Rotten Rats in my garden!

I'm not sure what the point is of trapping them. Do you go release them in somebody else's yard? Do you take them somewhere to be killed by somebody else?

My neighbor traps and releases things like squirrels and raccoons, which seems different from trapping rats.

Marc Iverson wrote:I'm not sure what the point is of trapping them.  Do you go release them in somebody else's yard?  Do you take them somewhere to be killed by somebody else?

My neighbor traps and releases things like squirrels and raccoons, which seems different from trapping rats.

We are using old-fashioned traps laced with peanut butter that kill the rats. We tried have-a-heart traps and took a couple far out into the country and let them go, but the only thing that really works is to kill them. Don't like to kill them but they need to stay out of my garden!

That's how I feel about it too. They're very invasive and destructive pests, and I don't think releasing them somewhere would be doing any environment any favors.

Oh yeah.. I have dealt with rats before, not here but we used to live in the country and they would come out at night and steal--or eat, the birdfeed thaat fell to the ground ...they just look so primally gross, I think we are hardwired to hate them.

Kill is probably the way to go, they area very smart, adaptable, and hungry. My dog took care of them where we used to have the problem. He the dog, actually had fun...rabies vaccine? Check!

Our rats nest around our compost hills and in banana trees.  Collin puts out have a heart traps right along the banana stalk.  Caught several that way.  Dumps them out in the hills going up to Koke`e.  My husband used to drown them in a bucket of water but that's not the way it goes with the current folks.

Hawaii is so vulnerable, losing all those native species. Rats should be killed there if anywhere.

Last week, I discovered that pack rats have set up nests in my back hedges. I set out 2 traps baited with peanut butter and sprinkled with a dash of vanilla to lure them in. So far, I've bagged 8. I set them out in the field in front of my house and feed a pair of juvenile red tailed hawks; oh, and one hungry buzzard. "DEATH TO THE VARMENT-CONG"

Rats to the rats!  I have a team of three garden helpers, and there are no dirty rats in our garden.

Here is our Rat Patrol

Snake #1




Feral Cat that calls our yard its home (won't allow us to approach)


6 1/2 foot long RAT snake seems to even recognize us now

I like snakes, but they scare me in the wild because I don't know which ones are dangerous. Looks like you have some efficient helpers there!

I have set out rat and mouse snap traps in my garden and garage. 

Years ago when I lived in the inner city of Chicago, my dad and I set up a few traps to ensure rats wouldn't get near the garage. A few days later we noticed the traps were stolen... Or so we thought.  It seemed the rat(s) would trip the trap and back off until it snagged the trap against something and pulled away from the trap. 
My dad actually chained the traps to the garage on the inside and outside of the garage.  For the most part, we didn't lose traps after that.

We continue to use this method and are careful when baiting and / or removing vermin from the traps.  Some of the diseases, ticks and mites carried by the rodents can be deadly or life threatening. Personally, I want to be humane with living creatures. However, with the rats and mice, it is trap and dispose.

NICE, Razed Bed!  Wish I had helpers like that...!

Me too, RB, your feral squatter looks like an Ace hunter! Snakes are very efficient in keeping rodent populations in check, as well. Yay, Mother Nature!

Looks like you have the A team there. We mostly have Black Racers here, they are pretty effective at catching the lizards but most are not big enough to tangle with a rat. The rats down here can carry a disease that can effect the liver & kill a dog. My sisters pup died from it a few years back. So far the pups are more interested in the squirrels & rabbits.
 Craig

OK by me that we have not snakes in Hawaii although we are threatened from time to time by idiots who sneak them in and then let them loose.

kauairosia
 As far as knuckleheads turning things loose we now have a variety of pythons in the Everglades. They are eating their way thru the food chain. We also have Nile Monitors, Iguanas, Basllets, Knights Anoles, Curly Tails and Rock Agama lizards. This does not touch the invasive plant & insect invasion going on. You gotta love the global economy. Too top it off the Governor just line item vetoed the budget for the invasive species lab. It was just built a few years ago to combat some of the invasive bugs and has a great track record with the Air Potato & Malalluca tree to name a few.  
 Back to the rodents,
 So I thought the garden rodent population was under control! Got up this morning to a full sized tree rat doing laps in the pool. The poor dog didn't know what to do about that, she doesn't like the pool herself so no way was she going to touch the rodent.
 So the traps will go out again...

Craig

You got to be kidding! But I don't think you are.  laps in the pool.  Oy!!

You sure have a bunch of creatures down there and a stupid fellow who would veto invasive species rules.  

Yikes!

Kind of funny morning. I saw some ripples in the pool which normally means a a lizard or toad are taking a swim. My dog did the Lassie thing by running in & out of the house barking & whining about the thing in the pool. So I'm about to go out to deal with the rodent when my wife gets up a bit earlier than normal. If she knew what was in the pool I would have to fill the pool with cement! She comments on the dogs behavior & I say she has been acting strange all morning, must be the neighbors are home. Then tell my son to take care of the critter after mom gets home from work.
 Found a mole in the pool on Saturday, they must not be good swimmers...

 Craig

TCgardening wrote:kauairosia
 As far as knuckleheads turning things loose we now have a variety of pythons in the Everglades. They are eating their way thru the food chain. We also have Nile Monitors, Iguanas, Basllets, Knights Anoles, Curly Tails and Rock Agama lizards. This does not touch the invasive plant & insect invasion going on. You gotta love the global economy. Too top it off the Governor just line item vetoed the budget for the invasive species lab. It was just built a few years ago to combat some of the invasive bugs and has a great track record with the Air Potato & Malalluca tree to name a few.  
 Back to the rodents,
 So I thought the garden rodent population was under control! Got up this morning to a full sized tree rat doing laps in the pool. The poor dog didn't know what to do about that, she doesn't like the pool herself so no way was she going to touch the rodent.
 So the traps will go out again...

Craig

Hmmm, Maybe I won't be moving to Florida after all.

Many critters can't get out of a swimming pool. A trick I learned was to have floating ramps so they can crawl up to the coping/decking.

sanderson wrote:Many critters can't get out of a swimming pool.  A trick I learned was to have floating ramps so they can crawl up to the coping/decking.

An RC submarine with mini torpedoes would be more fun. 


I've had rat issues on my roof.  I've trapped a few and poisoned a few, but they keep coming back.  We had one in the house and my wife and I laid out about 30 glue boards in the kitchen until we caught it.  Another one came in through a bathroom window - and walked right over an unbaited, yet well placed, trap - SNAP! One less rat.

Looks like I need to deploy an assortment of traps to get rid of the latest ones trying to make themselves at home in the roof garden.

TCgardening wrote:Looks like you have the A team there. We mostly have Black Racers here, they are pretty effective at catching the lizards but most are not big enough to tangle with a rat. The rats down here can carry a disease that can effect the liver & kill a dog. My sisters pup died from it a few years back. So far the pups are more interested in the squirrels & rabbits.
 Craig

Craig, how is the disease contracted? Do the dogs have to ingest the infected rat? That is terrible!

I'll have to look up the name of the disease. I believe it is contracted thru rat urine. Rats seem to dribble everywhere they go. Must be the dogs ingest it as they follow the sent trail. (speculation on my part)
 Craig

I read somewhere -- maybe even here -- that rats can't control their urine, and it simply leaks from them whenever they have excess fluid.

Our dogs are always snuffling and eating the grass, and whenever a female dog pees, our male goes up and starts licking the grass where she peed. It must be very easy to pick up infinity +1 parasites and diseases that way.

In the West Coast we've seen an outbreak of Hanta virus that was attributed to field mice droppings and urine that infected and killed a few tent campers in Yosemite National Park. NOT GOOD!!! It also happened in the Four Corners of New Mexico a few years back. The virus is a variant if Hemorrhagic Fever, and is sort of the Ebola of the New World. So try not to disturb the "latrine" should you encounter one....JUST WALK AWAY.