F-350 Rats under the hood

[SDDiver5]

I use my dog and a BB gun. Little ********** hide in my bamboo and I shoot them out with the BB gun and he gives them the final bite. I hear them in my walls sometimes too. They eat my Chicken feed and my veggies and eat the trash in my area and in the alleys.

I've tried the peppermint thing and it did not work. The traps and my fun "hunting" method have worked the best for me.

 

[pappawheely]

Hello Paul. I have problems on my property with pack rats; they are the worst. I've had some luck with traps. I don't bait the trap. I put peanut butter right on the catch for the spring loaded bar.

 

[Paul B.]

Hey Mike. Hope all's well. Peanut butter is the best rat bait I have found. I am now using dryer sheets, traps, rataway spray. I don't know what caused recent surge of activity in my back yard, likely rain. We appreciate all the input and suggestions. All of the applied due diligence seems to be working. Talking to mechanics, amateur and professional, seems the nasty anecdotes are with long term distended vehicles and campers. We will be staying at it.

Thanks to all, any new information or stories welcomed.

(But, peanut butter and fly bait in rat traps are illegal?? And how's that law enforced??)

 

[calicamper]

My street had a fall early winter rat issue spanning about 5 houses length wise up the street. I back up to a creek but 3rd house up doesn’t. 4 of us teamed up set snap traps with peanut butter bait. I’m currently at 12, neighbor 3 houses up is at 9, neighbor one down from me is at 10. 4th neighbor farther from the creek is at 3. At the start one neighbor had his HS kids Honda end up in the shop due to Rats. Plus two other cars with nesting evidence. My two COVID parked cars have been fine “Fords” but we had rats running over our roof in October/ November. None since the 8th rat snapped in my traps outside along the foundation. All house access is screened so zero issues there. Garage door seals tight so no access via garage. But two neighbors we worked on their crawl space screens and tuning the garage door to eliminate access. We are 3 months into zero issues. I think we nipped the issue in the bud before it got bad.. The rats I snapped were large barely fit my rat traps. Set traps use peanut butter bait. It works!!!

 

[Kolockum]

I am surprised nobody has mentioned bucket traps/drowning bucket. Not the most humane but works wonders for infestations.

Take a dowel or pipe and put a cardboard paper towel roll on it. Then attach it to the top of an open 5 gallon bucket. I normally use zip ties. Put peanut butter on the cardboard roll and prop a board up against the bucket for the mice, rats, etc. to climb and you are in business. I normally add 6" of water or antifreeze to the bucket.

The pest climbs up an out on the paper towel roll which spins sending it into the water. Because they can't touch the bottom they can't jump out. Note: large wharf rats may need a bigger container. I like 5 gallon buckets because cats and even small dogs can escape.

I normally use this for a week or two then once the account of pests in the bucket starts to drop off I will use other methods such as repellant.

 

[Paul B.]

This idea is genius. Simple household materials. Will be implementing.

As for illegality and inhumanity, I'm all for that. But seeing rats nesting under the hood of my camper? No. It has to be addressed severely.

 

[HAF]

I built an aluminum shield that consisted of several panels that bolt together. The panels being 18" tall with slight bend outward. The bottom folded up to form a "pool". Set the panels up around my van. Added water in the pool sections-then peed into the mix. %100 effective in a mice super spreader zone!

 

[Paul B.]

"Pumpkin, I think we got us a vigilant!"
"Just shoot'im in the face, Hunnybunny."

 

[Paul B.]

Seriously though. I don't like poisoning rats and mice cause they crawl somewhere and die. If where they go is in a house or vehicle, where I am unable, for any reason, to remove their bodies, they're gonna stink to high heaven. This causes discomfort.

When I was young, did some apartment maintenance. Some brainiac decided poisoning was the solution to the problem. Worked good, except a month later, 2 apartments were so smelly they had to be temporarily abandoned. Last I heard they were going in to remove all drywall, looking for the dead poisoned rats.

Lesson learned, repel them, trap them, do everything you can to keep them out of the residence or vehicle. Spreading poison is not a good idea. For all the listed reasons.

For the record, I personally don't approve of cutting any creature's nose off with a rusty butter knife. Liberal barbarianism is never correct. Politically or otherwise.