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Post by fernwood on Apr 15, 2020 1:56:35 GMT -5
I was happy not to have seen/heard any rats in my house for a couple months. Was awakened a little while ago by a huge one rummage in my living room. It was very brave. Barely moved when I threw some things at it.
Was able to get a trap from basement stairs and bait that. The rat went into a dark area of kitchen. There is a small area with a floor heat vent. The area is bordered by cabinets on each side. I put the trap near there.
When it gets light out (if I hear no rat noises) I will be looking for holes in wall or cabinet in the dark corner. The trap I set is only about 20" long. This rat body + tail is over 2' long.
Unfortunately, critter control is considered an unessential business where I live.
I am still shaking.
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Post by knave on Apr 15, 2020 3:59:15 GMT -5
Good grief! Wow that’s a pain. Over 2 feet!!
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Post by joshuamcduffie on Apr 15, 2020 4:46:07 GMT -5
That’s a lot of rat. I didn’t even know they came that large. It’s ridiculous that exterminators are not considered essential!
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Post by RickB on Apr 15, 2020 6:06:39 GMT -5
That’s a lot of rat. I didn’t even know they came that large. It’s ridiculous that exterminators are not considered essential! Let her borrow that shotgun.
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Post by joshuamcduffie on Apr 15, 2020 6:15:52 GMT -5
Buttercup: "Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.es?" Westley: "Rodents of Unusual Size? I don’t think they exist."
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Post by fernwood on Apr 15, 2020 6:19:28 GMT -5
I caught a smaller one, already today. The body was only 8". It is now in the live trap, drenched in water in 22 degrees outside. Still need to get the huge one. Have not heard it rummaging around recently.
Was able to check the area I thought they were coming in. No holes there, either in wall, floor or under cabinets. Checked all other kitchen cabinets and found nothing in/under. I am stumped.
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Post by fernwood on Apr 15, 2020 6:21:46 GMT -5
That’s a lot of rat. I didn’t even know they came that large. It’s ridiculous that exterminators are not considered essential! Let her borrow that shotgun. I have a shotgun, 22 rifle (2 of them) and a 1800's 22 muff gun. Just do not want to shoot them in the house.
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Post by joshuamcduffie on Apr 15, 2020 6:22:12 GMT -5
I caught a smaller one, already today. The body was only 8". It is now in the live trap, drenched in water in 22 degrees outside. Still need to get the huge one. Have not heard it rummaging around recently. Was able to check the area I thought they were coming in. No holes there, either in wall, floor or under cabinets. Checked all other kitchen cabinets and found nothing in/under. I am stumped. Any drain pipes they could have come in through? I once killed one in my closet, but I'm sure he didn't come in to the house through the closet. I've heard they can climb/swim up the drain pipes into the toilets.
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Post by RickB on Apr 15, 2020 6:37:53 GMT -5
A rat that big might have his own set of keys. Maybe turned the door knob with those big paws.
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Post by fernwood on Apr 15, 2020 7:56:11 GMT -5
All drain pipes are fine. Nothing chewed through. I live in a 1900 house with 1950's (mostly) updates. Even the kitchen range is 1950's. Very rural area. Some of the pipes were updated in about 2010. I had a new furnace and hot water heater installed in 2018.
The problem started in July of 2019. A tornado and downbursts with over 80 MPH winds came through my place. There was some apparent damage, which I was able to get repaired. It now appears that the rats were displaced from their former residence. My metal roof was also partially removed due to winds. The roof gaps allowed the rats to enter my house. They lived in the walls and basement, which is basically a root cellar for a while. Then started chewing walls/ floors/cabinets to get into house. All local contractors were to busy to come out.
I had a couple contractors who were going to provide an estimate in April, but now they want to wait until COVID 19 restrictions are lifted.
So, I am on my own, which is not good.
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Post by fernwood on Apr 15, 2020 8:19:52 GMT -5
Just because of the RTH "policy" of no photo, it did not happen, here is a photo of the small (8" not counting tail) rat I caught today. It is kind of curled. Trap is 18" long from where the end closes. Total trap length is about 22".
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Post by joshuamcduffie on Apr 15, 2020 8:32:28 GMT -5
I'm in an older house too, 1930 vintage, but in an urban area. The city's had an ongoing problem in certain neighborhoods with rats, and mine started when we had a big flood a few years ago. I had the one I stomped in the closet, and I have poisoned several batches since in my crawlspace and attic. They chewed the insulation off my A/C lines in the attic, maybe to get at the moisture. I keep poison out all the time now, and refresh it about every 6 months, it must lose its scent over time. They also infested my shed, and peed all over everything. I ended up poisoning them there too, and cleaned out 7 corpses when I finally got around to cleaning the whole thing out. There's still a few gaps in the shed I think they get into, I can still smell them there from time to time, although maybe that's just the way the shed smells now. Ugh.
As far as the house, I've had good luck patching up holes using a combination of 1/4 inch hardware cloth and polyurethane foam. I cut or fold the hardware cloth to fit in the gaps, or staple it over the gaps, and then spray foam in to fill the void and basically hold the metal in place. I don't think you can ever seal up old construction well enough to keep rodents out though, but you can slow them down a bit when you add traps and poison.
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Post by MsAli on Apr 15, 2020 10:05:37 GMT -5
Buttercup: "Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.es?" Westley: "Rodents of Unusual Size? I don’t think they exist."
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Post by knave on Apr 15, 2020 10:27:14 GMT -5
Call the local dept of labor/ county board and get permission to have an exterminator during the COVID-19’pandemic.
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dreamrocks
freely admits to licking rocks
I got lucky this morning and was able to post this no others since
Member since November 2018
Posts: 888
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Post by dreamrocks on Apr 15, 2020 10:51:50 GMT -5
Let her borrow that shotgun. I have a shotgun, 22 rifle (2 of them) and a 1800's 22 muff gun. Just do not want to shoot them in the house. Take a large empty peanut butter jar leave next to nothing in the jar do not wash it out leave some traces of pb. Take 2 pieces of plywood each 21/2’ for top 21/2’ for the bottom nail / screw them together with 2 x 4s screw the jar to extra 2 x 4 with mouth of jar facing you then place in area they are known to be in. Old porch back of the house or where ever they are coming from outside then. Buy a good pellet rife plenty of pellets good safety glasses grab a good comfortable folding chair and a cup of coffee placed on a close by stand when time to remove them. Then it’s open season as they come and nibble on the peanut butter in the jar pick them off one by one don’t worry about any of them being scared off by the lifeless ones they will crawl right over them to get the peanut butter. This is by far the most effective way to remove those pesky critters especially the smarter ones you can’t trap. The peanut butter is like a drug for them they can not resist it they will come out during the day and will come after the peanut butter in a two period depending on how many there are will all be removed very quickly faster then any other method. At night put the cover on for the night this will tell you if you still have any others they will chew on the cover. Once you thick they have all been removed a good idea is to fill a good spray bottle with straight bleach to remove the smell they left and detour any others that maybe nearby from coming to there sent from the ones you removed. Like bees they use farimone to find a bees nest rodents also use sent to find others. Good luck happy hunting
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Post by joshuamcduffie on Apr 15, 2020 11:00:16 GMT -5
Let her borrow that shotgun. I have a shotgun, 22 rifle (2 of them) and a 1800's 22 muff gun. Just do not want to shoot them in the house. Wondering what a "muff gun" is but pretty sure I shouldn't web search that at work....
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Post by knave on Apr 15, 2020 11:08:00 GMT -5
I have a shotgun, 22 rifle (2 of them) and a 1800's 22 muff gun. Just do not want to shoot them in the house. Wondering what a "muff gun" is but pretty sure I shouldn't web search that at work....
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Post by fernwood on Apr 15, 2020 11:11:21 GMT -5
LOL on muff gun. In the 1800's ladies often carried small guns in their hand muff. I have my G-G Aunt's muff gun. It is a 22, 6 shooter. About 4" in length. They were designed to be used at very close range.
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dreamrocks
freely admits to licking rocks
I got lucky this morning and was able to post this no others since
Member since November 2018
Posts: 888
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Post by dreamrocks on Apr 15, 2020 11:17:01 GMT -5
I have a shotgun, 22 rifle (2 of them) and a 1800's 22 muff gun. Just do not want to shoot them in the house. Wondering what a "muff gun" is but pretty sure I shouldn't web search that at work.... I was wondering that to I am pretty sure if you did look that up it may certainly come up with no mention of a gun.
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Post by knave on Apr 15, 2020 11:19:26 GMT -5
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