Varmits in my attic!!!!

[TXTibbs]

http://www.247wildlife.com/rats-in-attic.htm

Now that article says not to put out poison as it don't kill all of them??? It says trapping is the best method???

I might try the traps and see what happens, but checking them won't be fun if I put them in the attic cuz like I said the little 2x2 hole to crawl up in there is kinda a tight squeeze when you have to balance and push off of a bar stool! I guess maybe purchasing a small self standing ladder is in order as well!! These rats could get expensive! In pictures on that website it shows traps being on the roof where they come out at night to forage....maybe I could do that and catch some. UGHH blasted things!!!

 

[TXTibbs]

Here you go-- 100's of trapping and poison choices: :wink: :lol:

http://www.pestmall.com/rodents-rat-amp-mice.html?gclid=CL-m1oXI1J4CFRlcagodCz3ppg

Don't know about the rats down there- but we used to have them show up off and on at the north place- down in the root cellar under the house...But once you trapped or shot one or two-- they'd all take off and migrate to someone elses place....

We were never so lucky as to have them leave voluntarily. But I heard tell that if you catch a live one and singe its fur and let it go, it will scare the others all away.

But I'd put up with a lot of dead rat smell before I would get close enough to one to singe it. Or I would forget that I'm just singeing it and end up with roasted rat . . . . :lol: :lol:

Here's how Martin Jr. does it!!!! He calls in the whole SWAT team!

http://www.ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41038

Hmmmm incidently I do have a black stray cat that hovers outside my house that I've been wanting to meet a terrible demise as he loves to shred my trash if I leave it about, but maybe I should rather trap the cat and lock it in my attic! With a litter box of course and water.....but if he wants to eat he better catch rats! He is a pretty sly cat tho and has had more than one stone chucked at it so he usually runs when I pull up. I do have live traps tho out in my horse trailer! :!: :!:

 

[Cal]

I'm sure there are a hundred reasons why this isn't a good idea.....but I dump a bit of Rozol in alot of our empty, and not so empty, buildings, and it seems to do a good job at keeping the rodent populations in check, cheaply.......and not all those pita little packets to open.

 

[gcreekrch]

A good rat and mouse trap that is a common sight up here can be made from a five gallon bucket, a bit of wire and a used condensed milk can.
Poke a hole in the center of each end of the milk can and thread the wire through. The wire will have to be long enough to attach each end through a hole in the lip of the bucket and thus suspends the can. Fill the bucket about a third full with water and smear jam or peanut butter on the outside of the milk can. The bucket can be placed near something the rodents can get up on or just lean a stick against the bucket for them to climb. The trap is set. The rodent can crawl out on the wire but when it gets up on the can it will roll over and fall into the water.
Usually they don't last too long at their first swimming lesson. The good part is that the trap resets itself for the next victom.
When I was guiding for an outfitter we would fly in to all the cabins a few days before hunting season and set the traps. At one camp that I guided out of I dumped 17 mice, 4 packrats and 2 squirrels out of a bucket after it had been set for three days.

Try it Tibbs, Happy Trapping

 

[TXTibbs]

A good rat and mouse trap that is a common sight up here can be made from a five gallon bucket, a bit of wire and a used condensed milk can.
Poke a hole in the center of each end of the milk can and thread the wire through. The wire will have to be long enough to attach each end through a hole in the lip of the bucket and thus suspends the can. Fill the bucket about a third full with water and smear jam or peanut butter on the outside of the milk can. The bucket can be placed near something the rodents can get up on or just lean a stick against the bucket for them to climb. The trap is set. The rodent can crawl out on the wire but when it gets up on the can it will roll over and fall into the water.
Usually they don't last too long at their first swimming lesson. The good part is that the trap resets itself for the next victom.
When I was guiding for an outfitter we would fly in to all the cabins a few days before hunting season and set the traps. At one camp that I guided out of I dumped 17 mice, 4 packrats and 2 squirrels out of a bucket after it had been set for three days.


Try it Tibbs, Happy Trapping

Yeah I've heard of and seen this technique used on mice, I spose it would work on rats as well!!

Ok so my next step after I trap the buggers is to figure out where and how they are getting in so i can stop up the hole to prevent a re-infestation!

 

[Anonymous]

We'll need daily updates on the bodycount of The Texas Trapline..... :wink: :lol:

 

[hypocritexposer]

But a couple of ferrets and let them loose. Afterwards, the dogs will have 2 new friends to play with.

 

[TXTibbs]

Yes indeed I'll keep track of the body count, but here is my dilemma! Starting tomorrow I have to be to a week long training in San Antonio and am suppose to stay in a hotel there, but I'm driving my personal vehicle and since I only live like 30 miles away I may come home rather than stay in the hotel, BUT as soon as the training is over I'll be heading out to South Dakota for a couple weeks for the Holidays! Soooooo I dunno what to do......my time to check a trap line is going to be very minimal over the next 3 weeks, but I hate to let them have free run for that much longer. I guess I could just set a mess of traps and then just have to deal with some fairly foul dead rats in them when I get back.....Does dead rat smell on a trap prevent others from getting caught? I don't know if they are as clever as coyotes and other such critters....

But so the question now is to trap or not to trap until after the holidays?

 

[TXTibbs]

But a couple of ferrets and let them loose. Afterwards, the dogs will have 2 new friends to play with.

Although still maybe not a good idea, but prolly better than mine of catching the feral cat lurking outside and releasing up there....haha

Ferrets are cute little things tho and wouldn't mind having one, but with four dogs I'm not sure its a match. I'd like to get a flying squirrel as a pet also, but same problem...four dogs don't match well with flying squirrels.

 

[gcreekrch]

That bucket in your attic will be working all the time you're away. It might be a little high after two weeks though......

 

[Silver]

I think if it was me in this case I might go with the poison. They make poisons that claim on the package that they are 'pet friendly', and will also dessicate the varmint. You should be able to find it on the shelf at Wallmart.

 

[per]

When you do find a crack or hole, before you cover it over, stuff it with steel wool. Mice and I assume Rats (no rat experience) cut their mouths on steel wool and avoid that area to chew through.

 

[Yanuck]

I have never seen a live rat...can't imagine having them in your house!

 

[cowsense]

Tibbs....are ya renting or do you own the house??? If it's a rental I'd change addresses right sudden.......if ya own it I would check the insurance......there's lots of Christmas fires happen and that should cure the infestation! Did I mention that I hate rats!! :shock: :lol: :wink:

 

[efb]

Tibbs, with the hassle PETA gave Obama for killing a fly, can you imagine what you are setting yourself up for ?? I think I would just coax them out with honey and peanut butter and close up their entry. :lol: :lol:

Plus you could become the "PETA pac rat poster boy".

 

[TXTibbs]

When you do find a crack or hole, before you cover it over, stuff it with steel wool. Mice and I assume Rats (no rat experience) cut their mouths on steel wool and avoid that area to chew through.

Good Idea!!

I have never seen a live rat...can't imagine having them in your house!

ME EITHER!!!....I've delt with mice, but not these super sized ones!!

Tibbs....are ya renting or do you own the house??? If it's a rental I'd change addresses right sudden.......if ya own it I would check the insurance......there's lots of Christmas fires happen and that should cure the infestation! Did I mention that I hate rats!! :shock: :lol: :wink:

I own the home, so I'd prefer not to move and but I might consider the idea of torching it if all else fails :wink: :wink: :lol:

Tibbs, with the hassle PETA gave Obama for killing a fly, can you imagine what you are setting yourself up for ?? I think I would just coax them out with honey and peanut butter and close up their entry. :lol: :lol:

Plus you could become the "PETA pac rat poster boy".

haha EFB I suppose your right....perhaps I should learn to play flute or whatever it was that the Pied Piper of Hamelin piped on to coax the rats away! I wish these were pack rats, cuz they don't tend to run in flocks like these slick tailed brown buggers. I think they even call em "roof rats". I've never actually seen one before except pictures online and such. South Dakota on the ranch we didn't encounter rats!

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Here you go-- 100's of trapping and poison choices: :wink: :lol:

http://www.pestmall.com/rodents-rat-amp-mice.html?gclid=CL-m1oXI1J4CFRlcagodCz3ppg

Don't know about the rats down there- but we used to have them show up off and on at the north place- down in the root cellar under the house...But once you trapped or shot one or two-- they'd all take off and migrate to someone elses place....

We were never so lucky as to have them leave voluntarily. But I heard tell that if you catch a live one and singe its fur and let it go, it will scare the others all away.

But I'd put up with a lot of dead rat smell before I would get close enough to one to singe it. Or I would forget that I'm just singeing it and end up with roasted rat . . . . :lol: :lol:

Here's how Martin Jr. does it!!!! He calls in the whole SWAT team!

http://www.ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41038

I don't know why FH didn't think of this one but the next time your pants catch on fire crawl up in the attic and singe a few rats. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[TXTibbs]

Here you go-- 100's of trapping and poison choices: :wink: :lol:

http://www.pestmall.com/rodents-rat-amp-mice.html?gclid=CL-m1oXI1J4CFRlcagodCz3ppg

Don't know about the rats down there- but we used to have them show up off and on at the north place- down in the root cellar under the house...But once you trapped or shot one or two-- they'd all take off and migrate to someone elses place....

We were never so lucky as to have them leave voluntarily. But I heard tell that if you catch a live one and singe its fur and let it go, it will scare the others all away.

But I'd put up with a lot of dead rat smell before I would get close enough to one to singe it. Or I would forget that I'm just singeing it and end up with roasted rat . . . . :lol: :lol:

Here's how Martin Jr. does it!!!! He calls in the whole SWAT team!

http://www.ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41038

I don't know why FH didn't think of this one but the next time your pants catch on fire crawl up in the attic and singe a few rats. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Lord don't go giving Faster any ideas now!!! She offered to come down and take care of em for me....I'm thinking of taking her up on that! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

We were never so lucky as to have them leave voluntarily. But I heard tell that if you catch a live one and singe its fur and let it go, it will scare the others all away.

But I'd put up with a lot of dead rat smell before I would get close enough to one to singe it. Or I would forget that I'm just singeing it and end up with roasted rat . . . . :lol: :lol:

Here's how Martin Jr. does it!!!! He calls in the whole SWAT team!

http://www.ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41038

I don't know why FH didn't think of this one but the next time your pants catch on fire crawl up in the attic and singe a few rats. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Lord don't go giving Faster any ideas now!!! She offered to come down and take care of em for me....I'm thinking of taking her up on that! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Must be some pest control officer from the great white north that would like free rent for three weeks in Texas that could take care of them for you.

 

[burnt]

I don't know why FH didn't think of this one but the next time your pants catch on fire crawl up in the attic and singe a few rats. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Lord don't go giving Faster any ideas now!!! She offered to come down and take care of em for me....I'm thinking of taking her up on that! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Must be some pest control officer from the great white north that would like free rent for three weeks in Texas that could take care of them for you.

I think I'd rather camp out in an igloo in Nunavut before I'd do rat control in Texas.