re: Rodent issue

Nah get a couple rat terriers. Problem solved.

Is that those green baits

Saw those videos, those little suckers kill the heck out rats

This rat couldn’t had been in pool box but for a week or less. You so right they work fast

1) Snap Traps in attic baited with peanut butter to kill what gets in.

2) Find and seal entry points. Steel wool or copper mesh with foam can be used as quicker but most likely temporary fixes (heard industrial strength gorilla glue construction adhesion works). They will still chew foam and die doing it, but their brethren will just follow. Mesh or steel wool slows chewing down but make sure it can’t just get easily pulled out after some foam chewed off. Metal flashing along with something cement based is probably better.

They will just start chewing at the next spot trying to get back in. Hardy board and something metal or aluminum based to replace paneling, rakes, eaves, soffits and so on are longer term solutions. Full exclusion work to limit or stop the next opening is expensive.

If already nesting in attic You will be clearing traps for a little while even after you find and seal every entry point.


3) Bait boxes around perimeter of house to lower population around house. Most have poison that will not harm bigger animals eating dead rats and meant to kill rats slow enough to get back to nests before dying. If they ate enough other rats may get dosed when they eat the dead ones. Smell problem might arise until existing holes sealed if nesting in attic as they will die in attic insulation or walls instead of traps which are easier to remove.

4) No other food source left outside. Bait boxes don’t help as much if a better food source like pet food or bird seed left outside overnight. Food source will push them to chew more openings to nest near food.

I live next to a sugar cane field. You need a yard cat. Winter after harvesting I will sometimes get mice in the attic. I put my cat in the attic at night for a few hours during this time.

She does a great job.

I thought the first step in solving his problem was to make a roux?

quote:

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What would someone use in attic to keep little SOBs away.

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Get some “Just One Bite” made by Farnam. It’s available online. Put the bars in your attic or anywhere you think a rat might be, but away from domestic pets. Rats will be gone quickly.

We struggled with rodents at a deer camp which was largely unoccupied for for weeks at a time. Bastards would nest in kitchen drawers, 4-wheelers, chew shite up, etc.

We tried every kind of poison and trap constantly for a couple of years. Finally got 3 young shelter cats, and left them out there, with occasional feeding. 2 survived/stuck around through the first year. Rodent problem almost immediately went to zero. The two cats have now been living around the camp going of 3 years.

They now have a cat house and an automatic feeder, which gets filled semi-regularly.