives tale remedies. The only way to keep deer out is a high fence and to put in deer resistantn plants. I have hoof marks in my front lawn every morning in my mulch, but they don't eat my stuff because its nothing they find tasty. I had one rose bush i had to move in late spring because the flowers were missing every morning. But other than that, I plant deer resistant stuff.

 

[BennyLava]

This:

will probly work on mice and rats too



They have another vid somewhere, crap I can't find it right now. Anyway, the vid shows the same sprinkler near a Koi pond, and a heron comes. He tries a couple times but never gets to land cause he scared of the sprinkler. Also, there is one in a nice pretty yard and it keeps scaring away deer, in that same vid. Seems like a real good item to me.

Crud it wont let me post links yet. Anyway, all it is, is a sprinkler with an outdoor motion detector attached. It sprays any time something gets close to it. And when you want to approach, you just shut off the water. It's loud and startling to all animals, and sprays them, so they don't like to get wet.

 

[koiguy1969]

the sprinkler that your talking about is called a scarecrow.....some here have tried it successfully...others have said it doesnt work very well