OT.... RATS!!!!!!

johnmitchell

Guys I need advice.. Yesterday sitting on my deck I noticed a huge rat appear from under the deck.. This thing was as big as cat, no more like an elephant.. I am shocked as I have never seen rats around my property. A little later 2 smaller ones appeared.
Okay what to do. I live in the city limits so I can't discharge a weapon.
 I have an old dog which walks around that area.
I haven't mentioned this to the wife
Do I phone the realtor
Do I phone the man.

I was thinking of those black bait boxes you see around factories, but I am worried the big rat won't be able to get in.
Also I don't have any dog food outside just some bird feeders at the back of my property.
Any help will be much appreciated.... Thanks.

kdink

I used the bait traps that snap.  Put peanut butter on the spring load not cheese.  They love it and have to stay to eat.  Just make sure its not in a place your dog can get to.

henapple

Raccoon trap. 

blasting

Is a racoon trap the same as a cat trap?  Cause that's what I was thinking. 

Sure don't envy you John.   Rats creep me out. 

Sea2Ski

Careful with poison. Dogs and cats will eat it as well. Additionally, if the rat eats it and dies, another animal may eat the rat and be poisoned as well.  Snap traps are safer, but the use a heart traps are the safest. If the wrong animal goes in, no harm and now foul to let it go (skunks can be unnerving though).  But if you get your rat - you can dispose of it or relocate it as you wish. 

Best bait I have found is peanut butter on bread - seems to work for everything. 

Oh - get rid of ever single possible foods source  for 4 weeks including birdseed once the last rat is captured.  Finally, change the location of the trap after 4 days. 

Best of luck!

JohnInCarolina

City limits you say?

EagleIII

I have had VERY good luck with a trap called a Rat Zapper: http://www.amazon.com/Rat-Zapper-Ultra-Rodent-RZU001/dp/B00CM859OA 

I am not a Rat Zapper Salesman or anything of that sort either, but these are pretty cool.  They operate on 4 AA Batteries and are about the size of a small shoebox, so they will allow pretty large rats, chipmunks, you name it, but a dog couldn't even get his nose in there.  The bait(they recommend a standard dog kibble as bait) goes in the end of it.  When they Rat goes in to get the bait, they get a fatal electric shock from the batteries....no muss, no fuss, no rat guts all over the place.  When the deed is done, you pick up the whole trap with the now deceased rat inside, hold it over the trash can and give it a shake.  The newly departed drops neatly into the trash and you reset for the next victim!

Good luck!

Chubbs

First make sure they cannot get into crawls space or anywhere else in your house. In fact I would check your attic and look for tracks in insulation or droppings. If crawspace vents are not sealed I would seal them. The bait traps are not big enough. You need the largest spring traps you can find and bait with peanut butter. They will eat it if they have no other food supply. Also, set your traps perpendicular with a wall. Rats/mice like to travel on the perimeter of areas and rarely intend to be in open area. If you put it parallel they are smart enough to get the food without getting caught. For some reason perpendicular gets them. I went through this last fall Inside my attic. Cost me about. $800

Chubbs

Oh and good luck. 

Eggcelsior

You are the Dread Pirate Roberts. Congratulations.

johnmitchell

Thanks guys all great suggestions, I probably should have waited awhile before I went out and bought, but anyway I will give this a go and also get some of the other products mentioned.. @JohnInCarolina I might just swing by Field and Stream this afternoon .. I will keep you all posted.. I suppose "Pics or it didn't happen" applies.. Thanks again.. 

henapple

Thatgrimguy

Go ahead and put steel wool in any holes you can find in and around your house too. Search your attic and put rat traps in there just in case. You don't want those MF'rs in your house. They destroyed a townhouse I used to own. Had to redo all the A/C and Heating ducts.

matoch

Might be time to set your property on fire and move.

johnmitchell

I forgot to add..The guy at Tractor Supply said he had quite a few people with the same complaint/request. He thought it was caused by the mild winter/Climate change !!!!! Well maybe thats a topic we can explore on a Friday night.. 

Legume

Now you have a reason to buy the joetisserie

Angus1978

+1 on getting rid of the food source.  My wife dug (she's the best) a poo hole for all the dog's poop....we drop it in and cover with a plywood lid.  Come to find out, rats love to eat poop...so we filled in the all you can eat buffet.   If your dog is poopin' in the yard, that's a food source for the rats too.

northGAcock

What you don't want to happen is they eat the bait and then go crawl into your walls......don't ask how I know this. 

johnmitchell

northGAcock said:

What you don't want to happen is they eat the bait and then go crawl into your walls......don't ask how I know this. 

Ain't that the truth.. I am hoping I will be okay on that front as I just had the house re sided in September last year, and I spent quite a bit extra on sealing the whole house.. But I hear you on that..