Rat problem in town

[Nolena]

I herded it into a trash can and took it to a wildlife-friendly place.
Happy thing for both of us. 

[thevampy1]

You have such a good heart, Nolena!

[Nolena]

No. I'm just really familiar with rats. 

But enough about my social life.....

[Chesslike]

Well I think I found out who has been chewing up the insulation in my engine compartment. This guy either fell asleep on the radiator hose or somehow got stuck and was cooked by the heat of the hose. He was pretty crispy and pretty well stuck to the hose when I removed him. I hope he is the only one who had a taste for engine insulation, or at least that his buddies got the message that the engine compartment is a pretty inhospitable place when it warms up.



 

[TaiChiMe]

Okay, BostonBob, What is that?  I keep looking at it and cannot figure it out!

[Nolena]

I think it's one of his relatives.

[Chesslike]

Okay, BostonBob, What is that?  I keep looking at it and cannot figure it out!

Not sure which picture you were talking about, but the first one is of the expired rat on the radiator hose of my car and the second picture is of one of the areas that the rat chewed on the insulation on the engine hood of my car. Hope that answers your question.

I think it's one of his relatives.

[Wrightwood]

It's my understanding that a number of rats are out at night-  running through town near the elementary school.

[Suhijita]

[Hillbillies]

I have yard rats at night.  I saw a BIG one on the fence one night.  I am going to some traps. 

Can anyone advise on what I should use for bait?  Thanks!

[angelwolf326]

uh Cheese LOL   

I used Velveeta (easy to cut) when we had them a few years back in the East Cyn.

[Hillbillies]

uh Cheese LOL  

I used Velveeta (easy to cut) when we had them a few years back in the East Cyn.

LOL!  I know.....

I was just wondering if anyone was having better luck with something else.  I have good luck catching mice with peanut butter.  Thanks for the velveeta tip!

I have not had mice or rats in the house, but our crawl space door was built by an idiot who did not construct the door with a tight seal.  I have seen droppings inside this door, so I know they are under my house.  Maybe in my walls?!    I have since sealed the door better.   

[Wrightwood]

Rats can be much trickier than mice. You've also have to be careful when using snap traps so the birds can't get to the bait in the traps.

Peanut butter has worked for some while a full peanut carefully attached with string/dental floss to snap trap sometime works.

The county vector control also furnishes traps.

[Nolena]

Another one made its way in.
It's a native species, which isn't as dirty as the Norway rats.
I don't know if the cats dragged it in from the garage, or it came in by itself.
Both cats and both dogs are currently going nuts about it. I tried to catch it, but failed. 
One or more of my animals will not be hungry in the morning...
I've seen more rats this year than in previous years.
Why is that? 

[ForestGal]

Nolena, I think you should change your avatar and tag line to something ratty, instead of squirrely!   

After over 31 years in this house, I saw my first rat ever up here, a few weeks ago, out on the back deck.  It ran one direction, then the other.  I had my little dog in my lap when I saw the rat, therefore my dog saw the thing run by.  Of course, she (the dog) immediately wanted out to chase it, but it was long gone.  I dunno where it went.....

[cookiesforthree]

We had mice on our decks and in the attic this summer.  Put some traps out with peanut butter and some sticky traps.  Caught a few and haven't seen any more since.  We also had a few scorpions on our decks this summer too.  Ewwwww!  Scary!!!  We've not seen any rats though.  I noticed that the mice were attracted to our entrance floor mats.  They were made of woven matterial.  Got rid of those and replaced them with plastic.

[Wrightwood]

ForestGal some of those rats in town could take off with your little dog 

[Keltnip]

A few months ago we had a rat who would come up to the window and make faces at the cats. Drove them crazy! So they told the dog, who is allowed outside. The next day the dog goes racing out the door, down the steps, crunch, snap, dead rat. Dog got a new bone for her efforts and the admirations of cats and humans alike. Funny we haven't seen a rat since. It is amusing that dogs share our distaste for rats. Birds, squirrels  and chipmonks are welcome. No Rats.

[pinetrees]

Maybe Nolena can enlighten us about the difference between Norway and local rats?  Are the Norway ones multi-colored? 

I have not seen any in WW - my only experience was in LA where my cat and I (armed with Windex) were chasing a mouse - I did not want her to catch the mouse out of concern that the mouse might have diseases - finally cornered the mouse and stunned it with Windex - swooped it up in a dust pan and relocated it to bushes outside.  So, if you are chasing a critter, for good results, one idea is to be armed with household cleaner.

[Agape_is_love]

I just moved to WW less than two months ago and have been introduced to the RATS in the last week...ewwww

I went out to throw my trash and one was sitting outside my garage...HUH?!?! It quickly ran into a nearby gutter. I made the hubby put out traps that night. He found two by the following morning.

We still kept the traps out (garage, under the house, cover spaces) and thankfully we haven't caught anymore since..YUCK!