Started By
Message

Rats/Mice 2.0

Posted on 1/19/22 at 4:27 pm
Posted by STLhog
Dallas, TX
Member since Jan 2015
18859 posts
Posted on 1/19/22 at 4:27 pm
Wrote in the other thread about the rat that ate through my baseboard where the cabinets and appliances are in my kitchen while we were out of town.

I had set numerous traps right outside of the hole at night, traps down below in the crawl space and have had no luck catching anything.

Last night at about 4am I could hear the effer knawing at the hole again. Was so loud it woke me up. Came out into the kitchen and see the wood shavings. The bastard must have gotten bigger where he can't fit anymore.

We have two GSPs and they're obviously going crazy at the base boards knowing whats in there. The youngest slaughtered a whole family back in early spring of 2021 but hasn't seemed to have gotten anything since.

Should I just go ahead and set poison out in the crawl space and hope they eat it and die?

Another wrinkle to this is I'm about to list my house for sale next week, not sure what is best at this point.
This post was edited on 1/19/22 at 4:29 pm
Posted by Sir Drinksalot
Member since Aug 2005
16857 posts
Posted on 1/19/22 at 4:44 pm to
Go buy a box of the green pellet poison stuff and sprinkle/throw it all over your attic.

They will leave to go get water and die.

Otherwise, they will stay in the walls because its warm.
Posted by gumbo2176
Member since May 2018
19470 posts
Posted on 1/19/22 at 4:48 pm to
quote:

They will leave to go get water and die.



Better hope it leaves and stays gone. I've had them die in my attic and walls when I used poison-----just once, and it had me tearing out sheetrock to get to the carcass that was putrid between the walls.

I'll never use poison again and prefer snap traps baited with peanut butter for the win.
Posted by STLhog
Dallas, TX
Member since Jan 2015
18859 posts
Posted on 1/19/22 at 5:15 pm to
quote:

I'll never use poison again and prefer snap traps baited with peanut butter for the win.


I've set a bunch in the crawlspace with PB and no luck. Snap, glue, walk in traps and nothing.

I found droppings in the crawl space, hopefully they're limited to that location. Will check the attic tonight.

The death smell has me very worried. Maybe I clean the droppings up, hope for the best and let the next owner handle.
Posted by GeauxldMember
Member since Nov 2003
5501 posts
Posted on 1/19/22 at 7:50 pm to
Are they taking the PB off the traps or not even messing with it?
Posted by STLhog
Dallas, TX
Member since Jan 2015
18859 posts
Posted on 1/19/22 at 8:05 pm to
Don’t seem to be messing with it.

Attic is clear thankfully,
Posted by ChEgrad
Member since Nov 2012
3781 posts
Posted on 1/19/22 at 8:31 pm to
Get the traps with a wide plastic flap and line up so many at the opening that he can’t miss them. Don’t use bait, just force him to walk on them.

Make sure there is enough room for the arm to swing over if it is under the cabinet. Add a rigged up tunnel at the hole to force the rat to go where you want him to walk if you have to.

Posted by armsdealer
Member since Feb 2016
12280 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 9:53 am to
Just one bite poison will get rid of them
Posted by idlewatcher
Planet Arium
Member since Jan 2012
92863 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 9:55 am to
Have you checked into the trash can contraption? I had a friend who had a similar problem and she caught 20 rats or mice the first 2 nights.

Amazon sells a knock off version as well that isn't expensive.

Here is the original one
This post was edited on 1/20/22 at 10:03 am
Posted by TBoy
Kalamazoo
Member since Dec 2007
27602 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 10:20 am to
quote:

Should I just go ahead and set poison out in the crawl space and hope they eat it and die?

Yes.
Posted by CoachChappy
Member since May 2013
34095 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 10:24 am to
quote:

We have two GSPs and they're obviously going crazy at the base boards knowing whats in there. The youngest slaughtered a whole family back in early spring of 2021 but hasn't seemed to have gotten anything since.


I can't believe they didn't get them all. I have 1 GSP and nothing lives once he decides to get after it.
Posted by Thecoz
Member since Dec 2018
3879 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 10:30 am to
Put green poison blocks out if you are sure dogs etc can not reach it… stuff them in where they are chewing… they eat the poison and will seek water and usually die outside… check outside on occasion to see if dead out there..do not want a dead one out there… hopefully you never see them but they have to die somewhere… … if in wall or roof unfortunately they will die and get ripe.. yeah the smell will be unpleasant and usually will peak for one or two days but spray or burn a candle etc.. you will survive… no need to mess with Sheetrock. … if the decomposing animal leave a stain on the roof..wall Sheetrock just kill it and paint…
I would use the blocks instead of grains because easier to place where you want…

Unfortunately I have a lot of experience on this topic and squirrels:(
Posted by Thecoz
Member since Dec 2018
3879 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 10:32 am to
Kill——autocorrect—-kilz. (Stain blocker/primer)
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23436 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 11:24 am to
Rodents like to run with their whiskers against the wall, so you want to set the traps perpindicular to the wall so they run into it.

Given that, I've slid them under an appliance and got them.

Glue traps with peanut butter all over them works great also. Just be prepared it doesn't kill them and they will wreck themselves and eat each other when caught.

ETA: I had the biggest rat I've ever seen in between my floors above my fricking bed for months one time. I set out 10-15 traps and it took forever. Finally got it in a glue trap. Last month I caught 8 rats in 3 days in a rental property, moved in with a cold front. So you just never know.

ETA2: Personally I wouldn't list the house with rats. Go spend $200 on traps and shite, and go crazy for a week or so. Catch them and get it behind you. Will be well worth the money and headache over dealing with it and a buyer.
This post was edited on 1/20/22 at 11:27 am
Posted by STLhog
Dallas, TX
Member since Jan 2015
18859 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 12:26 pm to
Thanks guys.

Fortunately I don't think its in the walls and doesn't sound like multiples. I've had the glue traps and snap traps right by the hole and wall with no luck.

Also glue and snaps down in the basement/crawl space.

I'll probably just set some poison out and hope for the best down in the crawl space if I don't get anything by this weekend.
Posted by tigahbruh
Louisiana
Member since Jun 2014
2860 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 3:28 pm to
quote:

Rodents like to run with their whiskers against the wall, so you want to set the traps perpindicular to the wall so they run into it.

Once I figured this out, I started catching them.

quote:

Personally I wouldn't list the house with rats. Go spend $200 on traps and shite, and go crazy for a week or so. Catch them and get it behind you. Will be well worth the money and headache over dealing with it and a buyer.


Hell no. They are going to use that to lowball you. Also, repair any of the damage cuased by the rat.
Posted by REB BEER
Laffy Yet
Member since Dec 2010
17713 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 3:59 pm to
quote:

it had me tearing out sheetrock to get to the carcass that was putrid between the walls.


When we lived in the sticks, my dad would set traps all in the attic and catch them and then just leave the carcasses in the traps until they were nothing but bones. He said the smell of the rotten mice would keep others from getting in the attic.
Posted by gumbo2176
Member since May 2018
19470 posts
Posted on 1/20/22 at 8:17 pm to
quote:

He said the smell of the rotten mice would keep others from getting in the attic.


Mice are one thing since they are so small. They dry up in a few days.

I'm talking about big arse rats about half the size of a cat that takes weeks to totally decompose and in the meantime, the smell of death and decomposition overtake the entire area.
Posted by BrotherEsau
Member since Aug 2011
3590 posts
Posted on 1/21/22 at 4:22 am to
Same issue for me right now. I’ve got a poison box but don’t think they’ve been eating it.

Best trap is the T-Rex. Loads peanut butter rom the bottom and snaps if you blow on it. Caught only three so far.

They’re smart frickers. Try not to touch your traps too much. I take it outside, hold it w a plastic bag and rub it in the grass. Also hose it off between kills and do the same. On advice of my local Pest Stop owner.

T-Rex
Posted by STLhog
Dallas, TX
Member since Jan 2015
18859 posts
Posted on 1/21/22 at 7:37 am to
Have put these down in the crawl space where I’ve found droppings and nothing.

I’m going to seal the gnawing spot where the base boards meet the bottom of the cabinets, clean up the droppings (avoiding hantavirus) list the house and hope for the best with inspection.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 2Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookXInstagram