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Post by fernwood on Dec 25, 2019 5:00:06 GMT -5
What next, flaming hail? The snake you killed was probably after the rats/mice. Rodents can get through such tiny holes, it is hard to block them all. Steel wool sometimes works. Have you tried removing brush etc/hiding places around the outside of the house? Have you tried any of those electronic rodent repellent things? Have you tried a flame thrower? Sorry to hear about your slabs. Agree on the snake There are day lilies surrounding 2 sides of my house. They were blocking view of the holes. No more holes were seen around the house yesterday. No on electronic and flame thrower . I still need to do a complete check of the slabs. Found a couple more broken ones yesterday. A couple boxes of slabs fell on top of a kindling pile, so some are under the kindling. I am not going on porch when I hear rats there. Was there while critter man was here.
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Post by fernwood on Dec 25, 2019 10:55:57 GMT -5
Did not hear rats on porch, so retrieved some things. Was able to take a photo of the largest broken slab. A beautiful Montana Agate. After taking the last photo a rat ran over my foot, so I escaped back to living room.
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Post by mohs on Dec 25, 2019 11:13:02 GMT -5
thought of this thread when I picked Victor Electronic Rat Trap - Reusable, Easy to Bait Rat Trap at the jungle can't find a postable picture but I did find this I'm sure your having a wonderful Christmas, Beth through all the curve balls keep on swinging M hs
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Post by greig on Dec 27, 2019 11:17:40 GMT -5
If you are hearing them in your deck and they are running over your feet, you have a whack of the critters at your place and they are making more. Two rats can expand to over 1,200 in one year, unless something bad happens to them. Obviously, they are happy at your place and you really need to change that up. First thing is to eliminate is all food sources. The big one is getting everybody nearby to remove their bird feeders. Then you need to use multiple approaches to address the problem. Personally, I would shoot any that I see, set snap traps, multiple kinds of poison, electronic rat control, etc. A variety of things, as they are smart at avoiding trouble.
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Post by drocknut on Dec 27, 2019 12:35:03 GMT -5
Wow, that is a bad infestation. Hope you get it under control. I'm not a fan of rats especially ones who don't respect slabs. Diane, they like avocados, too. They climb my tree, and gnaw on them (rock hard, excuse the pun) while still in the tree. If they don't fall while being eaten, they do soon after. On the ground, other rats, mice, skunks and raccoons eat them. The raccoons climb the tree as well, and eat them while still on the tree. I've seen one climb down the tree trunk, backwards, like nobody's business. Then he turned and headed for the six+ foot wood fence, put it in four-wheel drive and powered straight up and over the fence. I was amazed. They've got some claws on them! You don't want to tangle with one, your dog, neither. Nope definitely don't want Gypsy or I to tangle with one of those buggers. Wow, seems like you're lucky if you get an avocado off that tree.
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Post by RickB on Dec 28, 2019 5:48:30 GMT -5
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Post by fernwood on Dec 28, 2019 6:31:50 GMT -5
Cool contraption.
I have not put out any bird food this year. No food sources in any rooms they are in. I am even storing most food in a spare room, since they like the kitchen. Most food in boxes is now stored in pails with snap on lids. Same for dog/cat food and horse treats.
My critter man will be back next week to try to find the hole(s) he missed last inspection. He closed many off.
I have adjusted feeding my special needs cat. He only eats about a TBS of food at a time, so have been giving him that. Anything not eaten goes in a sealed bag in a covered garbage container.
No food sources are available for rats/mice. Well, maybe. I do have paper and cardboard in house. Some wood for fireplace.
Noticed that some of the carpeting was chewed. Some of my clothes have been also chewed. TP and paper towels are now in sealed containers, as are wash clothes and towels.
Thankful nothing has chewed my water hose for horse tank.
I am determined to live through this and doing what I can.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 28, 2019 10:01:56 GMT -5
What I'm worrying about, Beth, is that they're in your walls and breeding. They will be chewing on the wiring inside your walls making the chance of an electric fire very possible. Please consider putting out poison OUTSIDE of your house. The poison can be in containers that have holes just big enough for the rodents to get in, preventing anything larger getting at it.
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Post by fernwood on Dec 29, 2019 6:42:10 GMT -5
What I'm worrying about, Beth, is that they're in your walls and breeding. They will be chewing on the wiring inside your walls making the chance of an electric fire very possible. Please consider putting out poison OUTSIDE of your house. The poison can be in containers that have holes just big enough for the rodents to get in, preventing anything larger getting at it. Am worried about electric wiring being chewed. I have two, smaller, poison containers outside. Mouse size. I am considering purchasing some plastic boxes. Sawing rat sized holes in them. Then placing outside. The last two fresh snows, no rat tracks were seen around the house. They might be getting in off the back deck. i am hoping that all of the rain we are having will kill some of the critters. Since the outside wall along basement stairs leaks when there is heavy rains. This AM, I noticed that water was running from the foundation wall into the two holes that had been chewed in the concrete floor.
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Post by fernwood on Dec 31, 2019 4:24:28 GMT -5
Saw a suggestion on another thread to use peppermint oil. Tried that, no luck. Something actually moved a saturated cotton ball.
Have not seen anything for a couple of days. Heard something in dining room.
Am almost afraid to check basement traps.
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Post by fernwood on Dec 31, 2019 6:27:53 GMT -5
Another question, that may or may not be related to rats. Just received my highest electric usage bill ever. Found this strange, as the temps were much warmer this DEcember than in the past. Use was over 1000 KWH. My previous high use was 840 KWH. This was when the average temp was 19 degrees. Average for this December was 29 degrees.
I need to determine if I should get an electrician out here to inspect electric and see if there is damage.
Have an email in to my tenant. He made some modifications to my well pump for water access for cattle in Winter. An additional fencer was also added. He does not have tank heaters. Just a float valve system on tanks. There is a constant flow of water into tanks.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 10, 2020 8:12:47 GMT -5
Diane, they like avocados, too. They climb my tree, and gnaw on them (rock hard, excuse the pun) while still in the tree. If they don't fall while being eaten, they do soon after. On the ground, other rats, mice, skunks and raccoons eat them. The raccoons climb the tree as well, and eat them while still on the tree. I've seen one climb down the tree trunk, backwards, like nobody's business. Then he turned and headed for the six+ foot wood fence, put it in four-wheel drive and powered straight up and over the fence. I was amazed. They've got some claws on them! You don't want to tangle with one, your dog, neither. Nope definitely don't want Gypsy or I to tangle with one of those buggers. Wow, seems like you're lucky if you get an avocado off that tree. Rat damage. Tangerine shell, they eat every last bit of the fruit. They'll eat lemons and oranges, too. Don't seem to care for the grapefruit, though.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 21, 2020 16:39:06 GMT -5
Nope definitely don't want Gypsy or I to tangle with one of those buggers. Wow, seems like you're lucky if you get an avocado off that tree. Rat damage. Tangerine shell, they eat every last bit of the fruit. They'll eat lemons and oranges, too. Don't seem to care for the grapefruit, though. Used to be, the dang rat was only taking one or two oranges a week. That was acceptable. But he's gotten greedy, and getting two or three every night! Decided enough was enough, and put a stop to that. Bought a 5' stovepipe / flue at HD, cost less than $10. Cut about 20" off of it, took a few little snips off the bottom (to account for uneven surface at base of tree), wrapped it around tree trunk, put the edges together, then dropped some small rocks down the inside of it to thwart ingress from behind the aluminum sheet. Worked like a charm, no more orange loses, unless they learn to fly, lol. Next I need to do two more trees here (tangerine and avocado), and a few more at my Dad's house. They are really raiding his tangerine tree!
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Post by drocknut on Jan 22, 2020 10:36:15 GMT -5
Nope definitely don't want Gypsy or I to tangle with one of those buggers. Wow, seems like you're lucky if you get an avocado off that tree. Rat damage. Tangerine shell, they eat every last bit of the fruit. They'll eat lemons and oranges, too. Don't seem to care for the grapefruit, though. Bad rats, but looks like you have them foiled...lol.
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Post by fernwood on Jan 24, 2020 6:55:10 GMT -5
Nice counter attack on the rats.
Do not want to jinx myself, but have not seen/heard any large critters in my house for 4 days. Still hearing things on roof and heat ducts.
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Post by stardiamond on Jan 30, 2020 23:47:57 GMT -5
The first thing the rodent ate was tomatoes and then moved on to potatoes. Based on the size of the bite marks on the potato, I assumed a mouse. I tried two kinds of kill traps and one capture trap and none worked. I bought some sticky traps that are suppose to work on mice, rats and snakes. I put two on the kitchen counter for two days and then moved one to a space between the kitchen cabinets and the refrigerator. The rodent dragged the trap across the kitchen floor and then chucked it. I guess I need to name it mighty mouse. I replaced the sticky trap with another and put a kill trap baited with peanut butter behind the refrigerator. MM has left them alone for a few days. I won't use poison, not so much about another animal eating the rodent but having to smell dead rodent in a place that may not be accessible. Next step is a discussion with a pest control company regarding options. Other than that, I will need to adopt MM and leave a potato out for him.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 30, 2020 23:59:18 GMT -5
The first thing the rodent ate was tomatoes and then moved on to potatoes. Based on the size of the bite marks on the potato, I assumed a mouse. I tried two kinds of kill traps and one capture trap and none worked. I bought some sticky traps that are suppose to work on mice, rats and snakes. I put two on the kitchen counter for two days and then moved one to a space between the kitchen cabinets and the refrigerator. The rodent dragged the trap across the kitchen floor and then chucked it. I guess I need to name it mighty mouse. I replaced the sticky trap with another and put a kill trap baited with peanut butter behind the refrigerator. MM has left them alone for a few days. I won't use poison, not so much about another animal eating the rodent but having to smell dead rodent in a place that may not be accessible. Next step is a discussion with a pest control company regarding options. Other than that, I will need to adopt MM and leave a potato out for him. You know what they say- if you name it, it's yours. LOL! I had mice as pets. They aren't bad pets.
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Post by rmf on Jan 31, 2020 4:14:23 GMT -5
We got a couple of rats once. we tried traps, sticky pads and the only successful method was poison. Then after they died I had to clean out the whole basement.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,666
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 31, 2020 10:06:46 GMT -5
Some non venomous snakes are great for rats, mice and other critters too....
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Post by MsAli on Jan 31, 2020 11:24:11 GMT -5
Some non venomous snakes are great for rats, mice and other critters too.... People always complain about having snakes or other predators for that matter around, but then wonder why the critters get out of control
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