Author Topic: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?  (Read 27918 times)

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #50 on: August 07, 2018, 10:12:03 AM »
They're back!!! The past couple nights we've been hearing 'rummaging' noises and last night my wife and I both heard squeals outside our master bedroom window on the deck area. I flipped the lights on and looked outside - sure enough a big rat came running out. I'm pretty sure there were at least two of them probably fighting with each other. My shed door was flung open but I may have left it that way when getting bug spray earlier. I thought I had closed it or at least pushed it mostly closed...wouldn't be surprised if they nosed their way in and were looking for food.

I'll have to lay some traps out. I only have two right now and am tempted to get a dozen of them. We have a small yard so I feel that many is unnecessary but what do I know...

Several months ago I was actually able to get one that was sneaking in under the yard wall through a small burrow hole. I set the Tomcat up right near where they were coming in and heard a loud snap in the middle of the night followed by high-pitched squealing that woke me up... the rat was struggling to free itself from the Tomcat when I walked outside to check, and it was pulling the trap around with it lol. I had to quickly dispatch it with a 1x6 plank, guillotine style execution.

I was looking into electric traps but those just seem cost-prohibitive. I'll probably buy at least a few more snap traps from Home Depot and line the walls and edges of shed with them. Perhaps I'll try unbaited. Right now I just have the traps laying out there for the rats to get 'accustomed' to. I'd also like to modify them by adding some screws or nails so the bigger ones can't pull themselves out if caught. I haven't caught anything on the Victor trap yet. The bars are slightly rusted too, so it's probably a good idea just to get some new ones anyway.

Wish I could poison these but the *effective* poisons are banned in CA and if you poison these things they may get scooped up by other wildlife that will then in turn be poisoned as well.

Dancin'Dog

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #51 on: August 07, 2018, 08:02:45 PM »


https://www.qcsupply.com/ramik-bars-4-lb.html


This is the stuff I have used for years.  The large bars are great because the rats have to consume them where you place them, instead of carrying the small pellets away, so you can monitor what they are actually eating.  (The line above is a link.  Don't know why it looks like that.)


I don't think the dead rodents are considered toxic to other animals because active ingredient is an anticoagulant. 


If you decide you need it I'm sure you could find a sympathetic mustachian to send a box. 
« Last Edit: August 07, 2018, 08:08:00 PM by GreenEggs »

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #52 on: August 07, 2018, 08:44:45 PM »


https://www.qcsupply.com/ramik-bars-4-lb.html


This is the stuff I have used for years.  The large bars are great because the rats have to consume them where you place them, instead of carrying the small pellets away, so you can monitor what they are actually eating.  (The line above is a link.  Don't know why it looks like that.)


I don't think the dead rodents are considered toxic to other animals because active ingredient is an anticoagulant. 


If you decide you need it I'm sure you could find a sympathetic mustachian to send a box.

Thanks! Yea looks like Ramik is OK in CA - at least when I add it to my cart on Amazon I have the ability to actually place the order.  Maybe I should pickup a box of that stuff if the snap traps aren't effective. I have both the Tomcat and modified Victor setup. I screwed the Victor to a short 1x6 plank and weighed the other side down with a brick. The Tomcat also has what appears to be an attachment loop so I passed some butcher's twine through and secured the other side to a nail I partially drilled into the same 1x6 plank. I turned the Victor into an instant death trap, adding more pressure to the springs with popsicle sticks and drilling a handful of 1-1/4" sheetrock screws from the bottom up:



I'm ready for war! #waitingforthesnap
« Last Edit: August 07, 2018, 08:46:41 PM by jeromedawg »

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #53 on: August 09, 2018, 05:28:30 AM »
I have only once encountered live rats in the snap traps.   Came down on the back of it's head and he was perfectly fine.  Pissed off but fine.  and big.   gave that one a gas pedal till he died.  Then I threw him in a bucket of water and he started swimming around.
Ratsputin!

I have seen several rats come back to life after being seemingly very dead. It’s crazy.
I had a dead rat come back and jump out of a freezer that he had been in for 2 days. Freaked the fuck out of me but one of the other scientists just laughed and said “oh yeah, watch out for the rat zombies, they come back sometimes”

Oh, and rats are crazy smart, but blind as fuck. That’s why PP above has so much success with putting unbaited traps in their known path. They literally can’t really see them. They can smell bait and learn to avoid it, but they do almost always stick to the same walking paths, which are almost always up against walls, so unbaited traps on their known path really is a smart approach.

Also, yeah, you almost never have 1 rat. They’re ultra social, love friends, and literally go insane and die if they don’t socialize enough.
They can also chew through concrete, so it’s hard to plug them out of the holes that they know about, because if they are determined to get back into their home to see their friends, then they will do their best to find a way.

I worked with rats for 6 years and had them as pets for even longer. It’s made me very grateful for every time I’ve discovered mice because that has always meant that I don’t have rats (mice won’t live near rats). I have a healthy respect and fear for their cleverness and adaptability...plus their zombie powers.

So I woke up to a TON of email notifications from my IP cam and now I can't go back to sleep... rats set it off. TWO of them but one leading/clearing. Pretty ridiculous but there's one (or maybe two working in tandem, one at a time) that grabbed the bait right out of the Tomcat bait cup and the other snatched the bait right out of a modified bait cup (bottle cap slid onto the Victor metal pedal notch) and was walking all over the trap (sans the screws). I've seen where it runs now and it'll run *around* the screws. It was nosing the pedal/cup but never managed to set it off. I tried using pliers to clamp down the notch as well to try to make it more sensitive but was struggling with making it *too* sensitive (that it would set off at the slightest movement, including me setting the trap). Anyway, wicked smart.

I bought 3 more Victor traps and need to put some screws in them as well. Maybe the screws I have are too long (they stick out probably more than 1/2") but I don't know if I have anything shorter. As far as the path they run, in this particular area it seems they're running all over the place and not necessarily staying by walls. They'll scurry through the open places but it's a little cluttered back there (garden cart, waste bin, shed and maybe no more than a few feet of open space). The camera is setup to a place where it can't see the *entire* area to see the path(s) they're running but they are running across the shorter open spaces it seems. In this case, any new 'obstacle' you place out it seems they'll sniff it out and not necessarily blindly cross... then again, maybe that's only because I'm putting bait in the traps. But you'd think they'd be smart enough to know if there's a new object in their path, not to necessarily cross it but sniff and check it out, then go around. I think I'll try placing an unbaited trap along at least one path I know for sure they are traveling down. I'm assuming place the trap perpendicular to the run so the rat has to cross it, with the pedal side closest to the wall? And do you still clamp the traps down to a larger piece of wood?

The other thought I have - aren't certain types of traps perhaps better-suited for the unbaited approach? Like the plastic/yellow large pedal Victor traps as opposed to the small metal plate pedal Victor traps? The only ones I have are the smaller metal plate ones. I'm gonna try another tactic of shoving a small seed in the notch and pasting peanut butter under the pedal and some against the wood board directly under the pedal, in hopes that the rat will either try to pull the seed off and set the trap off OR sniff/lick the PB and cause the pedal to release the spring. As I type this the jerk rat came back to sniff on the trap again and laugh at me.

Look at this bastard!
« Last Edit: August 09, 2018, 05:36:45 AM by jeromedawg »

Dancin'Dog

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #54 on: August 09, 2018, 06:09:07 AM »
I wrap the bait lever with something like a baggie tie or a pipe cleaner and smear peanut butter into all the crevices.  That makes the bait stick a lot better.


Maybe you need a cage type trap, like a "Have a Heart".  I caught a heard (20+) of flying squirrels with one, but I think rats are a lot smarter. 


It might take you a while to figure out how to catch them, but after you do you'll relish the memory of the hunt.  ;)   




jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #55 on: August 09, 2018, 06:22:56 AM »
I wrap the bait lever with something like a baggie tie or a pipe cleaner and smear peanut butter into all the crevices.  That makes the bait stick a lot better.


Maybe you need a cage type trap, like a "Have a Heart".  I caught a heard (20+) of flying squirrels with one, but I think rats are a lot smarter. 


It might take you a while to figure out how to catch them, but after you do you'll relish the memory of the hunt.  ;)

Nice, I'll have to try that. I set up several more traps just now but probably scared off all the rats for a while lol. One of the traps I set out went off prematurely while moving it around since I was messing with the pedal notch and trying to make it more sensitive with pliers before that. I nearly snapped my fingers off a few times setting these things up haha. I haven't yet reset the other traps but may do that tomorrow and reconfigure placement of the traps. Right now it's just a mess but it's way too early to be messing around like this... I couldn't go back to sleep after initially waking up and seeing all the notifications. Maybe I should turn those off or something :P

Dancin'Dog

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #56 on: August 09, 2018, 06:37:02 AM »
You can also try a night vision scope and a pellet gun.  :) 


I mean since you're awake anyway! 

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #57 on: August 09, 2018, 06:45:33 AM »
You can also try a night vision scope and a pellet gun.  :) 


I mean since you're awake anyway!

LOL! I was gonna say but totally forgot! That would be ideal but this is a small enclosed patio/backyard area at my condo. I don't think I'd be able to get far enough away to where the rats wouldn't know I'm there. The angles are bad and the area pictured is a small 6x8 covered deck area. I wish I could pop them with a pellet gun but it's not gonna happen lol. I'd also risk shooting our master bedroom sliding glass door/window out.

The new setup. There's one unbaited trap out of picture because I set it along the wall to the left of the tripod/camera. The other unbaited trap is on the leftmost side and the baited trap with a sunflower seed & PB is on the right - I'm not sure if that ones really going to work but I've been watching the rat(s) run through that opening all night. The Tomcat is pretty much useless now that the bait is out of the bait cup (I didn't bother resetting it or the spiked trap just because I didn't want to 'disturb' things and wanted to add the extra traps in case these bastards start running through again, in hopes that they'll get snapped up. I didn't have time to drill any screws in either, so there's a chance that it'll get away.
« Last Edit: August 09, 2018, 06:48:25 AM by jeromedawg »

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #58 on: August 09, 2018, 06:58:43 AM »
What's crazy is that you'd think the traps would trip up even with a rat brushing against the bar holding the pedal up - I just watched video of the rat casually walking all over the trap, including the bar, and nothing happening. Now that trap is older and parts of the metal are 'corroded' and rough from weathering. What I probably should do is take some sandpaper/steel wool and smooth all that out - perhaps that's affecting the sensitivity.

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #59 on: August 09, 2018, 01:22:57 PM »
I recall what worked the last time I got one was cheese rinds. I stuffed them into the bait cup of the Tomcat along with PB to make it stick. I have the Tomcat setup along one passageway this way so we'll see if that works. The remaining Victors I've setup in various ways: a couple are setup with cheese rinds pushed onto the notch so it'll be near impossible to remove them and then pasted PB under the pedal. One of the others I followed this guy's suggestion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6surVql9hHk and then the other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La-EgIsevlQ but using a small sunflower seed and no other bait around. I may sprinkle some sunflower seeds and other crumbs to form a 'trail' later on. I nearly took my finger off setting on of the traps - I hate setting these things!

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #60 on: August 09, 2018, 06:10:44 PM »
GOT ONE! The Tomcat is up by 2 now.... I put some PB in the bait cup and took a small piece of cheese rind and pushed it down, then used the PB as 'paste' to keep the rind in place. Unfortunately, I didn't have recording/motion detection enabled on my IP cam as I only have it going through the night hours. And I totally forgot to snap a few 'memorial' pics before bagging the sucker. The only reason I found out about this was because I went outside to bait the areas surrounding the traps and saw the Tomcat was out of place and the twine I used to attach it to a 1x6 board was taught - shined my flashlight under the garden cart and sure enough a big ole rat. Not sure how long it was struggling as I had no idea it went off. I know there's at least one more, so hopefully I can get that one too. I reset the Tomcat so hopefully there will be another kill soon. I'm not sure how many more uses I'll be able to get out of that thing before it busts...

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #61 on: August 10, 2018, 01:31:00 AM »
More activity tonight - two more showed up. One actually got caught in a Victor trap within the past 15 mins but was able to free itself and run off.... smh. This was one of the traps I setup 'out of box' without any mods other than shimming the spring for more power too. Guess it didn't get a clean hit on the head and probably trapped it on the neck/stomach or something. Had I used screws it would have pinned it down. Now all the others are probably freaked out and aren't coming back. We'll see though. I just screwed 5 screws into that trap and reset it. Gonna get to bed and hopefully wake up to some dead rats...not counting on it though.

Dancin'Dog

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #62 on: August 10, 2018, 08:07:19 AM »
I know you have some bad-ass rats, but I'm 100% positive one screw will hold. 


Glad to hear that the hunting is going well.  You should think about getting a camo cap and a Mossy Oak decal.  ;) 

solon

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #63 on: August 10, 2018, 08:16:00 AM »
I'm missing the photos though. Pix or it didn't happen.

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #64 on: August 10, 2018, 08:48:52 AM »
I know you have some bad-ass rats, but I'm 100% positive one screw will hold. 


Glad to hear that the hunting is going well.  You should think about getting a camo cap and a Mossy Oak decal.  ;)

What's crazy is *another* rat came and set off the trap that had screws in it (5 of them) AND was secured down yet it got away! From the video it looks like it 'bounced' the rat off but the rat was on it. Maybe the rat was too big for the trap? I have no idea but I was perplexed (and still am just rewatching the video over and over)... I should have had two more last night but Victor has failed me, even modified. At this point I've probably screwed my chances of eradicating at least these two nuisances long-term. Not sure if more will come back or if the rest have been "warned" to avoid.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2018, 09:38:36 AM by jeromedawg »

kei te pai

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #65 on: August 11, 2018, 01:29:47 PM »
+1
Im checking in each day for updates. With a horrified fascination. Those are big rats!

solon

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #66 on: August 11, 2018, 02:48:33 PM »
Interesting story in the Wall Street Journal today. The rats in Paris are being protected. The people there love their rats and are taking steps to keep people from killing them. I just... SMH.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-france-even-the-rats-have-rights-1533914241

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #67 on: August 11, 2018, 04:49:08 PM »
Interesting story in the Wall Street Journal today. The rats in Paris are being protected. The people there love their rats and are taking steps to keep people from killing them. I just... SMH.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-france-even-the-rats-have-rights-1533914241


Ridiculous! They're are just *begging* for the plague!

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #68 on: August 11, 2018, 06:13:04 PM »
+1
Im checking in each day for updates. With a horrified fascination. Those are big rats!

Seriously... is it just me or is anyone else finding it unbelievable that the rat managed to avoid getting caught, pinned and skewered (yum) in the screw/nail-modded snap-trap like that?! It was *all over* the trap too... I'm still confused and am in disbelief.

UPDATE: another rat came by this morning but was investigating the Tomcat and avoiding the others. I don't know if it's one of the two that got snapped but I'd be in the next county over if I were them! If I had space and a pellet gun those two would be in rat hell by now.

I noticed outside our yard walls the pest control company placed two bait stations within 5 feet of each other right where the rats are running. I'm not sure if those bait stations are intended to trap rats or just provide poison so that the rats bring it back to their nest and die off. I'm not sure what kind of poison they're using if the latter too... at least here in CA
« Last Edit: August 11, 2018, 06:15:59 PM by jeromedawg »

kei te pai

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #69 on: August 12, 2018, 03:39:56 AM »
I use rat poison in home made bait stations by my firewood shelter. It (they?) eat the bait but cant remove it. I keep refilling until it isnt being eaten anymore. Repeat at intervals through autumn and winter.
Usually find a nest and dehydrated rat mummy at some stage as the wood heap gets used up.
Cant say I like having to do it, but its better than finding a live one, or hearing them partying in the roof.

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #70 on: August 12, 2018, 06:23:08 PM »
I cleaned off the Tomcat, reset it with fresh PB & cheese rind stuck in it, and then repositioned it closer to the side of the shed where the main wall is. I also removed the garden cart that was sitting there and took down the Victor trap because I don't want to mess around with resetting those and possibly snapping my fingers off... hate those things now that I've had to reset them multiple times already. I also caved and ordered a Victor electronic rat trap, now that I know there are at least two if not more of these things around. That should be coming on Tuesday but in the meantime hopefully the Tomcat will catch at least one more.


jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #71 on: August 12, 2018, 06:24:53 PM »
I use rat poison in home made bait stations by my firewood shelter. It (they?) eat the bait but cant remove it. I keep refilling until it isnt being eaten anymore. Repeat at intervals through autumn and winter.
Usually find a nest and dehydrated rat mummy at some stage as the wood heap gets used up.
Cant say I like having to do it, but its better than finding a live one, or hearing them partying in the roof.


What kind of rat poison are you using? Ramik? I was reading up on that stuff and have read mixed reviews that it doesn't work or it takes forever.

kei te pai

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #72 on: August 13, 2018, 01:05:34 AM »
"No Rats and Mice".  The active ingredient is brodifacoum which I think is an anticoagulant. Im in NZ so our regulations may be different, this is purchased from a farm supply shop.
My bait station is a 2L plastic milk bottle with the end cut off, and a hole pierced in each side. A wooden skewer goes through the holes with the bait blocks threaded on (the bait has a hole in the middle) inside the bottle.
Once the bait is being eaten I need to refill it for 2-3 days. Then it stops being eaten, I guess because they are dead!

eostache

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #73 on: August 13, 2018, 09:23:10 AM »
I've been maintaining a large bucket trap filled partway with water to get rid of a family of ground squirrels that have burrowed under the foundation of the rental we are in (thankfully we don't own the place!). We caught (drowned) four so far. I think there are four more to get.

We are trying to avoid poison pellets as there are roaming cats in the neighborhood.

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #74 on: August 13, 2018, 09:42:41 AM »
"No Rats and Mice".  The active ingredient is brodifacoum which I think is an anticoagulant. Im in NZ so our regulations may be different, this is purchased from a farm supply shop.
My bait station is a 2L plastic milk bottle with the end cut off, and a hole pierced in each side. A wooden skewer goes through the holes with the bait blocks threaded on (the bait has a hole in the middle) inside the bottle.
Once the bait is being eaten I need to refill it for 2-3 days. Then it stops being eaten, I guess because they are dead!

I'm pretty sure that's banned here in CA. I searched for "brodifacoum" on Amazon, added to cart, and went to checkout and it says it can't be delivered here haha. Also, I think what I'm dealing with are Norway (brown) rats which I briefly read somewhere can be resistant to anticoagulants.

EDIT: I've been reading that Vitamin D3/D is effective for killing these guys. What I'm not quite sure about is, if that's true, how much I should be using - I'm thinking to try mixing some up in PB and placing it out around the yard. I have some 5000IU softgels and also 2000IU softgels. Not sure how many of these I would need to use... has anyone tried this out before?
« Last Edit: August 13, 2018, 10:57:04 AM by jeromedawg »

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #75 on: August 14, 2018, 08:37:27 AM »
Tomcat to the rescue!!!

I didn't wake up all but 30 minutes ago so apparently slept right through this one. He/she even had his/her buddy come check him out to see if he was OK several hours later. Bad news for buddy #2 but luckier than buddy #1. The only thing is that he was flapping around for a good 10-15 minutes before actually dying. So that's the downside of the trap :( Hopefully the electronic trap will help resolve that. But at least it didn't escape.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2018, 09:10:33 AM by jeromedawg »

Dancin'Dog

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #76 on: August 14, 2018, 03:09:14 PM »
jeromedawg,


Two in one night!  Way to go. 


Are your neighbors catching them too?  I'm sure there's a bunch more of them somewhere nearby.  They are probably "making the rounds" when they stop by your place.  You might want to ask around and see if your neighbors need some trapping advice, or maybe they can share rat killing secrets that you haven't heard of yet. 




jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #77 on: August 14, 2018, 03:37:59 PM »
jeromedawg,


Two in one night!  Way to go. 


Are your neighbors catching them too?  I'm sure there's a bunch more of them somewhere nearby.  They are probably "making the rounds" when they stop by your place.  You might want to ask around and see if your neighbors need some trapping advice, or maybe they can share rat killing secrets that you haven't heard of yet.

Actually the 2nd one was just coming to check the dead one out - no other traps were set, unfortunately, so the second one didn't get caught. I just got the electronic trap today and already have it setup and sitting outside on the other side of the shed where I think they're running through. When I went out there I'm pretty sure I saw one scurry away under the deck. I'm not sure if these rats will avoid a trap if they 'sense' that one of their siblings got killed in one already. I read somewhere that they have a 3-day memory... not sure how true or accurate that is. Anyway, hoping the electronic mouse trap takes care of the second one that was checking things out. I no longer trust the Victor snap traps at least with these rats - failing on three different occasions is too much. I wish I didn't buy 3 more of them... I doubt I can return them or get my money back either :(

I haven't checked with the neighbors but I wouldn't be surprised if they're in other peoples' yards too. I know several other neighbors have already reported them. Maybe it's time to get a rat terrier!
« Last Edit: August 14, 2018, 03:57:46 PM by jeromedawg »

kei te pai

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #78 on: August 15, 2018, 03:27:25 AM »
Oww, good one !
I dont know if you are doing this already, but wearing gloves to set traps, bait etc is supposed to be helpful to prevent rats getting suspicious of human activity.

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #79 on: August 15, 2018, 11:31:02 AM »
Oww, good one !
I dont know if you are doing this already, but wearing gloves to set traps, bait etc is supposed to be helpful to prevent rats getting suspicious of human activity.

Yep, also who knows where those rats have been - they're probably filthy. Most of the time I remember the gloves but if I'm in a rush sometimes I forget. The third rat appeared again last night and I see exactly where they're coming in now (small hole they gnawed out in the deck right behind the shed). I have the Tomcat trap setup on one edge of the shed and the electronic trap on the other end. The rat was very suspicious and wouldn't go near either trap. I'm wondering if I should try switching up the bait from PB/cheese rinds to PB/turkey bacon (it's all I have along the lines of bacon) just to try to make things more enticing... I did sprinkle some sunflower seeds around the general area so I think it was snacking on those. I may just give it a day or two more to see if the rat will venture out further and get caught in a trap... on the other hand, I've heard they like "fresh" food and can sense when food has gone stale (and will avoid)
« Last Edit: August 15, 2018, 11:34:20 AM by jeromedawg »

kei te pai

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #80 on: August 16, 2018, 12:53:02 PM »
How about leaving the traps unset with plenty of bait around for a few days? Then just when they get relaxed a bit around the traps, set them again.
I am not sure why your rat saga is so fascinating , but I want you to win! And more video please!

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #81 on: August 16, 2018, 03:45:11 PM »
How about leaving the traps unset with plenty of bait around for a few days? Then just when they get relaxed a bit around the traps, set them again.
I am not sure why your rat saga is so fascinating , but I want you to win! And more video please!

Last night was a no-go. Mr. Rat decided to not show up at all. I even played sounds of squealing baby rats from youtube and fed it into the mic input for the cam. Maybe that's what kept them away lol. I have the electronic rat trap setup along with the snap trap, and placed turkey bacon around and in all of them. They're both live. For these rats, I'm not sure if it matters much at this point. Both traps, especially the Tomcat are pretty much one-touch kills. I feel like there's not a huge point baiting them unset like the standard snap traps because if a rat is curious enough to stick its nose around the bait cup or go into the electronic trap, it's nearly guaranteed to die. That's obviously not the case with the classic snap traps though.

Anyway, glad everyone is enjoying the "show" LOL!

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #82 on: August 17, 2018, 09:59:25 AM »
They are pretty cautious now. It wouldn't go closer than a foot away from the traps. Maybe I should remove the Tomcat and keep the electronic one there. Or perhaps parallel to the wall?

simonsez

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #83 on: August 17, 2018, 10:28:28 AM »
Last night was a no-go. Mr. Rat decided to not show up at all. I even played sounds of squealing baby rats from youtube and fed it into the mic input for the cam. Maybe that's what kept them away lol.
Hahaha, that is just downright outrageous!

More saga updates, please! :-)

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #84 on: August 18, 2018, 12:45:04 PM »
The Victor trap apparently shorted out :( Didn't even catch anything with it. Will return to Lowes. In the meantime, the rat made another appearance last night - same deal: popped it's head out for a bit then crawled out but quickly went back into the hole. I moved the shed back for more clearance, planted some loose dried cranberries, then rinsed out the Tomcat trap and rebaited with cream cheese with dried cranberries buried in it. Not sure if it'll go for any of this but it seemed to be disinterest enough in the turkey bacon, PB, parmesan rind, and sunflower seeds I had laying out there. It will probably be pretty cautious with me having moved the trap. We'll see...

BTW: can anyone tell at this point whether these are roof rats or Norway rats?
« Last Edit: August 18, 2018, 01:16:34 PM by jeromedawg »

DeltaBond

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #85 on: August 18, 2018, 05:38:35 PM »
I completely sympathize with all of this.  Roof rats are nasty shits.  They were in my barn eating my chicken feed.  We made a bucket trap and got rid of SO many, but really, you have to remove their food source if you can.  And then start to seal up wherever they are nesting.  We chose not to use rat poison, because we'd have so many dead bodies rotting, and that isn't good.  We also have dogs who would kill and eat them, and we didn't want them to get sick.  We had to use a combination of removing the food, removing the water... snap traps that we would move around (they are really smart about snap traps, or spring traps, whatever you call them).

In bucket traps, you need to use the tallest trash can you can find, because they can jump.  And some people try to drown them, but rats can swim, so you really need to either take that trashcan somewhere and release them, or do something within that can to kill them, your choice.  I personally used my dogs - sorry, not sorry.

Good luck, don't give up!

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #86 on: August 19, 2018, 10:25:22 PM »
I completely sympathize with all of this.  Roof rats are nasty shits.  They were in my barn eating my chicken feed.  We made a bucket trap and got rid of SO many, but really, you have to remove their food source if you can.  And then start to seal up wherever they are nesting.  We chose not to use rat poison, because we'd have so many dead bodies rotting, and that isn't good.  We also have dogs who would kill and eat them, and we didn't want them to get sick.  We had to use a combination of removing the food, removing the water... snap traps that we would move around (they are really smart about snap traps, or spring traps, whatever you call them).

In bucket traps, you need to use the tallest trash can you can find, because they can jump.  And some people try to drown them, but rats can swim, so you really need to either take that trashcan somewhere and release them, or do something within that can to kill them, your choice.  I personally used my dogs - sorry, not sorry.

Good luck, don't give up!

I'm wondering if this is a Norway rat because it seems more brown than it is black. In any case, the current survivor seems to be avoiding the snap trap at all costs lol. I've thought about putting out a bucket trap but not sure how to actually trap - do you use the spinning can method?  I recently came across this one, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctCoEl-F1gE&lc=, and thought it was a really good idea and something that could work. But I don't know... this rat that keeps popping back up seems to be highly intelligent (maybe he's reading this thread LOL):


DeltaBond

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #87 on: August 20, 2018, 07:20:45 AM »
Jeromedawg, here is what I use...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1jJkvUQoLk


Oh, and you can tell a difference in Norway vs Roof by how long their tails are, and how big their ears are.  We had both in our barn.
« Last Edit: August 20, 2018, 11:19:02 AM by DeltaBond »

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #88 on: August 20, 2018, 09:24:15 AM »
Jeromedawg, here is what I use... https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=l1jJkvUQoLk

Oh, and you can tell a difference in Norway vs Roof by how long their tails are, and how big their ears are.  We had both in our barn.


Thanks! BTW: the link isn't working.

robartsd

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #89 on: August 20, 2018, 11:12:17 AM »
Jeromedawg, here is what I use... https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=l1jJkvUQoLk

Oh, and you can tell a difference in Norway vs Roof by how long their tails are, and how big their ears are.  We had both in our barn.


Thanks! BTW: the link isn't working.
I think that's the link for the poster to edit the video. Here's a watch link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1jJkvUQoLk

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #90 on: August 23, 2018, 05:39:23 PM »
Alright, got a new setup going. The Tomcat re-baited with PB and a piece of chopped chicken wing end right next to the entry hole and another 'choke point' on the other side of the shed which is a ramp leading to a 5gal bucket with a 2" diameter hole cut-out in the middle and 2" PVC+coupling dropped in as a 'funnel' trap with water in the bucket. I laced the ramp and lid with a light PB trail and smeared more PB on the inside bottom of the PVC pipe; hopefully to tempt and lead the rat into wanting the "pot of gold" in the bucket where it will slip in and drown. It would be cool if that actually happens but I'm somewhat doubtful. I got the idea from Youtube (I may have posted the link earlier). Anyway, here's a view of the setup:




BTW: the rat has been making random appearances just about every other night or two. It's verrry cautious and appears to not want to go near the Tomcat at this point. So the hope is that it'll be interested in the ramp setup and what's inside the bucket; well, interested enough to meet its demise! Ugh, all this for a stupid rat... well, possibly still more than one. The pest control company setup two bait stations on the other side of our yard wall but those appear to do jack squat - I'm guessing they're baiting them with anticoagulant, and these rats may have anticoagulant resistance or something.

EDIT: I just heard a loud *snap* but no squeals... checked the Tomcat and that was the last of it - the plastic hinge that holds the trap down in the back broke off so it's done for, unfortunately, I took one of my screw-rigged Victor traps and removed one popsicle shim (maybe the thickness of two was counteracting the intent of the shim resulting less force from the spring but who knows...). I wasn't able to move the Victor closer to the entryway the rats created because it's longer than the Tomcat which fit the 'alleyway' perfectly. I may just end up buying another Tomcat at some point. For the 3 rats I nailed with it I think it was worth the $6-7 I spent. I spent the same amount, even more, on the 4 Victors combined and not a single one of them caught or killed a rat.

If I wanted to go into overkill-mode, I suppose I could line the alley-way with back-to-back traps in hopes that the rat will just run right over them and get snapped up. But let's see how it goes tonight (or the next couple nights). I'm particularly interested in the bucket trap. I had the bucket/lid/PVC laying around and spent 86 cents on the coupler (which is really just there just to keep the PVC from falling into the bucket)
« Last Edit: August 23, 2018, 06:16:12 PM by jeromedawg »

worms

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #91 on: August 26, 2018, 03:25:12 AM »
I once read an interesting book on neophobia in rats.  Seems they are like humans - some  are natural adventurers, some very conservative.  The adventurers love to try new foods and explore new places - these are the easy ones to catch, kill or poison.  The conservative ones won’t come anywhere near you, your traps or your poison and will provide the constant recruits to the ones that you are seeing off!  Between the two extremes there is a range of personalities that leave you in the battle of wills that we are all enjoying on this thread!  :)

misshathaway

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #92 on: August 26, 2018, 10:42:48 AM »
<<Between the two extremes there is a range of personalities that leave you in the battle of wills that we are all enjoying on this thread!  :)>>

The BEST thread on the forum. You have almost surpassed the thread from the guy who had a scammer move in to his vacant rental house and refuse to leave. Hey! Similar themes!

Goldielocks

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #93 on: August 26, 2018, 03:12:36 PM »
<<Between the two extremes there is a range of personalities that leave you in the battle of wills that we are all enjoying on this thread!  :)>>

The BEST thread on the forum. You have almost surpassed the thread from the guy who had a scammer move in to his vacant rental house and refuse to leave. Hey! Similar themes!
Can you give a link to the scammer thread?  I missed it.

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #94 on: August 26, 2018, 07:07:16 PM »
I've been trying to come up with ideas for a blog, I wonder if I should start one dedicated to my adventures in extermination. We've also dealt with fleas (which I was suspecting the rats were actually harboring and spreading before I applied several doses of IGR and permethrin and haven't seen since). Roaches, ants and lizards are regulars although I don't consider lizards as pests really - I've had a few come into the garage/house and I do my best to capture and release those guys because I'm sure they're helping with insect control around here. Rats on the other hand, are awful. Ironically, I used to have several rats *as pets* when I was younger. They're super intelligent creatures and the domesticated ones are cool but I don't want to mess around with these wild rats.

Anyway, the bucket trap has seen no results and the snap trap hasn't been set off. This "Mr Conservative lone survivor" seems to be dodging completely. The last I saw he just stuck his nose outside the notch and then ran off after. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get it short of a pellet gun or some other method. I'm not sure how I should deal with blocking off the purported entrance because it's not easily accessible to work on the areas where I think these things are coming in. I guess I could just get a bunch of gravel and pour it around the deck area. Not sure if they'll just come and dig it all back out of course. 

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #95 on: August 26, 2018, 07:09:26 PM »
<<Between the two extremes there is a range of personalities that leave you in the battle of wills that we are all enjoying on this thread!  :)>>

The BEST thread on the forum. You have almost surpassed the thread from the guy who had a scammer move in to his vacant rental house and refuse to leave. Hey! Similar themes!
Can you give a link to the scammer thread?  I missed it.

Speaking of scammers:
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/p-p-p-powerbook
« Last Edit: August 26, 2018, 07:11:37 PM by jeromedawg »

misshathaway

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #96 on: August 27, 2018, 08:59:07 AM »

kei te pai

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #97 on: August 31, 2018, 03:26:31 AM »
Any updates on your nocturnal visitors?

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #98 on: September 02, 2018, 02:55:33 PM »
Any updates on your nocturnal visitors?

Not much to report. The last survivor seems to be avoiding the area in general and if it does come back it'll peek it's nose out or occasionally step out for a few moments before going back into the hole. It doesn't seem interested at all in what's on the snap trap or in the bucket. I'm guessing there's a food source elsewhere and it's just stopping by to see what's up at my place LOL.

jeromedawg

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Re: How do I get rid of this (roof rat?)?
« Reply #99 on: September 09, 2018, 09:29:43 AM »
Quick report. I haven't re-baited the trap for over a week now and last night the rat decided to show up again. Very cautious but did come up to the trap to check it out. Also stepped/jumped right over it without setting it off...smh. I just need to get another one of those traps with the jaws and where it's harder for the rat just to leap over. The Tomcat, when set in the same position, was way more effective than these Victor snap traps.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!