Thread: Trapping Rats! Monsters sized rats

Run a large ad in the Fresno paper, front page, that the government has banned the ownership/possession of rats;
see how many people snatch them up to collect/hoard/sell.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

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Either that or get a cat. A big cat. The rats I grew up with would beat up the cats.

One of my dogs seems to break their necks with one shake, rats that is.
Cats do seem to keep the rat problem at bay, next door had four siamese cats and for a while, no rats or mice in the immediate neighbourhood. Although the dogs don't seem to differentiate between rats and cats, I think the cats perished on the busy road outside.
We also have a large population of Red Kites and they do scavenge. In the Middle Ages they were known as shite-hawks because they fed largely on town rubbish dumps.

I wouldn't want to use poison. Not only rats but sometimes dogs, cats and other useful animals tend to eat it as well.
We have dogs and a cat and no rats or mice around. We have also a large population of fox and raccoon dogs living around. They hunt rats very effectively as well.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

The best bait I have found is called "Just one Bite", get the one in the yellow brick.

i've used this as well seemed to work well.... and good for rats that are used to heart medication (warefin resistent). if you used bait stations your dogs, cats, kids and other livestock will be fine. in the past i have baited the barn, sheds and garage. the barn took about 3 weeks before the bait stopped being taken. now in the fall i makes sure to leave some out before i get a nest in someplace warm; a dead rat in the wall would stink for a LONG time.

If you have a rodent problem it's due to two things, food and shelter. As long as they have enough food and decent shelter they'll still be there, trapped or poisoned or not. You have to get at the root of the problem, figure out where they are sheltering and where they are feeding, remove those (if possible) and then they'll leave. You can't always do anything about those two things unfortunately, sometimes it's out of your control. Poison is quite effective but won't eliminate the problem, just lower it. For traps I'd recommend sticky traps over snap traps. They're cruel but they work. But like I said traps and poison alone won't remove the problem.

Originally Posted by Theseus

Get a case of beer and a high powered air rifle.

+1 That my kind of thinking right there.

+1 for a big Cat, I haven't seen any Mice or rats here. Loads of Cats, each dumpster has 5 or 6 living around it.

Well the OP said they were outside so let's assume that his apartment house is fairly rat resistant. twothings that just dawned on me... is there new constrcution or demolish in your area? and all this talk of poison and traps... why not snakes! something like rat snakes would be a good addition to the yard "pets" and they help get rid of chipmunks and squirrels too.

Killed the bugger this morning!

Traps are reset and placed in case any of his friends come around for some delicious peanut butter...

Originally Posted by red96ta

Our apartment complex has a rat problem...

They aren't in the house, but run around along the walls outside and it drives me nuts when I'm trying to sleep.
.....snap....

Apartment complex, Fresno, CA and rats. Complain politely to the landlord.
Find out if there are any landlord specific regulations in your city and county.

A safe tangle foot trap can generate some proof if they doubt you.

Look for and check one or more bait boxes -- It is not uncommon for a service to
be sloppy and not replace the bait or skip a scheduled visit. It is also common
for tenants to be sloppy and not shut the covers on trash containers. Many home
owners feed pets and birds outside in ways that invite visitors (rats and other rodents).

Water, shelter, food... contribute. Many critters travel a lot further than you might
guess. Because of this letters (anonymous at first) to all the landlords within half
a mile can help. If all the landlords get after the pests things improve. If only one does
it is like spitting in the ocean.