Rats!

[AmbulanceDriver]

Our little min-pin just killed one.   

Probably a juvenile, since it wasn't very big... but then again we don't get New York City-sized rats over here, either.  He was just as proud as he could be of himself.  Brought it right up to the back door, tail a-waggin'....  He was really sad when I made him drop it so I could throw it away...

I'm guessing it came out and was hiding under our shed because of the 4+ inches of rain we've gotten in the last couple of days....

Tomorrow's project is to get some chicken wire to wrap around the bottom of the shed to block it off from the dog, and some Tomcat poison blocks to toss under the shed.  Want to make sure that's the ONLY rat he kills.

[bedlamite]

Poison bait is a bad idea with pets around. Yes, it'll kill any rats, but where will they crawl to die? It won't always be in some hole somewhere, and just might be in the back yard where the dog can easily get it. Old fashioned victor traps with peanut butter are more work, but much better.

[RoadKingLarry]

What he said^^^
That and chicken wire will NOT stop a determined dog not even a little yapper like a Min Pin.

[AmbulanceDriver]

Poison bait is a bad idea with pets around. Yes, it'll kill any rats, but where will they crawl to die? It won't always be in some hole somewhere, and just might be in the back yard where the dog can easily get it. Old fashioned victor traps with peanut butter are more work, but much better.

Bedlamite, that's a good point.  We usually monitor him pretty closely in the backyard.  But it's probably not worth the risk....

RKL, we didn't think so either, but he's been really good about not digging at the fences we have already.  But I may use some left over cedar fence boards instead to really enclose the underside of the shed.

[Declaration Day]

Old fashioned victor traps with peanut butter are more work, but much better.

I battle rats constantly in my backyard.  Eventually they learn to lick the peanut butter carefully off the trigger.  Spread it underneath the trigger instead of on top.  Works every time.

[HeroHog]

Glue traps work nicely too. I have had good success with them before with field mice.

[Sergeant Bob]

I battle rats constantly in my backyard.  Eventually they learn to lick the peanut butter carefully off the trigger.  Spread it underneath the trigger instead of on top.  Works every time.

That's a good idea. Also, if using the Better Rodent/Mouse Trapâ„¢, instead of putting the peanut butter the trigger, put it on the underside of the upper jaw.

[Boomhauer]

Snap traps and glue traps. If you should trap anything on the glue traps that you want to release, vegetable oil will take care of the glue.

Watch out though. The big *expletive deleted*ers can drag even the big traps off if it doesn't kill them. And if you are planning to vacate the structure for more than a day, disarm the traps for you do not want to come back to a dead rat 2 or 3 days later. Also, they don't like Church's Chicken.

[Declaration Day]

Watch out though. The big *expletive deleted* can drag even the big traps off if it doesn't kill them.

Yep.  One morning I found one of my snap traps from the backyard at the base of my front steps.  A rat had dragged it all that way with two legs before dying.  That's easily a half mile in "rat scale".  I didn't feel bad for him one bit.  I HATE those foul critters.

[Jim147]

Snap traps and glue traps. If you should trap anything on the glue traps that you want to release, vegetable oil will take care of the glue.

Watch out though. The big *expletive deleted* can drag even the big traps off if it doesn't kill them. And if you are planning to vacate the structure for more than a day, disarm the traps for you do not want to come back to a dead rat 2 or 3 days later. Also, they don't like Church's Chicken.

I screw the rat traps to 2"x6" boards so they can't take the trap with them. And if I put out poison it goes in old tuna cans hooked to 2x's also.

jim

[stevelyn]

I still say poison is the best solution. I've poisoned rats and mice for years and pets haven't had issues being collateral damage.

For every rat you catch in a trap there's 50 that didn't get caught.

[230RN]

You sure that dog isn't part cat?

We had three "barn cats" and never had a problem with rodents.

It's funny how they (and your dog) would bring them back to the house to show off.  Like we were taxidermists or something and they expected us to mount them for them and hang them on the wall.

Sometimes we'd find most of the rodent eaten except for their stomachs.  Never figured that out, just took their "retrievals/trophies/remains" as blessings that we didn't have to pay any attention to a rodent problem.

I read somewhere that the several phases of the "Black Plague" in Europe coincided with an upsurge in cat-hating.  Or something like that.

Terry, 230RN

[MechAg94]

I had someone tell me to hang the traps from a string to just over the ground where the rats/mice have to grab the trap/trigger to get the peanut butter off.  I guess that would keep them from dragging it off also.  I haven't had the opportunity to try it yet.  In the past, poison worked for me.  I put it in the attic.  The only negative was a rat died in the wall somewhere and I could smell it just a little bit in a one or two points in the house.  It went away after a day or so.

[roo_ster]

Glue traps work nicely too. I have had good success with them before with field mice.

The only thing I ever caught with glue traps was lizards, and I like the 'zards!

No more glue traps for me.

[T.O.M.]

I have a nice high power .22 air rifle that would be perfect for your purpose.  Set out some bait and pretend you're a sniper.  A friend and I did that at his mother's house to protect her garden from rodents of all types.  Good sport on a summer evening.

As for me, spring traps and peanut butter keep the mice out of my garage.

[lupinus]

Good old spring traps are the best bet IMO.

Glue traps I'm not fond of. Just don't sit well with me, and I want them dead anyhow.

As for poison, I'm not a fan. To much risk of pets or children (yours or others) getting into it. Also, after having lived in a house where a poisoned rat made it back into a wall before dieing....well I have no desire to experience that unpleasantness again.

[Scout26]

I lost one of these nice Tomcat Rat Traps,
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3132844&cp=2568443.2568444.2598676.2602605.1305668

when a hawk or falcon fly down and grabbed the back half of the ground squirrel that was still wiggling while on my back porch. 

Never did find the trap...

 

[Jim147]

I lost one of these nice Tomcat Rat Traps,
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3132844&cp=2568443.2568444.2598676.2602605.1305668

when a hawk or falcon fly down and grabbed the back half of the ground squirrel that was still wiggling while on my back porch. 

Never did find the trap...

 

That's why you need to keep the 12 gauge ready at all times.                         

jim

[wuluf]

I do this for a living (great job, btw) and while i agree that snap traps are the best, peanut butter can be licked off the trigger, as noted.  Most traps have a small anvil to hold bait in place.  Rats love dried fruit, raisins, cranberries, etc.  Put one under the anvil and bend it down to secure the fruit.  Bacon works too, i'm told, but I've never had any left over...

[Scout26]

That's why you need to keep the 12 gauge ready at all times.                         

jim

I was coming back through the kitchen with the air rifle to finish off Mr.13 Lines.  When all of a sudden, WHOOSH !!! and it's gone.