Rats

[eyoungren]

I finally got it. It was a big one. The snap trap was definitely not as instantaneous as they claimed in the ad. I wish I could've caught it alive. But you all are right. It would be wrong to release one for the next person to deal with.

I tried many foods for bait. Ultimately, it was a peanut in it's shell which proved irresistible. I'm just glad I didn't have to resort to a glue trap. Still I feel bad for little Emile.

I don't think there are more. But I'll keep traps out and try some more bait deposits around traps. To see if anything gets eaten for the next week. If nothing disappears. I'll assume that was the only one.

You did what was necessary for sanitary health and protecting you and your family. It's unfortunate, but the rat had to go one way or the other.

Hopefully there aren't any more than the one.

 

[velocityg4]

You did what was necessary for sanitary health and protecting you and your family. It's unfortunate, but the rat had to go one way or the other.

Hopefully there aren't any more than the one.

I don't think there is. Simply because all I could ever hear was one scurrying overhead at any one time. The amount of bait eaten any one night also seems too little for more than one rat.

I think killing it bugged me mainly because I've owned and raised pet mice and rats. So, it's hard to think of them as something other than funny little pets.

 

[unixfool]

I thought my six was only one...was surprised as hell when I found six in the glue trap. Give it 3-4 days...you'll find out, for sure.

Another thing: most folks think mice/rats appearing mean you've a dirty home. That's NOT ALWAYS the case. Most times, they're trying to escape the cold. If your neighbors are nasty, they'll definitely attract mice/rats, and for multi-tenant dwellings, that means everyone in that dwelling is affected, even the cleanly folks. We live in the rural part of Virginia...lots of wildlife here. Every other winter, we've one or two mice that come into the home. I get rid of them, find where they came in, and seal that hole with steel wool (if I use anything else that's not metal, they gnaw through it). I wouldn't want to deal with rats, though...the tension traps for those are pretty massive and I've dogs.

 

[splifingate]

I've set them with peanut butter, vermont white cheddar cheese, seeds and corn.

Try Gummie Bears as an option, also . . . ratz absolutely love the gelatin.

imo, plastic snap-traps will devoid you of your ratz in very short order . . . and protect you & yours (and others to which they might go if you CAR) from possible infection.

No need to be abjectly cruel, but you really can't reason with rodents.

 

[Huntn]

I had that happen a few years back. My cat brought it in and then released it lol. It was living in a pocket behind my cupboards and getting into my kitchen garbage. I even left the garbage outside for a few days thinking he'd move along. Nope!!

I tried everything I could to be humane about it too as I used to work in a pet store that sold rats and they are really cool and intelligent, but after a couple of weeks I had to break down and get a snap trap. Baited it with a Dorito and it got him that night. I felt awful but it broke his neck and killed him instantly.

As much as I love animals, you just can't have a stray rat living in your house. One way or another, he's got to go.

I love animals too, on a regular basis I am removing spiders and small lizards from my house, not killing them. The exception are roaches, ants, mice and rats, not allowed in my space, death to such interlopers! I have no idea how it got in, but had a rat in the attic, peanut butter in a trap took care it it.

 

[Huntn]

I thought my six was only one...was surprised as hell when I found six in the glue trap. Give it 3-4 days...you'll find out, for sure.

Another thing: most folks think mice/rats appearing mean you've a dirty home. That's NOT ALWAYS the case. Most times, they're trying to escape the cold. If your neighbors are nasty, they'll definitely attract mice/rats, and for multi-tenant dwellings, that means everyone in that dwelling is affected, even the cleanly folks. We live in the rural part of Virginia...lots of wildlife here. Every other winter, we've one or two mice that come into the home. I get rid of them, find where they came in, and seal that hole with steel wool (if I use anything else that's not metal, they gnaw through it). I wouldn't want to deal with rats, though...the tension traps for those are pretty massive and I've dogs.

Out attic is an oven in the summer. The rat I caught was during the winter.

 

[satcomer]

Out attic is an oven in the summer. The rat I caught was during the winter.

Get a cheaper heat pump for your Atttic make it more reasonable!

 

[rhett7660]

 

[unixfool]

Saw this when I was 8 or 10 yrs old. (I just remembered that the movie was shown IN class, in grade school!)

I also remember seeing Ben - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_(film)

Both of those movies instilled in me a massive disdain for rats.

 

[rhett7660]

View attachment 2050196

Saw this when I was 8 or 10 yrs old after the teacher mentioned it at school.

I also remember seeing Ben - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_(film)

Both of those movies instilled in me a massive disdain for rats.

I love "The Food of the Gods"... so cheesy in it's delivery, yet so good.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Get a cheaper heat pump for your Atttic make it more reasonable!

Yes! Agree with you. He should make it more livable for the rats. The poor things are probably freezing in the cold attic during the winter months.