Rats!

[joshuajim]

Last fall when I was winterizing my Wildwood, I noticed that rats had chewed off one if my brake wires. Fixed that at the time and put out rat bait to eliminate the problem. Just before Christmas we were having the grand kids over and they like to stay in the trailer so I dewinterize it and noticed that fresh water reading did not work. Not a real problem at the time since it was just sitting out by the barn so I put off investigating, but I was pretty sure it was the rats again.

I checked this past week because the temps were in the high 50’s and determined that they has gotten into the enclosure around the water tank. This is what I found when I dropped the lower cover.





†he issue is that the hole that was cut for the slide out rod was far too big. About 3” x3”. I cut a piece of expanded metal with a tight fit to remedy the situation. I used expanded metal because the compartment is heated and if there is no relief, no hot air will enter the compartment.



Fortunately, FR placed hardware cloth over the duct entry to the compartment so the rats could not get into the interior heating system.

[Naio]

My old man cat got rid of the rats at the place we stayed five years ago. He was only a middle aged man at that time, though.

My young man cat attacked a large, and soon very confused, dog, to defend me once. I still don't know if this cat hunts. But if did I'm sure he would go after rats.

He's ridiculously brave. I have to hold him hard to keep him off of pitbulls. Trying to teach him a little sense.

[buta4]

2oldman wrote:

buta4 wrote:
Acquire a cat!

Good for mice. Rats, not so much.

Actually, that depends on the particular cat's temperment.

I've had one who attacked full grown large dogs with claws digging into their flanks and sent them on their way screaming in terror!
Imagine what he'd do a a puny rat?

Just saying.

[ScottG]

2oldman wrote:

DarkSkySeeker wrote:
We use spring traps and leave the bodies on a fence railing where the local crows know to check for a free meal.

That's cool!

Could be owls eating them too.
We watched a demonstration of an owl eating a (dead) mouse. It was amazing how easily it pulled it apart (like Oprah going through a case of Weight Watchers).

Either way, I sure like the idea of recycling!

[pigman1]

2oldman wrote:

buta4 wrote:
Acquire a cat!

Good for mice. Rats, not so much.

You bet. I've seen rats bigger than most barn cats. The cats are smart, they won't take on the rats.

[DarkSkySeeker]

2oldman wrote:

DarkSkySeeker wrote:
We use spring traps and leave the bodies on a fence railing where the local crows know to check for a free meal.

That's cool!

I don't know if they smell them or see them, but the bodies are gone in less than 24 hours.

[2oldman]

DarkSkySeeker wrote:
We use spring traps and leave the bodies on a fence railing where the local crows know to check for a free meal.

That's cool!

[DarkSkySeeker]

2oldman wrote:
I'd rather see you use spring traps and dispose of the bodies.

We use spring traps and leave the bodies on a fence railing where the local crows know to check for a free meal.

[2oldman]

buta4 wrote:
Acquire a cat!

Good for mice. Rats, not so much.

[buta4]

Acquire a cat!

[joshuajim]

2oldman wrote:
I'd rather see you use spring traps and dispose of the bodies. Poison is a horrible death and if another animals eats the carcass, they're dead too.

I use a product called RatX. It interrupts the digestive system of rats and mice and is totally harmless to birds and other animals. Available at big box or Amazon

[2oldman]

I'd rather see you use spring traps and dispose of the bodies. Poison is a horrible death and if another animals eats the carcass, they're dead too.

[DarkSkySeeker]

Sorry to read about your problem with rats. I have problems with them too. They've eaten the seat cushion for my dining table. I used electric traps inside the trailer with good success. There's no winning here. All you can hope for is to keep them at bay.

[pigman1]

If you are trying to poison rats, you occasionally see that they refuse to eat the bait, regardless of the type (block, grain like Decon)etc. We found a way to get them to take the bait is to pour some hot fresh bacon grease over it and set it out. Not only will they eat the poison bait, they'll eat the package you have it in. We used this technique on the farm for years. A day or two later, you'll find the dead rat outside. To speed the action put out a separate shallow bowl of water close.

[Lwiddis]

Holy moly. You are unlucky. Sorry but it’s cool the grandkids like to stay in the trailer.