RATS

[RiverBoy]

I also have a hoarder that lives almost across the road from my house. The old bag has a massive pear tree in her yard, and all the fruit drops to the ground in a big pile every fall. We can see rats running over the pile. Well wouldn't you know I had a couple move in to my crawl space. Peanut butter wouldn't work. My uncle told me to mask your scent and to use bacon fat. Apparently it's like crack to rats and they can't resist. I've nuked about six so far this winter. Now I have to find out how they are getting in.

 

[wayne marwood]

I know wood piles they love to live in,they are like most animals they need water food and shelter out of the cold and wet,the best place is to put traps on the run ways were there is poo put a trap and if it is safe to use bait buy the green bait bars keep using them till they is no more rat,if you hit them very hard it will help and keep bait and traps out

 

[trophywife]

feed the rats with a unrigged trap every once in a while, i live on a green belt with a creek, it is constant. 2-3 per week.

DO NOT USE POISON !!!

 

[One Fish]

Bounce Sheets. But I guess you can't cover everything with them. Most times they like wiring because the oil the cover is made out of...

 

[Hoochiebob]

Word is the colder than normal winter has driven them out of the ground to seek warmer areas. Houses, cars, boats, RV's, anywhere. Good idea for everyone to check for the little bastards and send as many of them back to hell as they can! BTW, the average rat can reproduce at 20 days old, and inbreeding is common. Kill 'em all!!!

 

[Clint r]

I also have a hoarder that lives almost across the road from my house. The old bag has a massive pear tree in her yard, and all the fruit drops to the ground in a big pile every fall. We can see rats running over the pile. Well wouldn't you know I had a couple move in to my crawl space. Peanut butter wouldn't work. My uncle told me to mask your scent and to use bacon fat. Apparently it's like crack to rats and they can't resist. I've nuked about six so far this winter. Now I have to find out how they are getting in.

My Gram lived in a rustic log home (read shack) till she was in her 60s and swore that the hard strip of rind on the edge of bacon slabs was the best bait for rats. For her it was bush rats not city rats but same idea.

 

[CVmike]

Any gardeners have advice about keeping a compost pile in a neighbourhood where rat populations are growing? We've given up on the bird feeders, but hope to keep the compost heap.

Ive been using a small homemade vermocomposting bin. No smell, sealed from rodents, and the worms keep up well with my family of two.

 

[Derby]

Had to deal with some roof rats last winter...smarter little bastards..took some work....from them its all about the sticky strips....standard traps and peanut butter didn't work....

 

[Clipper]

I gotta ask - what's a 'roof rat'?

 

[sly_karma]

Cousin to the better known 'rug rat'.

 

[Clint r]

Pack rats? That's what a bush rat is.

 

[Cuba Libre]

I gotta ask - what's a 'roof rat'?

Clipper-- the roof rat is the European and Asian black rat...the same scourge that spread the bubonic plague via its fleas. Called a roof rat because they climb readily, Scientific name is Rattus rattus. Check out wiki-- lots of info there.

 

[hippaisland]

Had to deal with some roof rats last winter...smarter little bastards..took some work....from them its all about the sticky strips....standard traps and peanut butter didn't work....

No rats for me, just mice. Same issue with them not taking the conventional "victor" traps, got some of the stickies and they're working. Have been woken up a few times to them squealing stuck in the goop.

 

[trophywife]

they will take the traps,, you just gotta feed them a few times without it being set.. grains in honey works awesome.

 

[Derby]

They were funny ... got one of them on pumpkin seeds... they were really good at patterns.. if something changed in there path they would find a new way to go...had to get them with a maze system..smart buggers to say the least....The normal rats ...peanut butter one and done..

 

[Clipper]

Thanks CL. I didn't realize we had more than one kind of the vermin. Nasty little buggers!

 

[Bag-Juan]

Yeah, i saw one run in my garage and hide, worst mistake he made!

 

[Filletandrelease]

Have seen a lot of rodent damage to wiring in cars this year. We use peppermint oil as a deterrent. Has been working very well.

 

[JAC]

We use bars of Irish spring soap. If u know that of a hole they are entering they don't like to chew or enter through steel wool

 

[Cuba Libre]

Have seen a lot of rodent damage to wiring in cars this year. We use peppermint oil as a deterrent. Has been working very well.

Where do you put the peppermint oil ? Directly on all wiring under the hood or????