Rats

[sistersue]

Hi everyone ~
My mechanic has to remove my gas tank in order to repair my car because rats chewed up the fuel lines. I didn't realize rats were living in the body of my car because there has never been any evidence of rats on the inside floors or seats. I need any advice that you may have on getting rid of rats. A big problem for us is that we can't put out rat poison because we don't want our cats to be harmed. I guess rat traps under the hood would work? Have you ever had this problem, and if so, what did you do to solve it? Thank you.

[Kapohocat]

We got the green wax cubes from home depot and the cats dont eat it or the dead rats. I guess the cats dont eat dead rats unless they killed the rat.

[Carey]

Haven't had rats in the car (that we know of) but we had rats in the trees & bushes right next to the house & playing in the carport & on the roof (finally removed most of the bushes & trees...)

We found the electric rat traps to be the best... they go in the tunnel to hide & snack...GONE! & no poison bait... if you have small kitties or other small critters, make sure there is nothing they would want in the trap & they cannot get in (same with any trap for rats...there is a caution if you have other curious animals that size...if you do have smaller kitties, I would only suggest using a live trap (which we have used....but then you have to deal with the rat...)

We have caught rats with no snacks & with a little peanut butter (but you may get some LFA's nowadays with that...) and both ways worked.

[missydog1]

oh boy, that is a new one, my sympathies! I'd be fit to be tied.

I've had little luck with any traps that spring or require the rat to follow the bait, which has left me with the large sticky traps.

Cats only want to eat rats that they have just killed, in my experience, but that is my cats and I can't be sure about yours. Mine rarely eat much of the rat; mice they will eat, I guess rats are tough or something.

I don't know about the electric rat traps.
Sticky traps do work, but you have to be able to get them out. One problem with poisoning rodents is they crawl off to die and the smell when they decompose is gawdawful.

I have recently found that rats like cherry (or any kind of) tomato. I found out I had a rat (which was brought in by cat and then lost) when I found bites in my tomatoes, and I just caught the thing by putting a cherry tomato in the middle of a large sticky. I was getting no results with peanut butter, even though it is supposed to be da bomb for luring rodents.

[sistersue]

Thank you for all your advice! Please keep it coming in case there are even more stories. Aloha ~

[missydog1]

Note: I think the tomato thing is for rats that are trapped in an environment without food or water, not outside rats. I think they go for the water content in the tomatoes.

[Radiopeg]

One thing we learned, wire your trap to something, otherwise they often drag them away. Unless you don't want to reuse them. We use peanuts or peanut butter, and both have always worked for us. The big rats here even go in the trees, so we wire the trap just high enough up the tree to make them stretch and more likely to snap it, with a teaser treat below to get them excited. Only had three so far. Neighbors are good with their garbage.

Life goes on, with you or without you.

[Bullwinkle]

"I guess the cats dont eat dead rats unless they killed the rat."

The poison stops the animal (including humans) from processing vitamin k needed for blood to clot - the animal bleeds to death internally over the period of a week or so after ingestion.

At the later stages before death rats and mice begin to "wobble" and not as fast in the get away, making the especially attractive and dangerous to domestic critters.

If you are an animal owner and see pale or pink gums - and suspect poisoning due to wafarin type compound an immediate treatment with large doses (shots) of k critical to restore clotting.

And yup rats eat car parts as well as nest in them if parked - been told they are attracted to the electricity in the wires.

Have seen them eat through metal roofing if they want in bad enough, recently had one go right through metal window screen....... He set off a security camera doing it - have the photos - grin

[missydog1]

ugh, thanks Bullwinkle,
I have never used rat poison and so far have never had cats get sick from a neighbor's poison.

Knock on wood.
Nasty death for the rodents too. I don't like killing them, even though they need to be controlled.

My first couple years on island I didn't have a cat, and did have a lot of home invasion issues with rodents, mostly the field mice. Since getting a cat that is an avid hunter, no issues with rodents purposefully coming in the house.

[Chuysmom]

Tony has told me of many instances where rats nest in vehicles and chew the wiring, etc. So common.


Carrie

http://www.sapphiresoap.etsy.com

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future..." Galadriel LOTR