# I hate Rat...And Squirrels



## irishwoodsman (Jan 23, 2012)

through the rats away make dumplings with the squirrels:biggrin:


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## 4R8 (Jan 23, 2012)

we have bushy scrub behind our place and rats are a real issue in the shed, as well as the roof of our house. I need to leave out baits all year round. With the baits out, it's only a few droppings left around the place. They seem to go and die somewhere else.

Last year I thought I had them covered and stopped baiting after a scare with one of the dogs, turns out dogs (large ones) can safely eat a lot more than one would think possible.
Stopping was a mistake. Although no equipment damage, they virtually took over the roof space of the house and gave the shed an extremely nasty smell. 
It took about three months to remove them through traps and bait, finding three separate nests.

We don't get Squirrels down here but we get Possums. I believe they're fairly similar in annoyance.
I'm not allowed to trap or bait them (By order of SWMBO because they're cute) but the dogs seem to take care of them a couple of days after they move into the gum trees in the backyard. Don't tell wifey that part, she thinks they move on in tact.


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## pdentrem (Jan 23, 2012)

A couple cats or Terriers will take care of the problem. The neighbors cats have cleared all the bunnies, squirrels and will take down the passing skunk as well. A friends Border Terrier does the squirrels and pigeons in his yard. They come in but they do not leave.
Close off all holes with wire mesh etc and pow pow the remainders.


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## Rbeckett (Jan 23, 2012)

I feel your pain.  Just before I left for Iraq I found a nest on our enclosed back porch.  I cleaned it out and disposed of the babies and what I though were the mating pair.  Momma emailed me less than a month after I left that we had an infestation and needed to get the pest boys out to get them under control.  Our neighbors have horses and livestock so the barns are a great breeding ground and they like to come inside for dog food, warmth and water.  Took a good bit to erradicate them but they are gone and we keep up the preventative treatments to prevent their retun.   Good luck and hope you get it fixed befor ethey do damage to your home and wiring.  That would definately be a bad day.
Bob


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## bcall2043 (Jan 26, 2012)

Rbeckett said:


> I feel your pain.
> Bob



I with you on that! 

My neighbor and I have been fighting the little rats and squirrels for way too long. We are surrounded by woods and we all have dogs but no cats. The rats and squirrels start looking for warm and food in the garages and barns when the weather gets cool. The neighbor had $800 damage done to his wifes car by the squirrels. I went to the barn one day and the tractor seat felt funny when I sat down. I looked and the squirrels had eaten about a 4 inch hole in the cushion. It seems that everytime you think you are winning you see new signs of their taking over.

Good luck.

Benny


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## Old Iron (Jan 26, 2012)

You know that nice and rats hate moth balls, I spread them around in the carport and they don't come around. Works good if-n you can stand the smell.

Got to get some for my old shop they love it in the winter.

Paul


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## irishwoodsman (Jan 26, 2012)

Old Iron said:


> You know that nice and rats hate moth balls, I spread them around in the carport and they don't come around. Works good if-n you can stand the smell.
> 
> Got to get some for my old shop they love it in the winter.
> 
> Paul


 thats because they smell like a copperhead:biggrin:


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## donthack (Jan 26, 2012)

Thanks for the reminder.  Forgot about the project car in the garage last winter, and spent all summer getting rid of the unwelcome visitors and their wonderful scent.:angry:


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## flatbelter (Jan 26, 2012)

Whyemier said:


> I just pulled the wires outside the housing and shortened them enough to remove the damage and spliced them back together. Not a great solution, I couldn't find the wire nuts, I know they are there, so I just used tape to get back up and running. I was going to replace the wire with some heavy wire I have but found out it was 3 leads and a ground when I needed four leads and a ground. Ah well, I'll be looking for that wire too.
> 
> Whyemier



Nothing is ever quite a permanent as a temporary fix. 


I found my drill press and my lathes stuffed with corn one winter. I turned on the press and crap came flying out of the pulley cover on top. Opened up the top, corn everywhere.

I invested in some cats, keeps the squirrel population down pretty good.


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## Tenn (Jan 30, 2012)

Now fellows ya'll know what happens if you aren't out in the shop using your tools ?? 

The rats figure if we aren't going to use them they may as well ?? I've never seen a rat in a running machine ?
Hmmmm??? Maybe I need to get back out in my shop BEFORE THE RATS DO ??!!

I'm with you though I hate 'em too !!!!


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## tommied (Jan 31, 2012)

The moth balls was the only place in the storage shed that the mice built nest. Go figure. Whole case of moth balls. If I can find the picture I'll post. Now the cats on the other hand do an excellent job.       tommie


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## bcall2043 (Jan 31, 2012)

My garage is one mouse short as about an hour ago. Went out and there was one the that appeared to have eaten too much of the bait and was not moving fast enough so I put it into the trash can to recover.

Benny


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## Old Iron (Feb 9, 2012)

tommied said:


> The moth balls was the only place in the storage shed that the mice built nest. Go figure. Whole case of moth balls. If I can find the picture I'll post. Now the cats on the other hand do an excellent job. tommie



They work for me, I haven't had a mouse in my truck for over 2 years, But I can't say that about another car here.

Paul


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## Rbeckett (Feb 10, 2012)

The wife saw a mouse scurry across the wash room floor.  The war is on!!!!.... She loaded the zapper traps and set them out and we got two in one night.  Since then no more little mousies.  I think it was a breeding pair and we got em before they moved all the way in.  Our neighbors have a horse barn that backs up to our property so we have them in numbers around the house.  If they get in Momma goes on a killing spree.  The Golden used to catch them but she got old and lost a step or two so she doesnt even bother chasing them anymore.  .22 Long rat shot is a blast too.  Sit in the porch and pic em off in the grass out in the middle of the yard.  Lotsa fun, but I am easily entertained too.
Bob


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## jpfabricator (May 17, 2013)

I had a large rat problem when I moved in a few years ago.
	

		
			
		

		
	




The bastards lived, and crapped in the attic. All that changed when "Hair-e" showed up (a long hair tom cat). The rat problem came to an end in a few short weeks. Hair-e is wild as the day is long, he wont come up to you, he gets in a spraying mood every now and then, he coughs up hair balls under the bedroom window at night, and cost me a 20# bag of cat food every other week. Thats all worth the cost of a rat, mouse, lisard, and snake free house and yard!
I have another cat that wont touch a mouse, but she will kill moles and gophers.


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## Blackhawk (May 18, 2013)

I got a rat problem and now i got a snake problem.

Was sitting on the front porch and noticed a fairly large black snake about a foot from my leg, anic:. Took a swipe at it with the hoe and missed. Dang thing slithered right in my shop.  Looked all over and could not find it anywhere.

before I left the next morning I left the door open to the shop to let the snake out.  On the way home, after sitting in traffic on the 95 I get a call from my frantic wife, the snake decided to join her on the front porch, my son comes out and chases it back into the shop, THEN HE SHUTS THE DOOR.!!!:angry:

my wife is tough as nails but when it comes to snakes she FREAKS. I have to leave the room to giggle.

life is not going to be the same until I bring her a dead snake carcus, any ideas will greatly improve my quality of life.

lanham


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## LEEQ (May 18, 2013)

Address the rats with cats and the snakes will look elsewhere for food. I hate to kill a critter that eats nasty rats and can't poison my family.


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## Richard King (May 18, 2013)

I have 6 acres and when we built out here in the country we had a field full of gophers...at first I bought the bait and gizmo's at the hardware store, non worked...one morning I went out side and a gopher was out about 100 feet from my house sitting up from his mound chipping away...sort like ha ha you can't kill me....ticked me off....so I went back in the house and got my 12 gauge Browning....and Bang he was dead.....I bagged several after that...I told my neighbor a 1/2 mile down the road and he laughed and said he was going to try that.  Then one day I was out watering my apple tree.  MY big lab was with me and all of a sudden a gopher ran from one hole to the next, so I sprung into action..stuck the hose down the hole and after the water started to bubble back up the hole the sucker swam out the hole into the jaws of my lab...was he proud of his catch.  I then went and got the lazy cat and tossed the dead critter in the hole...giving the cat the idea where to hunt.....after that the cat would lay in the field and every so often I would see him flip out a gopher...
The End  in more ways then one.


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## Terrywerm (May 18, 2013)

As Hank Hill (King of the Hill) would say: You need the efficiency of propane used in an expedient manner to dispatch the little buggers in a more entertaining way. Try the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjdky7hBp-E


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## jpfabricator (May 18, 2013)

That looks like somthing I need. More for entertainment than gopher and mole problems.


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