Rats rats rats by ~Koggamojj on deviantART
it is evident that whom ever is posting the photos under the search term ‘rats’ on deviantart has never had rats.. and i don’t mean had them in a little cage in the bedroom so that they can watch how cute they are, eating sunflower seeds and running on the spinning wheel… i mean had them as in they are taking over my woodshed,, shitting all over everything,, building nests in my firewood,, harvesting the lint from my dryer vent to make soft little beds to have their babies in,, and just generally making me insane,, kind of had them…
the original reason behind the excavation of all the junk in the wood shed,, was the rats… the wood/pack rats were having a hay day in there as there was a multitude of junk to collect and places to hide.. well,, the shed is all cleaned out and organized,, and the junk has all been hauled off to the dump,, and the freaking rats are still there…
to date,, the furry little f*ckers are winning,, as i have only succeeded in trapping one.. and as anyone who has ever shared their living space with rats well knows… there is no such thing as one rat.. oh no.. huh uh… one of them finds your place,, and then they are all like moving in the whole frickin’ extended family… calling rats they don’t even like sayin’, “c’mon over,, y’ all gotta see my new place…”
all kidding aside,, it seems i have to step up my strategy here,, and since this is my first attempt at rodent control on my own,, i am open to suggestion…
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:06 am
Well, tis the season for the lil’ beggers to start finding new homes in the warmth. Scratchy and I have already started the trap line and have managed to catch one already. Although these are cute lil’ field mice, they are still a pain, but it gives Scratchy something to do to while away the long winter’s cold, what a mouser…good luck!!!
sharon
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 am
I say call in a professional. rats are NASTY f*ckers…. yikes!
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I don’t want them in my woodshed, but I must admit - my middle daughter had one as a pet! I hated that little f*cker! It used to ride around on her shoulder and hide under her hair! I must have been INSANE to ever allow it in the house! Yikes, indeed!
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm
a new cat, perhaps? unless these are the kind of rats that are bigger than a typical cat…
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I sense a long uphill battle here…:))
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:14 pm
A few cats or a few snakes.
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I truly sympathise. The area where I live in is close to a disused port and the rats are rampant. Baiting them does work but is not a good idea if there are any other animals around. There is a product that uses vibrations to get rid of them. You just plug it into your power supply and it scares them off. They have used it with some success in the pub next to my hubby’s shop. They have the nice big black Sydney rats there, as big as young cats. I’ll find out what it’s called and get back to you. A pest controller might also be the way to go. Good luck.
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Hi, me again. It’s an ultrasonic pest controller. It emits high frequency sound waves that only rodents can hear. Not sure if it affects dogs though. It’d be worth looking into, I think. At least you don’t have the rats in your house crawling up and down the wall cavities. I lived in a house like that in my student days. Still gives me shivers. Let us know if you find something that works.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I agree with Meleah, call in the pros, get Ben in on the action too. I like your name for them, furry little f**ers!
I saw one once on my compost pile, I had been throwing some cooked beans on the pile, not just carrot scraps, and it was like calling a dinner bell for them to come and get it. What a newb I was.
I swore I saw him sitting on the pile, wearing a derby and smoking a cigar, fat and sassy in broad daylight.
Good luck with those f**kers.
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Well first of all don’t move…rats are terrible but there are people (I have heard) that can get rid of them. What they need mostly is a food source…dog food, cat food, garbage can, etc. So secure all those things. Now, while I don’t normally suggest killing animals, rats are not your run of the mill animal…that is why rat poison comes in so handy! Excuse me while I laugh a bit…I really do know how you feel. We had one eating the dog food and feeding on the compost pile. I think those rats had a derbys and a watch fobs! Y***k!!! Dirty little f**ers!!!
b
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Rats are worst-case rodents. If they come out where you can see them, shoot ‘em. Those pest controllers never worked for me. There are rat traps available and I’d buy enough to toss the whole thing including the rat in the incinerator or garbage. And for sure, lock up all food, leave no scraps anywhere. Have had a little luck with cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil and scattered around the place they wanna call home. Good luck! Good luck!
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Call Orkin or some reliable rodent and insect exterminator. I believe there is much space on this earth that they do not need to be too close to humans. get rid of the furry critters! Perhaps an experienced landscaper might know about lime sulfate. It is poisonous, so be very cautious. This can choke them out of there, but it can double back on you. Get an expert.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:54 pm
And there was I thinking it was a groundhog!
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:56 pm
just be careful with poison because of the pooches. ugh.
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:49 am
paisley,
I raised chickens, rabbits and turkeys years ago. Rats are hungrey as well as prodigious fornicators. Large bags of rat poisin….MANY bags of rat poisin. They are horders and will haul the bags back to the nest to share with everyone. Be diligent (replace a bag every time one disappears), don’t back off. with persistance they’ll move on (the few remaining) to a healtier abode.
rel
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:29 am
Nightmare, I had a couple of pet rats a few years back, they make great pets very inteligent creatures and creatures of habbit, they use the same run to gather food.
As for ridding them, I dont really know the best way, prehapes some form of professional help on this occasion, just dont underestimate them…they are far from dumb!
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:07 am
I have no useful advice to offer I am afraid. My only experience with a rat was when I was about 10 years of age. I saw my first (and last) rat in my mother’s laundry and managed an instant leap frog into the laundry tub followed by an ear piercing scream (mine) heard by the whole neighbourhood! I know! None of that helps you at all!
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:02 am
My advice: get yourself a lively foxterrier. They are faster than any rat and they love both the chase and the kill. Of course, the dogs you already have might object to an interloper.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:19 am
Sorry, no suggestions but I wish you luck anyway. And when are we going to see some of your creative work again. I do love reading it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:15 am
I would call in the professionals. Ain’t nothing cute about rats
signed:
one who who lived in an apartment where they came in through the fireplace
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:44 am
Rats are evil creatures. My parents had them take over our shed about seven or eight years ago now. NOT a good situation. I’d hire out to get them taken care of. The sooner, the better.
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
As a former vet asst, I really caution about using most kinds of poison. Not just for your pets, but for other critters that may come across a carcass. I have seen too many pets treated for rat poison ingestion, and when caught early can be saved, when not - it isn’t pleasant.
If you want to use poison, try those that are made with vitamin D3. A small amount of this vitamin will cause mice and rats to suffer heart failure within days of ingestion. There is no chance of secondary poisoning of your pets or other critters if they come across and eat one of the poisoned critters.
Other than professional exterminators who will offer enviro/pet friendly alternatives, have you considered predator urine? Some of it doesn’t smell the greatest, but it will make the little critters wonder who has moved into the neighborhood recently.
I also suggest letting your dog spend some time in the shed, getting his scent well placed in and around the building. That may help too. And remember, place traps carefully to be successful. That is really where a professional shines. It is their business to understand their nemesis.
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Paisley,
I’m feeling for you,hon. This is a rotten situation to be in.
Rats!!! Have no sympathy for the ugly f*ckers. They send chills up my spine! They should all be obliterated as far as I’m concerned, but they’re here because they are very intelligent and love to screw and make lots more RATS . . . to eventually take over the world . . . if they could!!!
Their only purpose is to make us feel helpless. Ugh!!
Their nest is somewhere either on your property underground or on some adjacent neighbor’s. You have to find their nest and the route they take to get back and forth and in and out. They follow the same route and if they find material for bedding or a supply of water ( which can be dripping or leaking from somewhere) or food, you will be their best and dearest friend, kinda like a built in Walmart. So check it out. Look for a hole in the ground nearby. These nasty critters are very hard to get rid of if they like you! The deal is . . . cut them off from their supply.
I’ve studied about them since there was a problem in a group of stores nearby and we live close to a harbor, which is one of their favorite vacation spots. You can see them sometimes basking in the sun with their smelly bikinis and sunglasses on . . . snickering! Ha!!
An alternate solution is to drop a small hand grenade into the hole you find . . . and run for your life!!
I’m joking, but believe me, we’ve dealt with these f*ckers in our little town and I know how upsetting this can be. I just think that unless you cut them off from their supply, you won’t have any peace . . . even with an exterminator.
Prayers for you!
Joanne
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I grew up with these guys and simply tolerated them. Although Gray, my little poodle, didn’t. For some reason, she liked their flavor better than Alpo.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:12 am
Heres a scary thought. In London you are never less than 20 feet away from a rat. 4000 rats are born every HOUR in London and one rat can produce 2000 more during its lifetime.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:51 am
Just make sure there is no food source around. We had one living in our bbq two winters ago. My neighbor feed birds in the winter enticing the furry buggers. We disposed of our bbq because we were unsure of how long and what kind of disease the sucker carried. Sorry I’m not much help here…sucks to be you with this problem!! ewww
Hugs Giggles
September 5th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
You have no idea how that seriously freaked me out. GET RID OF THEM!!!! You poor thing.
September 12th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
We had the same problem and bought battery operated boxes they walked into. You put dry catfood in the rear of the contraption, the rat walks through and receives a jolt which kills them. We had a similar problem at our old house as we fed the birds, and the rats loved the seeds. Plus we had quite a bit of ivy. They cost about 50 bucks, but we caught 14 rats in two days. Home Depot sells them.