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:s0155:
The best mouse trap is a 5 gallon bucket filled 1/2 full of water. Take a metal soup can and empty contents without removing the ends. Punch a small hole in the center of each end.
Run a wire through the holes, crimp a bend in the wire on each side of the can. String the can across the top of the bucket with the wire, (centered).
Smear peanut butter on the can. Place the bucket next to a wall where the mice are evident. Take a 2" wide board about 3' long and place it so it makes a ramp up to the lip of the bucket.
Works like this, Mouse smells peanut butter, runs up ramp, judges the distance to be acceptable, leaps for the can, lands on top and it rolls over. mouse goes swimming for a while.
Trap resets itself. Use some rv antifreeze druing the winter to protect pets.
A larger version for rats would use a bigger container.
:s0155: This does work! An 'Old timer' (he was older than me, so he was really old) told me to try this and it really works. You have to use enough water so rats cant jump out,, but the results were amazing.
 
The best mouse trap is a 5 gallon bucket filled 1/2 full of water. Take a metal soup can and empty contents without removing the ends. Punch a small hole in the center of each end.
Run a wire through the holes, crimp a bend in the wire on each side of the can. String the can across the top of the bucket with the wire, (centered).
Smear peanut butter on the can. Place the bucket next to a wall where the mice are evident. Take a 2" wide board about 3' long and place it so it makes a ramp up to the lip of the bucket.
Works like this, Mouse smells peanut butter, runs up ramp, judges the distance to be acceptable, leaps for the can, lands on top and it rolls over. mouse goes swimming for a while.
Trap resets itself. Use some rv antifreeze druing the winter to protect pets.
A larger version for rats would use a bigger container.

This is an excellent method of control. I have a very similar device out in the barn.

A pellet gun or sticky traps and cattle prod are the most amusing forms of eradication.
 
I think I'll try the sticky pads and regular old rat traps first in the garage and maybe put out some poison bait traps as a last resort if the sticky pads and traps don't work. I hesitate to use the poison unless I absulutely have to. I had a neighbor once who's dog got poisoned. His neighbor behind him had put out some poison to control some possums that had taken up residence under his deck. It got the possums, but my neighbors dog ate some of the possum feces and got poisoned that way.
 
I have a Maine coon named Lexi - she loves rats and enjoys a good fight. I do not want to see her get hurt but from what I cant tell those rats dont stand a chance. That cat is awesome even if i have to say it myself. we adopted her and from what i cant tell about the begining of her life she probably sruvived on rodents.

James
 
I have a Maine coon named Lexi - she loves rats and enjoys a good fight. I do not want to see her get hurt but from what I cant tell those rats dont stand a chance. That cat is awesome even if i have to say it myself. we adopted her and from what i cant tell about the begining of her life she probably sruvived on rodents.

James

I've thought about just letting my miniature Dachshund loose as she knows they are there and tries to find them when she goes in the garage, but the wife nixed that idea. Too bad, Dachshunds are little rodent killing machines.
 
Since we are on this subject about every day rat populations, think about the worst case scenario that might resemble what Japan is going through.
Rat populations will explode when given the opportunity. All they need is a unlimited food source, breeding areas, and no control measures. Make sure all your hard work you've put into storing food and supplies is not in vain. Vermin proof containers is a must.
I use a solid block product in bait stations called (Just One Bite) very effective and cheap at Bi-mart. Only problem is that slugs like it too. Hopefully it kills the slugs as well.
There is a book written about the potential rat epidemic that occurred after the 911 attack ( Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants) and the extreme effort put into place soon after. Very informative and interesting as well.
 
I have a detached Garage and live in an area with large lots. Everytime someone sub divides their lot and removes the blackberries I get rats in my garage. Although the pellet gun is fun it is not that efficient. I have a Rat Terrier (Freddie) who has killed easily over 30 of them, but he's getting old. I use some Decon but you must be carefull as this stuff is an anti-coagulant, makes them bleed to death interally but pets can get into it and it can work on them. Placement is key. I had a dog eat some once and had to take it to the emergency hospital they give it vitamim K which is a coagulant. Freddie can smell them before me and leads me to the dead ones.

Good Luck!
 
I'd go first to a professional exterminator. They use a special poison in a plastic box that only rodents can get into so pets can't. This poison does not kill quickly, so the rodents get desperately thirsty and leave seeking water, thus no stinking corpses nearby. They die at their water source, maybe where pets cant find them..............................elsullo
 
I live in an area full of rats. When one is spotted in or near my house or shop, I make a safari out of it and hunt the little sob's down. Their fairly easy to pattern and fun to shoot with 22 cb shorts out of my single six. Poison works but there is no satisfaction and they do smell horrible when not found
 
I've used a bait station with Contax bait blocks - seems to keep the population down. However... there is some question about whether poisoned rats lead to poisoned owls/etc. that feed on them. Just something to consider.

Other thing: try to plug-up your house - anywhere they can get in (and they can get in through very small holes). Steel wool works well; also wire screen.
 
The best mouse trap is a 5 gallon bucket filled 1/2 full of water. Take a metal soup can and empty contents without removing the ends. Punch a small hole in the center of each end.
Run a wire through the holes, crimp a bend in the wire on each side of the can. String the can across the top of the bucket with the wire, (centered).
Smear peanut butter on the can. Place the bucket next to a wall where the mice are evident. Take a 2" wide board about 3' long and place it so it makes a ramp up to the lip of the bucket.
Works like this, Mouse smells peanut butter, runs up ramp, judges the distance to be acceptable, leaps for the can, lands on top and it rolls over. mouse goes swimming for a while.
Trap resets itself. Use some rv antifreeze druing the winter to protect pets.
A larger version for rats would use a bigger container.

Thanks for sharing jbett98! Set it up yesterday and learned this morning there'd been a swim meet in my garage overnight, but, alas, I'd missed it.

Discussed this at work today and someone asked if it would also work on Paris Hilton. I further clarified that I had used the beverage.

Au reservoir monsieur rodent.

AuReservoir.jpg
 
If you have newer PEX worsbo pipe for water lines. They eat poison. get very thirsty ...Find your cold water pipes and eats through them!! Now your home is flooding. with floating rats

They have made me some great after hours service calls.!

Plumber by trade.:s0155:
 
If you have newer PEX worsbo pipe for water lines. They eat poison. get very thirsty ...Find your cold water pipes and eats through them!! Now your home is flooding. with floating rats

They have made me some great after hours service calls.!

Plumber by trade.:s0155:

When you say newer, what do you mean? My house was built in '95/'96.
 
I use a metal live trap, something like this:
Amazon.com: Havahart 0745 16-by-6-by-6-3/8-Inch Professional Style One-Door Cage Trap for Chipmunks and Rodents: Home & Garden

... except I got it from a local grange shop. I use peanut butter coated with sunflower seeds for bait. Sticks to the triggering lever plate that way.

I also have a Rat Zapper I borrowed. Something like this:
Amazon.com: Agri Zap RZU001 Rat Zapper Ultra: Home & Garden

For the live trap, if its a rat, I just dump the whole trap in a big water container. Come back in a few minutes after the inevitable & deal with the remains. My colleague who lent me the Rat Zapper says he's killed many rats with it. Once you clear out one dead rat, just put it back with bait & the rats seem to just follow the scent of the previous customer to their demise. Cat food works pretty good for bait in it.

For me, I found that rats were getting up inside my Weber grill. Grrr...
 
Well, we did a major garage clean out today. The rat(s) were getting into some bird seed we had stored in the garage; our bad. Solved that problem and all the bird seed and rat feces have been cleaned up. I figure if they can't find anything to eat, they might not come back. Also found out where the little bastards were getting in. They had chewed a hole through the dry wall where the piping for the water heater and the furnace come in.

Have put down some sticky traps and spring traps with Peanut butter and will see what the results are tomorrow morning. If no rats in the trap, I will plug the hole with steel wool and chicken wire and spread some drier sheets around per advice from this forum.

I also called code enforcement on my next door neighbor that mows his yard about three times a year. He's a nice guy and I have politely spoken to him about mowing his yard before, but he just doesn't seem to get the message. I am fed up. Granted, we have fed the birds for the last two years, and have seed, so that will attract rats and mice, but we never had rats in our garage until this year when my neighbor's lawn was so out of control.

I just hate sickin' the law on my neighbors, but I am at my wits end.
 
"code enforcement" ?? Do you live in a community with an homeowners association?
I really hope that your municipality does not have such a thing as a official government department, that looks if people mow their lawn or trim their bushes or paint their windows. Even the communist countries never did that to their subjects. (
 

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