Rats!

Maybe you can fashion a one way exit with a trap door that does not permit the rats to go back in, only problem will be that they will get in the building, if you use traps you have to use gloves and use peanut butter you can not touch the traps with your hands at all, place the traps unarmed for a few days until they get used to them and then spring the traps after they get familiar with them.

If you place poison you need to again not touch the containers, rats distrust humans and will not touch food that has our scent, I used to get rid of them with antifreeze, now it is forbidden or borrow a few hungry cats.

Some fire departments use a smoke generator to teach kids how to proceed in case of fires in school, you might rent one of those and try to smoke them out.

Good luck catching them

navegator

Thanks, Nav! I like the smoke machine idea especially. And the one-way exit.

I see there is an a ultrasonic phone app. Do y'all think a whole bottle of peppermint or fir oil would work?

I would try a couple of bug bombs.

They make glue rat traps as well. Just put them where the rats go in and out.

As long as there aren't hundreds, a simple snap trap or two is what I find quickest and easiest. They won't outsmart those -could take a while. Poison is about the worst thing you can do. You don't want dying rats rotting under the house.

We tried glue traps. Snap traps are not something I want where kids and pets have access. And under the house is the same rotting rat problem.

It's a difficult situation! The rats may have babies they don't want to leave behind. I can try the one way door, but I realise they might just create another entrance.

My cat complicates things by hanging around the rat entrances.

Naio wrote:
I am trying to help a friend with a rat problem at his S&B, where I am visiting.

I got rid of their food supply, but the rats are still living in the crawlspace under the house. He has put poison under there, but some of the rats are too smart.

The openings where they get in and out are foundation vents with missing screens. A pet or small child could get in, and eat the poison. I want to replace the screens -- but that will trap the rats under the house. They will cause more damage trying to get out.

Any ideas on how I can get the rats out, first?

I read online that ultrasonic emitters don't work and smoke bombs can start fires. I suppose I could leave them one smaller hole, too small for anything else to get through, but that is not really a satisfactory solution.

Leave a small hole at first. Rat poison makes them want water, IF there is no water under the house. The rats will go out to find water, and die out there. As to the poison you need. Don't get it at Lowes, or WalMart. Go to the County Health Dept. They have the GOOD stuff. It WILL work.

Need more / better cats

Try throwing some moth balls under the house. The smell might make them leave.

Naio wrote:
We tried glue traps. Snap traps are not something I want where kids and pets have access. And under the house is the same rotting rat problem.

No, you don't put them where kids and pets find them. No, you don't put them way under the house. The idea is to dispose of the kill and reset them.

It isn't that difficult.

lc0338 wrote:
Need more / better cats

Yeah, and bigger cats!