I have a new unwanted pet, a garage rat

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Here is a story. I noticed some bags with fertilizer and pesticides with lots of holes a week ago. Assumed mice. Bought some mice poison and placed in corners.
Today, I started a lawn mower and a rat jumped from under it after a few seconds. It was a bit shocked as it run jumping like rabbit rather that normal running (as I assumed normal rats should be running and not jumping). It went back to the garage it I was too stupefied to do anything in that split second. I'm surprised it survived the moving blades under the mower (maybe I need to sharpen them?). This reminded me stories of humans surviving after being sucked into turbopfan engines.

Anyhow, I don't have a cat. What special weapons do I need to invest? Or should I assume the rat will eventually eat the mice poison? I don't understand how that thing survives in hot garage without water. Should I use poisoned water of some sort? I'm thinking antifreeze should do it.

I opened hoods of my cars to prevent the rat from going inside the engine compartments, That would be expensive.
 
just get a rat trap bait with peanut butter, or use rat bait and wait for it to die.
 
Get a trap, it will make a mess if you don't get it out asap. Had to buy a new door because rat ate its way trough one corner
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Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ortho-Home-Defense-Max-Secure-Kill-Rat-Trap-0321210/202526152

That is what you need right there; bait it with peanut butter like Rand said. You'll have him in under an hour. My garage had an infestation of mice a few years back and those type traps cleared them out in about 3 days.


Great! I just checked the reviews and it sounds effective. I'm going to get it now. Thanks everyone who responded!
 
I go to the feed store and get poison. The kind that looks like a giant granola bar, not the pellets. Break it into a few pieces and scatter it around. I worry about the "death behind the drywall" syndrome but I haven't had any problems.

If you succeed in getting rid of the guy with the traps, scatter some chunks of the stuff around as a preventive measure. Less chance of the "death behind the drywall" situation, as they have to be visitors before they move in. The brand they sell at my feedstore is the "Just One Bite II" bar.
 
I have 2 of the smaller, mouse-sized version of that Ortho trap, & can confirm that mine are *Very* effective. See sign of a mouse? Bait with a small smear of peanut butter, set the trap, & within a few minutes to a day or so, *Snap*! Dead mousie. Nothing has ever tripped them & gotten away- so far, if snapped shut there's a mouse. Kills 'em instantly too. If I needed a rat trap I'd start with that big Ortho, IMO you're getting exactly the right thing.
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Of course, .22 rat shot would be more fun!
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"Be vewy, vewy quiet. We're hunting wats- heh heh heh..."
 
I have a very tough Mama cat.

She kills rats, rabbits, gophers, squirrels, almost anything that moves...
 
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I use an Australian Cattle Dog. She loves rats and gophers. She is very popular at the neighbors, too. For rats she searchers like she's on speed. For gophers she lays on her belly near a gopher hole and makes a squeaking noise. When the gopher investigates it's good by gopher. So my choice for your problem is an ACD.
 
Set out some bait and lay in wait with a .22 caliber air rifle. Use wadcutters, they have a very high energy transfer rate without over-penetrating. Aim between the shoulders just behind the head. My house once came under attack by a mob of rats, they were even eating my dogs food(a pitbull). Made short work of them with a Benjamin 392. Way more satisfying than just setting out traps or poison.
 
The easy, stink free method.

Find a clean five gallon bucket. The insides of the bucket have to be smooth so no old paint, mortar mix, etc.

Fill bucket with about three gallons of water.

Cover the top of the water with a layer of bird feed or cracked corn, (the seed will float on top of the water). Pour enough until the bucket looks like it's filled with seed or corn.

Place bucket in the middle of the room with a board running from the floor to the top of the bucket. The angle shouldn't be too steep, so the longer the board, the better, (at least five or six feet long - if you don't have a board, use a rake handle with the rake tines on the floor for stability).

Leave the room closing all the doors and windows.

Check bucket the next day. Rat should be in the bucket. Either he will have already drowned or be in the process of drowning.

If he's already dead, dig a hole and bury him. If he's not dead, wait, then dig a hole and bury him.

End of rat and no rotten rat smell to deal with later.
 
Originally Posted By: hatt
Need garage snake.

and the snake works for free and does not leave poison around nor discharges firearms in the equivilant of a toxic waste dump(garage).
a good ratsnake is in order here.your yl may not approve though.
 
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
The easy, stink free method.

Find a clean five gallon bucket. The insides of the bucket have to be smooth so no old paint, mortar mix, etc.

Fill bucket with about three gallons of water.

Cover the top of the water with a layer of bird feed or cracked corn, (the seed will float on top of the water). Pour enough until the bucket looks like it's filled with seed or corn.

Place bucket in the middle of the room with a board running from the floor to the top of the bucket. The angle shouldn't be too steep, so the longer the board, the better, (at least five or six feet long - if you don't have a board, use a rake handle with the rake tines on the floor for stability).

Leave the room closing all the doors and windows.

Check bucket the next day. Rat should be in the bucket. Either he will have already drowned or be in the process of drowning.

If he's already dead, dig a hole and bury him. If he's not dead, wait, then dig a hole and bury him.

End of rat and no rotten rat smell to deal with later.


Does it matter if I use hot water or cold?
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Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy



Does it matter if I use hot water or cold?
wink.gif



Yes, it matters. Hot water will turn your rat trap into an attractive "rat hot tub" and the rats will bring their girlfriends. The multiple danger here is:

1. Rats having a good time rather than dying a slow and soggy death.

2. After rats have partied, they will be able to form a "rat ladder" and make their way out of said bucket 'o death.

3. Having had such a good time, they will return with friends and have a rat [censored] which will result in even more rats coming with cameras. This can be disturbing and perhaps even illegal if cats happen to watch the resulting video, (I'll let you do the word smithing on that one).

4. Hot water will cause the corn to ferment - and who wants to see drunk rats swimming in a five gallon bucket of beer?
 
Originally Posted By: kc8adu
Originally Posted By: hatt
Need garage snake.

and the snake works for free and does not leave poison around nor discharges firearms in the equivilant of a toxic waste dump(garage).
a good ratsnake is in order here.your yl may not approve though.


I think this fellow would do nicely...

IMG_20110501_115355.jpg

It stood guard around our garage for an indeterminate amount of time...
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
just get a rat trap bait with peanut butter, or use rat bait and wait for it to die.


+1 Peanut butter on a rat trap works great. The problem with rat poison is if the rat eats it and crawls into a place in the garage that is difficult to access and dies there its rotting carcass will STINK!!!!!
 
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