Need help killing rats

Question:

My most recent adventure was this past weekend. I was taking down the gutter downspouts to paint them, & ‘felt’ it move. After putting a rag & large rubber band over each endpiece (S shaped 10′ section), I found that the downspouts fit quite nicely over my exhaust pipe on my ‘90 E150 van. A few minutes later I buried dad, mom, & baby. Gosh I enjoyed the funeral!

Can you tell I was one of those kids who tortured small critters way back when?

Well, you may be a bit sadistic, but I loved your stories. Eric === Remove < .no_sp_am from === === my return address for mail ===

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Great post, excellent information!!!

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We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests?

Owls. linda dunedin FL

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2 words. Sticky traps. Can’t beat ‘em

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Be very, very careful using D-Con–especially if you have dogs. Dogs seem just as attracted to the bait as the rats. A friend of mine lost her Lab/Rott a year after the dog ate D-Con bait. D-Con causes the animal to internally hemorrhage to death. Despite our best efforts to treat the dog–intensive vitamin K treatments–the dog ultimatley developed an epileptic condition and, when the seizures could no longer be controlled, had to be put to sleep. The vet told her that it wasn’t the first time she had seen this as a result of D-Con. If I had to treat a rat infestation now, I would go with the suggestions Rev Chuck made–remove their habitat–and add a few traps as well. — Jessie New York City j e s 2 2 at columbia dot edu note the spam Trap

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EVENTUALLY! Do you realize how cruel that is? I know they are "just rats" but even so you should not force them to have a long and painful death unless there are no other ways to eliminate the rat problem. Why can they not be killed in a humane way instead? Besides the fact that I don’t see anything wrong with rats being outside since that’s their natural habitat. Now if they come INSIDE…

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Rats need food, water, shelter. They can get enough water from the dew on the grass to survive, and can always find shelter under or in a shed, pile of firewood, porch with space protected from predators with wood latticework, an accessible crawlspace vent opening, etc. Not rocket science there. Most important reason for rats to be somewhere is because they are being fed. Period. And don’t believe the story about how they are there because of the such-and-such situation a half block away. They are there because there is food, probably within 50 feet of their harborage. Gardens provide an excellent food source for them, but only during the season. If there is a colony, it is more likely that they have been there for quite a while, and will continue to have a stable food source after all the gardens are gone. First thing I look for on a rodent complaint is to see how close the nearest dog is. Because dog food is a truly EXCELLENT rodent food as well. Next is to see how well the dog feces are being kept being cleaned up. Not only do rats eat through dog feces for undigested food, they are copraphagous, meaning that they are eaters of feces. Including their own. In fact, they have to do it because some of the B-vitamins are not well absorbed during the ‘first pass through’. There are about 1400 varieties of rodent, rats being a very small part of the crowd. Rabbits, kangaroos, squirrels, etc. have the same tooth structure and pretty much the same eating habits. (I feel that squirrels are rats with fluffy tails.) So if you have rats, and find that it is necessary to put out bait, do some thinking first. Why are they here? What do I need to do to keep from having a new bunch of visitors later? And realize that the bait you put out has to compete with the established foodsource for their attention. They instinctively avoid new things, so until they start being desperate for new food, don’t be surprised if your bait packs are ignored. And they will more likely be ignored if they are not at the wall or fence, etc. the rats travel. Watch for the runways, the worn areas of grass. Rats are creatures of habit, and will continue to walk along the same path. Even ‘around’ something, even after it has been removed. Sometimes the best thing you can do to reduce the rat population is to very aggressively seek assistastance from your local Health Dept or Animal Control people. Generally, it is only a short-term answer. There are slum lords, slum houses, slum people. Regardless of the overall character of the neighborhood. So your only recourse is to see that any rat that comes into your yard does not leave alive. And to do that you have to be clever. Even in the way you put out bait, if you choose that route. You don’t know where they are. So get or make a spot that is secluded and make a baitbox. Rats feel safe when they are in a fairly tight space. So take about an 18" x 18" piece of wood, rest it on or attach it to a 2×4 square frame with a 2" opening at two of the opposite corners, and put oily peanut butter, thinly, on a plate. This is the bait for now. Put this out where it won’t be bothered, and put a concrete block on it. Check it daily, and if you start finding the peanut butter disturbed, add to it. More and more rats will start feeding at it, and instead of trying to find THEM, and their lunchroom, you’re inviting them to yours. After it seems that you have attracted the entire neighborhood’s rat population, then start cutting back a bit on the peanut butter, but add other goodies as you choose. Have your baithouse near water, and give them your concrete concoction if you like. But whatever you do, don’t let the foodsource/poison be interrupted. If it just makes them sick, without killing them, they will become bait-shy, and ignore your invitations. Peanut butter also makes a good bait on traps, but I feel that beef jerky is also good. Put the bait-holding part of the trap closest to the wall, so that even if the peanut butter is gotten off, the trap can still be sprung by some unaware rat walking along the wall accidentally tripping the trap. But they will likely walk around it to avoid it, since it is new to their established territory. Too much already. Ask if you have specific questions. Michael Baugh, who believes that if you invite visitors, you need to give them an incentive to leave on their own, before you poison them. But if the Mongol hoardes are at your door, it’s time for the boiling oil. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I can’t pass up a chance to talk about killing rats. One method I got from this newsgroup a few months ago was the following formula: * 2 tablespoons sugar * handful of oatmeal * 1 cup flour * 2 cups cement I got a similar recipe from misc.consumers.frugal-living: 1 cup oatmeal 1 cup cement Place in small plastic bags in areas that the rats frequent. I spiced it up a bit with a liberal dose of garlic powder because a professional exterminator once told me that mice and rats love garlic. I don’t know if this is true, but I figured that it couldn’t hurt. So far, the bags are untouched, but I think that that is probably because most of the rats around here tend to stay in my filthy, idiot neighbor’s house. (Don’t even get me started about the piles of garbage and the FIVE dogs who NEVER go out!) Jennifer —

Response:

In addition to good sanitation and a bit of poison, add deterrant to the formula. Volunteer to clean you neighbors’ kitty litter boxes. Toss a little cat-urine scented litter discreetly about the yard. The rats will hang out next door.

I’ve seen a number of great ideas here – real variety and creativity. I just wanted to second the statement about them dying in a convenient place. If you think that rats or mice are nesting in an inaccessible place, for instance the hidden framing of your house, then that is NOT the place you want them to die — the smell will linger for weeks — or until you open up the wall. The .22 <g or other "positive capture" method would be a better option in this case. Your selection of method will have to depend on this variable. Eric === Remove < .no_sp_am from === === my return address for mail ===

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I can’t pass up a chance to talk about killing rats. One method I got from this newsgroup a few months ago was the following formula: * 2 tablespoons sugar * handful of oatmeal * 1 cup flour * 2 cups cement Mix in small ziplock bag, toss in area that rats frequent. They feast, go get a drink, & their intestine is CLOSED for business! Also good for other pets as it doesn’t harm them if they eat the rats. I haven’t had a problem with squirrels or other animals getting into it. I think this takes about a week before the rats finally starve to death, but I think the revenge is worth it. My most recent adventure was this past weekend. I was taking down the gutter downspouts to paint them, & ‘felt’ it move. After putting a rag & large rubber band over each endpiece (S shaped 10′ section), I found that the downspouts fit quite nicely over my exhaust pipe on my ‘90 E150 van. A few minutes later I buried dad, mom, & baby. Gosh I enjoyed the funeral! My rat source is a extended-stay hotel & dunkin donut shop 1/2 block away. BTW, the person who mentioned peanut butter is right. I regularly keep a couple of traps baited with the stuff. It takes forever to dry out, & rats are addicted to it. Every once in a while I get a smart-*ss rat who knows how to raid the traps. That’s when I get out my live trap & bait it with PB as well. Haven’t lost a war yet. If only I could do this with some of the neighbors… Happy trapping. Can you tell I was one of those kids who tortured small critters way back when? -tony – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests? Jake

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We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests? Jake

I live in Georgia, surrounded by farms. During harvest, lots of rats flee the fields and run for the safety of the residential areas, and we’ve learned that plastic life-size owls are a gread deterrent. I have only one, on a perch about roof-height, and haven’t seen a rat in my yard or garden since mounting the owl. These owls can typically be purchased in the lawn-garden section of the various *-marts. — **Pops

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Oh, definitely, Coca Cola is a wonderful remedy for rats. Like Al says, they can’t burp. (or tap dance either, but that’s another story). However, they can and do pass huge amounts of gas out the other end, which smells awful. The other rats in the den then beat up the flatulant rat. What could be better or more organic? ;-) For more facts about no-belching exploding rats/gophers, check out www.’scuseme.com. — Bio/Organics Supply Center 3200 Corte Malpaso, #107 Camarillo CA 93012 (Near ocean N. of LA) <http://www.bio-organics.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For the organically minded you can use Coca Cola poured into saucers each night. Rats have no way to belch and the gas ruptures their insides. Is this really true? Seems the rats would have to drink a lot of soda.

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: : For the organically minded you can use Coca Cola poured into saucers each : night. Rats have no way to belch and the gas ruptures their insides. I thought rats couldn’t vomit, and some rat poisons worked by being a blood thinner while also causing the critters to start heaving. Does not sound very humane.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In addition to good sanitation and a bit of poison, add deterrant to the formula. Volunteer to clean you neighbors’ kitty litter boxes. Toss a little cat-urine scented litter discreetly about the yard. The rats will hang out next door. I’ve seen a number of great ideas here – real variety and creativity. I just wanted to second the statement about them dying in a convenient place. If you think that rats or mice are nesting in an inaccessible place, for instance the hidden framing of your house, then that is NOT the place you want them to die — the smell will linger for weeks — or until you open up the wall. The .22 <g or other "positive capture" method would be a better option in this case. Your selection of method will have to depend on this variable.

The reason I mentioned "dying in a convenient place" is that my father had a feed barn, and when he put conventional poison out, the rats always died right behind the biggest damn stack of feed bags they could find. My brother and I always had the job of moving the bags, fishing out the corpse, and putting them back. That’s why I’m so glad we got smart and decided to let the cat take care of them; she brought them all right to the back porch. (Too bad the sight of them made my father lose his breakfast!) V

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We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests? Jake

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We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests?

No pesticide, if anyone tried, have them investigated. Rats are mammals, and thus you are not going to find a chemical control which will not be harmful to other mammals, namely you! You might be able to poison them, but remember if you or anyone else, like kids, ingests that poison,, it will be a situation. Now, rats are best handled by hunters like cats, hawks, owls, or people. Yes, people. Unfortunately this is a neighborhood, so a .410 with some rat shot sounds a bit dangerous, so how about rat traps, you can buy them at K-mart, just bait them with Peanut Butter [crunchy] and make sure you let it dry a bit before actually setting it out, otherwise they will just lick it off. I’m not sure how many rats you are talking about, but try your local humans society if you can’t handle them yourself. Oh yeah, snakes work especially well, becaus they will stay in the area until until they run out of food, particularly yellow rat snakes seem to be quick at removing nests.

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Go to a library or feed store and look for a book called the chicken health handbook. It has plans for very effective bait stations made from 2" pvc pipe that are tamper and pet resistant.

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We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests?

What, nobody in your neighborhood has a terrier or a daschund? Send the teenage boys out with sticks and dogs to kill rats. It will satisfy their bloodlust (both the dogs and the boys) and teach the rats to keep their heads down. — Larry

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Yo wrote |We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the |mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide |to use to combat these pests? 22 rifle works quite nicely. — Linux – the choice of a GNU generation. Key fingerprint = E6 30 57 68 E9 3E 4B 79 5E B7 DE EF F8 DF 90 8F Public Key Block at: http://pgp5.ai.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xA883405D

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For the organically minded you can use Coca Cola poured into saucers each night. Rats have no way to belch and the gas ruptures their insides.

Is this really true? Seems the rats would have to drink a lot of soda.

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We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests? Jake

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Similar situation oncee here in San Jose, CA. We used D-Con rat bait, but it took me a while to learn to cover it from squirrels and such *and* to keep it a long way from thee house, else you attract rats to the very place you want to keep them away. For the organically minded you can use Coca Cola poured into saucers each night. Rats have no way to belch and the gas ruptures their insides. – Robert – – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests? Jake

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Squirrels, rats… there’s a difference? — John " Pardon me Roy, is that the cat who chewed your new shoes?" . Opinions expressed herein are my own and may not represent those of my employer.

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We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests?

Hire a licensed pest control operator (PCO) to help identify and remedy your problem. The PCO will probably install bait stations which will hold rodenticide to treat the problem. Bait stations are tamper-resistant containers which allow rodents to enter/leave and feed on a concealed/attached rodenticide. The rats eat the bait and eventually die. Proper placement and followup inspections of the bait stations is key to relieving a rat problem. If you have further questions don’t hesitate to post or e-mail. Karl — KSME/PestChat – Discussions & Live Chats – 24 Hours – Everyday! http://pestchat.ksme.net Try our IRC server and the #KSMEPestChat channel: endora.newaeon.com port 6667 Pest Control Operator – Ohio Dept. of Agriculture – Lic. #1191 DISCLAIMER: Notes posted are offered as personal observation and not as professional advice. Each situation requires inspection by a licensed technician for proper pest management. Contact a licensed pest control company in your area for advice.

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I remember my father trying the Coca-cola route in his feed barn. The problem was (and is) that Coca-Cola goes flat fairly quickly! I don’t think we were able to attribute a single rat death to Coca-Cola. However, our tortoiseshell cat used to bring down rats that were literally bigger than she was, and even bring them to the back porch as gifts. Killing rats isn’t nearly as big a problem as making sure they die in a convenient place. Veruga

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We’ve recently seen rats in our suburban neighborhood due to all the mild weather in the spring. So now, what’s the best plan or pesticide to use to combat these pests? Jake

Sanitation. No rat can survive long without food and cover. No poisons to harm pets or wildlife. Get rid of trash, weeds. Use metal garbage cans and tie the lids shut with bungee cords if need be. — Rev Chuck, Alt.Atheism Mark of the IPU #203, Ordained Reverend, ULC, 17 March, 1997. Remove -REMOVE_THIS- from address to respond.

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Filed under: PCO

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