Rat removal (Anyone have any in depth knowledge?)

[smokinstevo27]

I saw a rat in my backyard this morning the size of Mickey F. Mouse. I've done a little research but was wondering if anyone here had any pro tips. I think he may have come from the basement but maybe hes living outside. I bought a Tomcat heavy duty rat trap and have it out and baited now. The wife and I have our first child due at the end of the month so I'm a little paranoid and would like to get this taken care of quickly. Every search I do directs me to some site where they are trying to sell their wares. I'm hoping there is a rodent Yoda here that can instruct me in the ways of the force!

Steve

 

[jjwdiver]

We have HAD some here where I live and we regularly lay out some very nice treats for them that were bought at Home Depot.  All weather bars Rat & Mouse Killer.  We haven't seen any since the first bag that we set out in several places. At first they had been eaten and was obvious, now they disappear or disintegrate...but no problems with the rodents. We continue to offer them, and they continue to not be seen - fair deal in my opinion.  

With a child on the way the poison wont be any where the child is at this time, just wear gloves and wash your hands after handling the stuff if you decide to use it.  says it works on a variety of rats and house mice.  hide the stuff so other animals or birds don't get to it or they will "not be seen again" either.

Good Luck!

John

 

[meateater]

Stevo you need a Bazooka ! 

   JK, look for where they travel, up against a wall, fence... something soild. They don't like to run in the open usually against something. That's where you want to put the traps. Try some sticky traps also, there not so smart and will get stuck. Don't forget the Bearview. 

 

[miamirick]

i live on the water and we get rats quite often,  i just put out traps  with a good glob of Peanut Butter on the trip side works every time    caught two in one shot last week!

 

[meateater]

P.S. poison is not a good idea, they will just crawl off and die somewhere and rot, no Bearview that way.  

 Seriously take the traps and secure them so they can't run off. A pellet gun doesn't hurt either. 

 

[Bearcarver]

You might think this is stupid, but it worked for me a long time ago. I haven't seen any rats here.

Get a nice clean, shiny, and slippery 5 gallon bucket, or larger.

Cut a hole in the lid, big enough for the Rat to crawl through.

Fill the bucket about 1/3 to 1/2 full (deep enough so the Rat can't stand on the bottom & breath), put some kind of chow that Rats like in a shallow plastic dish, and float it on the water. put the lid on. Put something like bricks or blocks around it, so it won't fall or get knocked over.

The Rat is too stupid to know that once he goes through the hole, and drops down to eat the goodies, he can't stand on the bottom to breath, he can't climb the slippery walls, he can't jump to the hole he came in through, without being able to reach the bottom, and he can't swim forever.  Bye-Bye Mickey F. Mouse.

We used to shoot them when I was a kid, but we lived in the sticks.

Bear

 

[smokinstevo27]

Thanks man, I looked at that stuff when I was in HD but didn't pick it up, I'll trust that it works now and will probably pick some up!

 

We have HAD some here where I live and we regularly lay out some very nice treats for them that were bought at Home Depot.  All weather bars Rat & Mouse Killer.  We haven't seen any since the first bag that we set out in several places. At first they had been eaten and was obvious, now they disappear or disintegrate...but no problems with the rodents. We continue to offer them, and they continue to not be seen - fair deal in my opinion.  

With a child on the way the poison wont be any where the child is at this time, just wear gloves and wash your hands after handling the stuff if you decide to use it.  says it works on a variety of rats and house mice.  hide the stuff so other animals or birds don't get to it or they will "not be seen again" either.

Good Luck!

John

 HAHAHAHA! I did look for droppings but haven't seen any yet. Amelia vetoed the sticky traps (she says they are too cruel). Maybe I should call SEAL team 6.

Stevo you need a Bazooka ! 

   JK, look for where they travel, up against a wall, fence... something soild. They don't like to run in the open usually against something. That's where you want to put the traps. Try some sticky traps also, there not so smart and will get stuck. Don't forget the Bearview. 

 

[smokinstevo27]

NO THAT IS NOT STUPID! I dig it Bear and I've got just the bucket.

 

You might think this is stupid, but it worked for me a long time ago. I haven't seen any rats here.

Get a nice clean, shiny, and slippery 5 gallon bucket, or larger.

Cut a hole in the lid, big enough for the Rat to crawl through.

Fill the bucket about 1/3 to 1/2 full (deep enough so the Rat can't stand on the bottom & breath), put some kind of chow that Rats like in a shallow plastic dish, and float it on the water. put the lid on. Put something like bricks or blocks around it, so it won't fall or get knocked over.

The Rat is too stupid to know that once he goes through the hole, and drops down to eat the goodies, he can't stand on the bottom to breath, he can't climb the slippery walls, he can't jump to the hole he came in through, without being able to reach the bottom, and he can't swim forever.  Bye-Bye Mickey F. Mouse.

We used to shoot them when I was a kid, but we lived in the sticks.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

I hesitate to use poison, but if you put it where other animals can't get to it, you should be OK. 

However other animals can eat the poisoned Rat, and get sick or die too.

Just thought I'd mention that.

That's why I played dumb games like my bucket trap.  

Bear

 

[smokinstevo27]

I knew you guys would come through, thanks for the tip.

 

i live on the water and we get rats quite often,  i just put out traps  with a good glob of Peanut Butter on the trip side works every time    caught two in one shot last week!

 

[meateater]

Here's another version of Bears I forgot about. Use the same bucket and secure a dowel across the top with a empty paper towel tube on it. Fill the bucket half way with water with some dog or cat food in it. They walk onto the paper tube , it spins and you have a drowned rat. 

 

[Bearcarver]

Here's another version of Bears I forgot about. Use the same bucket and secure a dowel across the top with a empty paper towel tube on it. Fill the bucket half way with water with some dog or cat food in it. They walk onto the paper tube , it spins and you have a drowned rat. 

LOL---We used to use a Barrel trap for muskrats, but they made them illegal in PA.

It was a 50 gallon drum sunk in a pond all but a few inches.

Filled half full of water.

Tied a plastic sheet across the top, nice and tight.

Put food muskrats like on top of the sheet.

Then after a few days or so, once muskrats are known to be feeding there, cut a slit in the plastic sheet.-----OOOOPS, Splash !!

Everybody in the Pool !!! 

Bear

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I know this is going to sound stupid.

But

If you can go out and pee around where you seen the rat it will leave.

No kidding it works

 

[roller]

Try some Coca Cola put it in a dish in a place they normal travel. Do not use diet use the regular stuff. Rats can`t burp so they will blow up and die....

 

[meateater]

LOL---We used to use a Barrel trap for muskrats, but they made them illegal in PA.

It was a 50 gallon drum sunk in a pond all but a few inches.

Filled half full of water.

Tied a plastic sheet across the top, nice and tight.

Put food muskrats like on top of the sheet.

Then after a few days or so, once muskrats are known to be feeding there, cut a slit in the plastic sheet.-----OOOOPS, Splash !!

Everybody in the Pool !!! 

Bear

I wonder if PETA is reading this? 

Wait a minute, that could have been a UDS. 

 

[talan64]

I always found the problem with using poison to be that they crawl off and die, and you can't find them until the nose detects them.  By then it's too late, you don't want to HAVE to pick it up.

The last time I had a couple, my kid decided for me, that anything but a "humane" trap is too mean. So I started my rat relocation plan.  They were there feeding on dropped bird seed under my feeders, so I just put the trap there with some extra seed on the traps trigger.  That thing wasn't out there more than a few hrs before I had the first, and they are mean little buggers when you trap em.  Anyways, I then loaded it into the back of the truck and drove it out to where it had room to roam and wouldn't bother anyone else and let it go.  Reset the trap 3 times before I stopped seeing rats.  Seems if you relocate them far enough away, they can't find their way home.

A lot of work, but it kept the kid happy, and I got rid of the rats.

 

[jjwdiver]

I agree that poison isn't really a great choice in the overall view of life, but this is not my villa and when told to do a job I do it.  I'd prefer the trap method...lets you KNOW when you get one.  Good luck!

 

[Bearcarver]

LOL---That's a problem sometimes.

I have always lived in the sticks, and I have always shot Groundhogs every chance I get.

Then one time I see a guy releasing Groundhogs on my land from his Havahart traps.

I thought I should start charging him for my Ammo !!!

I got enough!---I don't need any more !!!   

Bear

 

[miamirick]

bad thing about poison is if they live in your attic the poison kills them they die up there and stink something awfull then you have to crawl around your attic to find them and if they fall into a wall your screwed  the smell lasts a long time!!

 

[meateater]

I always found the problem with using poison to be that they crawl off and die, and you can't find them until the nose detects them.  By then it's too late, you don't want to HAVE to pick it up.

The last time I had a couple, my kid decided for me, that anything but a "humane" trap is too mean. So I started my rat relocation plan.  They were there feeding on dropped bird seed under my feeders, so I just put the trap there with some extra seed on the traps trigger.  That thing wasn't out there more than a few hrs before I had the first, and they are mean little buggers when you trap em.  Anyways, I then loaded it into the back of the truck and drove it out to where it had room to roam and wouldn't bother anyone else and let it go.  Reset the trap 3 times before I stopped seeing rats.  Seems if you relocate them far enough away, they can't find their way home.

A lot of work, but it kept the kid happy, and I got rid of the rats.

LMAO, the "Sensitive Rehabilitation Of Unwanted Rodent Species".