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Post by TheRock on Oct 27, 2019 22:47:57 GMT -5
taylor , is Fresh Cab a brand name? I've never seen/heard of it before, but a good deterrent would be nice to have around. We have a creek across the road with feral cats living along it and some people feeding them, and anything else that comes along. This has created a rat problem in the area. The knuckleheads feeding the cats just don't get it, and don't want to quit. If you have pesky animals you want to get rid of Mix some Starbar Golden Malrin Fly Bait in their food when they eat it they will walk 5 steps and lights out! Sometime ya gotta do what ya gotta do!  |
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Post by RickB on Oct 28, 2019 10:32:47 GMT -5
taylor , is Fresh Cab a brand name? I've never seen/heard of it before, but a good deterrent would be nice to have around. We have a creek across the road with feral cats living along it and some people feeding them, and anything else that comes along. This has created a rat problem in the area. The knuckleheads feeding the cats just don't get it, and don't want to quit. If you have pesky animals you want to get rid of Mix some Starbar Golden Malrin Fly Bait in their food when they eat it they will walk 5 steps and lights out! Sometime ya gotta do what ya gotta do! Sounds like a plan Rock. Very similar to Kill Bill 2 where Uma Thurman used the five-point-palm exploding heart technique to kill Bill. When you took 5 steps after the techniques was applied, your heart exploded. Poor rats. |
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Post by greig on Oct 28, 2019 11:07:40 GMT -5
Hope you have sorted out your unwanted guest issue. I am thinking that it is not a weasel, because you still have your cats. The problem with roof/pack rats is typically they are a multiple of the quantity that you see. ie. one means more. If it were me, I would make sure all food sources are secure. Try to figure out where they are getting in and close it off with wire mesh. Any that I could see would be shot (eg. air guns are pretty effective from a tap to the head). The others would be eliminated by kill traps and poison. You don't want to share your home with critters. They chew and spew. You can get sick from their waste. Your pets might get attacked. As far as I am concerned, they can play outside all they want, but I am heartless if any get into my home or garage.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,584
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Post by jamesp on Oct 28, 2019 13:19:28 GMT -5
jamesp Where can I find them? Never seen them before. Thanks. Got mine on Amazon as rockpickerforever mentioned. I bought the cheaper brand and found them to work great. Both the mouse and larger rat version. Mice were my problem. I bought like five 2-packs and set them in minutes. They do catch. |
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Post by fernwood on Oct 30, 2019 14:28:05 GMT -5
Partial success. Was able to allow a chipmunk to run out front door today. It had been in front hall, which has a door between there and main house. Thought I had taken care of critter in house. Then it was active yesterday. Had to get in my version of an in house tool box furniture piece. There was the beginnings of a nest and lots of cat food in the drawers. I had found my mouse size live trap tipped over on floor and the door opened. Nothing had been removed from the larger trap I had set with the baking soda/peanut mixture. The live trap jamesp mentioned was purchased and set. Found it about 10' from where I had put it. Bait removed, but nothing inside. Looked like whatever was in there was able to chew out. Checked most of my walls and there are no holes. Still think the critter came down fireplace chimney. Have been unable to find anyone to replace the broken glass front for fireplace. Might need to try to do it myself when I feel better. Decided to take drastic measures. Baited one kitchen trap with poison. Put more poison in the drawers of my house tool box. Cats are now "locked" in my bedroom. Foreign territory for them, as I have never allowed cats or dogs in bedroom. I am sleeping on living room couch. Trying to clean litter on bedroom carpet daily. Cats are scratching my bedroom door to get out. I am spending as much time as I can in there with them, but they miss me. Expressed their displeasure by peeing on my bed. This too shall pass. Just know I need to eradicate the critter in the house so the cats and I are safe. . |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,584
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Post by jamesp on Oct 31, 2019 6:26:09 GMT -5
Sorry to hear the little beast chewed thru the trap fernwood. Sounds like an application for the old timer snap traps. Gotta see the micro beaver ! Varmints can really cause trouble. I wrestled with them for almost 3 decades in the aquatic plant business. Weird critters like muskrat, mink, otter, beaver, mice, field rats, fox, water loving deer. Most behaving in unorthodox manners due to the aquatic environment. Like a muskrat walking up to an 8' x 8' x 10 inch deep water holding container and digging into the ground and chewing a hole thru the bottom of the container to enter instead of simply climbing a 2 x 10 board to get to my crop. The muskrat has no concept of an above ground water holding vessel. He caused Total destruction. Foxes tipping pots over in water holding containers to get to crawfish hiding under the planted pots. Growing one crop in 4-5 places to deceive insects. Minks and otters are extremely trap smart. They are also active and could destroy a crop in minutes by chasing rodents thru them. You might talk to old timers about a now very illegal skunk gun. A baited trap loaded with a 22 bullet. I welded up some, for deer too. But they have extreme liability if trespassers are around. It was difficult to figure what baits to use. No books/articles written on pests in an aquatic nursery ! Every home is different.... They were the only reason I disliked growing plants. I even got cruel, shooting over 30 deer per year that were attacking my crop. What else to do, it was me or the innocent deer ? As far as rodents are concerned in a home, getting everything off the floor and being neat is a big start. They like to nest at floor level. |
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Post by fernwood on Oct 31, 2019 7:09:18 GMT -5
jamesp Thanks. I still have my Grandma's child size .22, but have not shot it for a while. Something about shooting a gun in the house is beyond what I want to do, although my aim is perfect with this gun. I will see if the poison works. I was able to clean the entire kitchen, where the critter is mostly living. Still amazed that my cats are so oblivious to their new "housemate". At least cats are contained now and I am the only one sharing some space with the critter. I was very surprised that when I put the new bat in the trap, none of the old bait had been removed. This tells me it is not a rat. Am leaning towards a ground squirrel. Have never had any of them in my house before so advice is appreciated. Still trying to find someone to replace my fireplace door that has the broken panel.
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Post by fernwood on Oct 31, 2019 7:50:44 GMT -5
So, either my house shifted or another critter got in front hall. When I went out to do AM chores a box of six pack rings I was going to return was on the floor. Did chores, then picked those up.
There are no holes in front hall walls and I am being extra careful to ensure no critters come in front door when I open it.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Oct 31, 2019 8:41:24 GMT -5
Beth, do you have a basement or a crawl space? They may be getting in there. Is the flue closed on your fireplace? A squirrel once fell down my mom and dad's chimney, but with the flue closed it was trapped in there. Made a hell of a racket. After that they had screening put on the top of the chimney so it wouldn't happen again.
I would put some rat traps outside around the house if I were you.
You may have to call in an exterminator to try to figure out how they're getting in.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,584
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Post by jamesp on Oct 31, 2019 17:21:56 GMT -5
jamesp Thanks. I still have my Grandma's child size .22, but have not shot it for a while. Something about shooting a gun in the house is beyond what I want to do, although my aim is perfect with this gun. I will see if the poison works. I was able to clean the entire kitchen, where the critter is mostly living. Still amazed that my cats are so oblivious to their new "housemate". At least cats are contained now and I am the only one sharing some space with the critter. I was very surprised that when I put the new bat in the trap, none of the old bait had been removed. This tells me it is not a rat. Am leaning towards a ground squirrel. Have never had any of them in my house before so advice is appreciated. Still trying to find someone to replace my fireplace door that has the broken panel. Chipmunks and ground squirrels may need nuts perhaps ? That is a problem with wild animals. They may have a taste for unknown baits. Deer near me will not eat corn. No one has farmed corn for a decade. They don't know corn. Bait with acorns and they will come from all over. I would give nuts both wild and store bought a try since you might be dealing with squirrel family/chipmunks. Either can chew thru hickory nuts. Plastic traps would be no challenge for their jaws.] You may be getting closer. The smallest Havahart metal trap will defend against their teeth ! |
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Oct 31, 2019 20:21:25 GMT -5
Beth, try a bucket trap. Water in the bucket drowns the critters. Just need the level low enough they can't climb out. A ramp up to the edge of the pail and seeds floating on the top so they jump in for a snack. Don't know if it'll work for squirrel but works wonders for smaller critters.
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