Rat Problem

N

numbersman

Joined
Nov 28, 2010
Messages
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I have a rat living inside my walls. It seems to be in the bay window area, which is lower than the rest of the ceiling. I would love to get rid of the little bugger before he chews through something important. I am hesitant to try poison, because I don't want his rotting body to stink out my bedroom, but I might have to. Has anyone got any suggestions? The bay window has a small verandah over it, with a small gutetr. I have put some rat poison in the gutter, but it hasn't been touched.
 
numbersman said:
I have a rat living inside my walls. It seems to be in the bay window area, which is lower than the rest of the ceiling. I would love to get rid of the little bugger before he chews through something important. I am hesitant to try poison, because I don't want his rotting body to stink out my bedroom, but I might have to. Has anyone got any suggestions? The bay window has a small verandah over it, with a small gutetr. I have put some rat poison in the gutter, but it hasn't been touched.
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I avoid poison. I don't want a dead rat in the walls, or anything else to eat a poisoned rat. I have used sonic- ? If they do anything, repelant sprays- may work(seemed to,never saw the rat again) , and snap traps-work(definate verification).
 
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I've used glue traps for mice, baited with peanut butter. Have also used peanut butter to bait traps for kangaroo rats and similar critters.
 
numbersman said:
I have a rat living inside my walls. It seems to be in the bay window area, which is lower than the rest of the ceiling. I would love to get rid of the little bugger before he chews through something important. I am hesitant to try poison, because I don't want his rotting body to stink out my bedroom, but I might have to. Has anyone got any suggestions? The bay window has a small verandah over it, with a small gutetr. I have put some rat poison in the gutter, but it hasn't been touched.
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You'll need to look for any access points that its using to get in and out, then set traps accordingly....
 
Arathol said:
You'll need to look for any access points that its using to get in and out, then set traps accordingly....
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I once had a professional out to look at a rat problem, and this is exactly what he did.

Step 1: Seal all access points
Step 2: Set traps to capture the ones already inside

The rats were not hanging out in an accessible location, so they did die in place. It stank for about a month, then subsided.
 
I can't advise you, I haven't had a rodent in the house for years.
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numbersman said:
I have a rat living inside my walls. It seems to be in the bay window area, which is lower than the rest of the ceiling. I would love to get rid of the little bugger before he chews through something important. I am hesitant to try poison, because I don't want his rotting body to stink out my bedroom, but I might have to. Has anyone got any suggestions? The bay window has a small verandah over it, with a small gutetr. I have put some rat poison in the gutter, but it hasn't been touched.
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It has to come out some time in order to eat and drink.

Rats are not stupid but they are incredibly stubborn and they have enough intelligence to wait before coming out of their safe areas. The rat likely has some idea of when you are active and when you are sleeping. I have experienced rats that would wait until the house had become quiet for a while before they would come out. It's creepy but at least gives you something predictable to rely on.

You're going to have to do more investigation to figure out where the rat is coming in and out. That's where you are going to want to set up your traps. You definitely don't want to use poison because you can't guarantee where the rat will die. Don't use glue traps either. You end up with a live rat that's stuck in glue and you're going to have to kill it yourself, and there is also a slight chance that it could free itself.
 
Good old fashioned snap traps work really well, by the way. They're quick. They snap the rat's neck and it's dead.

Couple tips when using them:

Obviously don't buy mouse traps by mistake. They're too small to kill a rat. Buy the big ones, not the little ones. It should go without saying, but some people really are that dumb. Don't be one of them.

You don't want the rat coming in from the side and then having a chance to jump out of the way when the trap closes. Put the trap next to a wall and then put something else big next to the trap in order to create a short corridor leading to the front of the trap. Put something else behind the trap too, so that the only way to approach the trap is from the front. This forces the rat to align its body with the trap when it tries to take the bait, and it prevents the rat from going left or right.

Use a solid bait that the rat can't simply lick off without triggering the trap. A good bait is a soft chocolate tootsie roll covered in peanut butter. The tootsie roll can be firmly hooked on the trap. Then add the peanut butter on top of the tootsie roll. Rats love peanut butter and it is possible to lick it off without the trap being triggered, but when they try to bite the tootsie roll, the trap will go off.

Put the bait on before setting the trap. Don't set the trap and then try to put the bait on it. Again, this should be obvious, but some people are really that dumb. Don't be one of them.
 
Laughter at commentary about IQs.
 
Set the traps while wearing a glove, rats are suspicious of human smells/new objects and being intelligent can be reluctant to 'co-operate', patience needed. But you'd better act as rats are sociable and he'll be inviting his mates in too .....

The alternatives: Cat, Dog, Snake....but the latter might disappear and re-emerge weeks later freaking out your guests :eek: But it is true that having a Cat or Dog or regular visits from them is a great deterrence to rodents;)
 
Rats need constant water. Put a small (i.e. a bottle cap) amount of water out, next to an un-cocked, but baited rat trap. Leave it alone for a few days. The rat should get used to the new items in their path--They are creatures of habit, and use their urine to trail where to go. Bait the trap: Hot glue a piece of dog kibble, or cat kibble, on the rear of the trap's trigger. Use peanut butter on the trap's normal trigger-bait point. Make sure there is nothing on the trigger-They dont like stuff touching their feet. Then wait a day or two, and you should get him. But remember, there's always more than one.
 
Have had traps where mice licked the peanut butter off without tripping it. I have sewed a piece of cotton to a mouse trap and had good success with that. They try to take it to build a nest.
 
there isn't a single rat. once ya know of one there is many more. seen some good advice already on dealing with them here. use rat traps, big ones with double springs, and rat glue traps not mouse ones. finding their path is tricky. most folks put traps in spots they never use as a pathway. use night time motion activated cameras to see where it's running inside along which walls. their entry holes into the house won't be obvious.

once a rat has gotten hit by a trap and it didn't break its neck, they'll push and pull free and never go near a trap again. that's why ya need the strongest double springs traps ya can buy. don't be cheap. same goes for glue traps. I've seen rats pull loose, but their fur stays...
and they'll also never step in a trap again. so check glue traps often and kill them quickly. dont let them sit and dehydrate and starve to death. besides being cruel, they'll try to pull loose.......

also ya have to close off their entry points as ya kill them off.

I hate rats and have spent decades killing them......but that doesn't mean being cruel and not finishing the job quickly. kill them fast when using glue traps. if ya can't kill them, don't use glue and call a professional. good luck......fast as ya kill them they keep breeding.
 
jbmonkey said:
there isn't a single rat. once ya know of one there is many more. seen some good advice already on dealing with them here. use rat traps, big ones with double springs, and rat glue traps not mouse ones. finding their path is tricky. most folks put traps in spots they never use as a pathway. use night time motion activated cameras to see where it's running inside along which walls. their entry holes into the house won't be obvious.
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The rat guy I had out here was able to show me what paths they were running along, based on dirt that rubbed off onto the wall.
 
We had one living in the wall. The wife was fit to be tied the entire time, so I was on a mission...

They have to come out to get water, so find out where they are exiting, and set trap.

This trap is amazing. Called the TomCat, and when baited with ripe banana, it is unbelievably effective...

OIP.jpg
 
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