Gypsy Jan
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Dead Rat!
We used to get scorpions, ants, spiders, etc., in the house all the time, but the monthly visit from our friendly local fumigadora family has taken
care of that.
Also, the stray cat that has lived in our garage for nine years regularly took care of mice and, sadly, several lizards that tried to take up
residence there. (We leave one garage door open about twelve inches, so she can go in and out.)
Recently, we found that the dog food bags that are stored up in racks in the garage and locked down with grid doors (we have two year-old Great Dane
puppies that are absolute thieves) were being chewed open and after careful inspection, we found deposits that suggested rodent visits.
We scolded our garage cat for being too fat and lazy to take care of the "mouse", and set up some carefully placed, for-safety-of-the-pets poison
traps.
This morning, I discovered a GIANT dead rat on the living room couch. I guess that one of the puppies found it outside and brought it in as a
present. Luckily, it was intact - not chewed on. A visitor had seen it earlier and thought it was a dog's chew toy.
I apologized to the garage cat for my earlier scolding. The corpse was nearly as large as she was and had bigger teeth.
My stomach is still flipping over. 
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Gypsy Jan[/i
This morning, I discovered a GIANT dead rat on the living room couch. I guess that one of the puppies found it outside and brought it in as a
present. Luckily, it was intact - not chewed on. A visitor had seen it earlier and thought it was a dog's chew toy.
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I am so glad it was intact and not chewed on. My aunt lost a a dog who just licked a rat that had been killed by poison.
If we were to put out poison, I would be sure to have on hand lots of vitamin K shots for our dogs.
Also, we have found the electronic plug in things VERY effective against our local rodents. Before, they took up residence the minute we left and now
we can not find a trace of any rodent when we return. ---Lots of mouse poop on the porch, but it stops at the front door.
As a side note, the electronic beepers have also worked VERY well against the gophers---they have packed up and moved!
Diane
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danaeb
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Please be careful with poison. The rodents don't die immediately. My mother's cat died a horrible death after catching and eating a poisoned rat.
Experience enables you to recognize a mistake every time you repeat it.
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DanO
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You might consider a sealed trap in which to put the poison, sort of like a roach motel for rats. Keeps the poison out of reach of the dogs, etc.,
and keeps the rat from getting out after it eats the poison. The commercial pest control outfits up here use them for the big Norway rats. They're
about the size of a kid's lunchbox (the boxes, not the rats -- the rats run from about 6 to 9 inches not including tails). Also, even the big rats
can get through an opening that's well under an inch across, so all points of entry to the house, crawlspace and attic should be sealed or, in case of
air vents, secured with strong wire mesh.
[Edited on 6-11-2009 by DanO]
\"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.\" -- Frank Zappa
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BajaNuts
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Location: eastern WA, the DRY side
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simple, no poison rat trap-
5 gallon bucket, with a handle or at least the handle holes
empty beer/pop can
3' wire (bailing wire or other similar)
peanut butter
small wood board
The simple instructions are-
1-fill the bucket half full of water (not TOO full, you don't want them to climb or jump out)
2- poke a hole in the bottom of the can, thread the wire through the hole in the bottom and out throught the drinking hole (to be really effective,
poke a second hole in the top of the can so it is completely centered)
3- suspend the can across the top of the bucket, using the handle or handle holes to secure the wire with the can in the middle, spinning freely
4- smear a little peanut butter on the can as bait
5- prop the stick from the ground up to the edge of the bucket where the can wire is so the nasties can climb up the plank, and try to get to the
peanut butter on the can, at which point they will fall into the water and drown.
There are other designs using a plank that tips, but it's the same principle as the can. Some people smear a LITTLE peanut butter or whatever up the
plank to lead them to their doom. This system can be put up on a box or something so the pups can't get to it. One key to successful extermination
is to put the trap as near to where the rats are as possible or even in their established paths. Rats poop ALL the time and you should be able to see
their routes.
I second what others have said about poison and pets. VERY risky, since the rats don't die right away.
Happy Hunting!
[Edited on 6-11-2009 by BajaNuts]
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k-rico
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Location: Playas de Tijuana
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A good old fashioned mouse trap (large size) baited with peanut butter is what ended my nightly visits from Steamboat Willey. He came by so often I
had to name him. I still remember those beady red eyes in my flashlight.
Don't use poison. No need to, plus you should be glad you found it, poisoned rats usually crawl somewhere, die, and then stink up the place.
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BajaNuts
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yep, the large size snap-traps will work good, especially with the p-nut butter. Just make SURE it's in a place the cat can't get it.
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rpleger
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Thanks for the tips, BajaNuts. I'm going to make my trap tomorrow.
Richard on the Hill
*ABROAD*, adj. At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to
be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Enlarged Devil\'s Dictionary_
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