HELP! Rat and mice problem in cage!

Rats climb very well, I doubt wire will stop them. Give it a go, see what you can do though 👍. I can help much more really. How late are you're dogs out til?
 
I would recommend bringing your guinea pigs inside, unless you have no choice and you can’t. My dad used to deal with fire ants by putting coffee powder (I’m pretty sure it was Columbian coffee powder from Costco) and it worked! I don’t know if it works for mice/rats too, but it’s worth a shot!
 
I had an idea, is it possible you can get hold of some breeze blocks? (here's some on B&Q website) They are relativley cheap and you might even find some as waste.
You could build a "new" floor and walls inside your shed, if you concrete them down they shouldn't be able to get in anymore. Maybe with wire inbetween them and the walls/floors too?
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Rats climb very well, I doubt wire will stop them. Give it a go, see what you can do though 👍. I can help much more really. How late are you're dogs out til?
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My dogs are out at a variety of times and if there not outside they sleep by the back foot which is where the shead is, I mean put wire on there actual doors so the rats can’t fit inside
 
RoyalDuke said:
I had an idea, is it possible you can get hold of some breeze blocks? (here's some on B&Q website) They are relativley cheap and you might even find some as waste.
You could build a "new" floor and walls inside your shed, if you concrete them down they shouldn't be able to get in anymore. Maybe with wire inbetween them and the walls/floors too?
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The main problem is them getting in through the corrigated roof and I can’t block that off as they whole thing is open in different places and too high up, I’d have to get someone in but I hope I won’t have any problems
 
Piggies&buns said:
Are you able to keep the piggies warm enough if there are open areas in the roof?
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There very hardy creatures so the cold doesn’t bother them but as a treat I put out heater in there and they absolutely love it! They also have lots of hay to snuggle into
 
PigglePuggle said:
I'm no DIY buff but personally I'd be squirting loads of expanding foam all round the roof edges and open areas for a start, for insulation and rat proofing! Probably over some chicken wire in the more open areas...
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I can try but there are hundreds of areas with small cracks. I’m hoping even if there are rats which is not certain, the cat will get them. Our cat is an excellent hunter, infact over the past weeks he’s caught 11 mice which I have to clear up.. eww haha and last year he caught 5 rats! And they do get shut in there cage at night and wire will be put on there doors
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Should be kept no lower than 15c guinea pigs. That's what I've been taught 🤔. Not getting onto you. Just care 👍
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Thanks! In previous winters when there was no heater and it was 2 or 3 degrees they where perfectly fine but now they will keep cozy for a while at night ( I can’t keep the heater on for more than 30 mins in there however)
 
Pipandpopboris said:
There very hardy creatures so the cold doesn’t bother them but as a treat I put out heater in there and they absolutely love it! They also have lots of hay to snuggle into
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I’m afraid this isn’t the case. Guinea pigs are not hardy. Their comfortable temperature range is 18-23 degrees with temperatures lower than 15 degrees being too cold for them.
My two live in a shed and it takes a lot of work to keep them warm enough - lots of hay (I get through 15kg of hay per month just for bedding!), snugglesafe heatpads and thermal hutch covers and blankets covering their hutch.
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’m afraid this isn’t the case. Guinea pigs are not hardy. Their comfortable temperature range is 18-23 degrees with temperatures lower than 15 degrees being too cold for them.
My two live in a shed and it takes a lot of work to keep them warm enough - lots of hay (I get through 15kg of hay per month just for bedding!), snugglesafe heatpads and thermal hutch covers and blankets covering their hutch.
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Yes I do use lots of hay in there bed compartments each day and there perfectly fine, I’ve had pigs for 9 years now and never had problems in the cold
 
I'm sorry you have pests in your outhouse,it maybe good to get professional help eg rentokil.i had mice about and they were very helpful at eradicating them from the house.blocked up there exit hole !ive some guinea pigs outside,thermal covers,plenty of hay.snugglesafe heatpads are useful.ive just finished heating 13 pads.in an ideal world guinea pigs would only live inside,but it not always possible for a number of reasons.you are doing your best to keep them warm.the rats are your main problem at present,the council can help as well.i hope you find a way to get rid of them.x
 
It might be worth asking a pest control company for some more advice, if they are getting in through an old corrigated roof thats beyond help i can offer. Mice used to get in through the same way with my Quail. Theres no point in using the expanding foam, its so easy for them to chew through.
 
Your shed looks very much like mine. Are those cob walls? We have a corrugated roof also.
I used to keep my pigs in there but now they live in our house as I couldn't stop the rats getting in the shed and they were chewing away all the wood to get into the hutch/run.
I doubt you have any rats atm as if there were any they would have eaten the mice by now. But they WILL come, if there's a food source.
 
I was reading about rats because I have recently got 2 pet ones, and I was amazed to read, they can chew concrete and thin metal, they have a flap inside their mouths that's closes to stop any non food parts to get swallowed, they really are amazing animals, but the wild ones are dangerous
 
In conclusion what I’ve got out of this is to have a food source out for as little as possible! And keep thing clean
 
UPDATE ; we recently got poison traps in the house as our house has been infested 😬but the other traps that where humane or snapping ones didn’t work. They where very effective but our dog has also killed 3 and I let her into the pig room when the pigs where locked away and she killed the 2 in there! So far there have been no other mice! Problem sorted! Just get a clever dog
 
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