smerchly Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 Seems like the rats like to visit my yard looking for food . They liked the old compost barrels ...both gone now .... then the fallen apples from my big tree ( tree gone soon) , and now they like bird seed which falls on the ground from the feeders (all taken down for good) My small dog ( pug-jack russell) killed one a few days ago while the rat was eating seed . I set an old wooden spring trap under the deck with bacon bait .....the trap went off & was upside down & the big rat was laying dead beside the trap ...no marks on it ! Still scratching my head why the rat was dead beside the trap ! ....and the saga lives on ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lund-SS Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 I've trapped 20 over the past few months in my yard . They tunnel under my deck . So far nothing in the house or garage . I don't have anything in my yard for food anymore . They were climbing up my tomatoe plants and eating them before I could get to them last summer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 I had put out a lot of rat bait for over winter. Results have been promising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredfisher Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 9 hours ago, smerchly said: Seems like the rats like to visit my yard looking for food . They liked the old compost barrels ...both gone now .... then the fallen apples from my big tree ( tree gone soon) , and now they like bird seed which falls on the ground from the feeders (all taken down for good) My small dog ( pug-jack russell) killed one a few days ago while the rat was eating seed . I set an old wooden spring trap under the deck with bacon bait .....the trap went off & was upside down & the big rat was laying dead beside the trap ...no marks on it ! Still scratching my head why the rat was dead beside the trap ! ....and the saga lives on ....... heart attack!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner-2 Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 10 hours ago, smerchly said: Seems like the rats like to visit my yard looking for food . They liked the old compost barrels ...both gone now .... then the fallen apples from my big tree ( tree gone soon) , and now they like bird seed which falls on the ground from the feeders (all taken down for good) My small dog ( pug-jack russell) killed one a few days ago while the rat was eating seed . I set an old wooden spring trap under the deck with bacon bait .....the trap went off & was upside down & the big rat was laying dead beside the trap ...no marks on it ! Still scratching my head why the rat was dead beside the trap ! ....and the saga lives on ....... We had our bird feeder out for 3 years one day my wife was doing dishes and looked out the window and watched a rat climb the tree to the feeder. I watching it as it came down and it was acting funny staggering as it walked so put out a trap for it half an hour later dead rat threw rat and trap in the garbage and the bird feeder was ripped down don't need sick rats hanging around thats strange how the rat was dead beside the trap fredfisher could be right it mite of been a hart attack the main thing is it's dead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genec Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 11 hours ago, smerchly said: Seems like the rats like to visit my yard looking for food . They liked the old compost barrels ...both gone now .... then the fallen apples from my big tree ( tree gone soon) , and now they like bird seed which falls on the ground from the feeders (all taken down for good) My small dog ( pug-jack russell) killed one a few days ago while the rat was eating seed . I set an old wooden spring trap under the deck with bacon bait .....the trap went off & was upside down & the big rat was laying dead beside the trap ...no marks on it ! Still scratching my head why the rat was dead beside the trap ! ....and the saga lives on ....... Probably concussion from the trap going off and hitting him in the head, but not catching him in the trap. Either way, good result!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted April 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 25 minutes ago, genec said: Probably concussion from the trap going off and hitting him in the head, but not catching him in the trap. Either way, good result!!! That's what I was thinking genec .....maybe grazed his head hard enough to kill it . Maybe get Gunner to do an autopsy on it . 3 hours ago, bigugli said: I had put out a lot of rat bait for over winter. Results have been promising. I have some rat pellets I used last year .....put each dose under a piece of plywood with a heavy weight to keep other critters from eating it . I found rats wandering around like zombies and was afraid the dog would pick up some disease from them , so the trap "was" supposed to keep them dead in the trap .I will have to clean out some lumber , etc from under the deck . Lund .....I have a few tomato -veggie plants but never had a problem with rats eating them, .....but when they are hungry , they are very smart at getting at the food ! We have a cat roaming the hood at night but I haven't found any dead rats , mice or birds in the yard . .....except the birds my "jug" catches ! here is my little rat killer ......8 year old Maggie ....still faster than grease lightening !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba14 Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 I had never seen them in my neighbourhood before a few years ago. Had one in the garage a couple of years ago that chewed off part of the rubber strip at the bottom of the garage door. Got him a few weeks later in a trap. Killed two last year and one this year, easy to spot their footprints and tail drag marks in the fresh snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted April 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 Some people leave their dogs bowl full of food outside to let the dogs eat at their leisure .....The rats will be drawn to the food , or any other food tossed out , like bread . I just found the rats nest inside a 4" plastic pipe elbow under the deck .....doing a complete clean out today . They can take up residence at houses that have a food supply . I think I am rat free now , but will have to keep an eye on my tomatoes this year ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyotehunter Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 I had a problem with rats coming to the bird feeders last fall. The neighbour was getting upset. Three days later I had killed 15 with the target air rifle....8 the first day. Only saw one during the winter and not at all in the last two months...keeping my fingers crossed and the rifle handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted April 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 Good shooting ! They breed like ....rats ! There seems to be a lot of rats in the last 10 years . Some can be blamed on junkie yards + a food supply .....and maybe less cats roaming the hood . I got the 2 rats before they filled the nest with more rats . A few years back we counted 9 feeding on fallen apples under the snow ....made them which a nice cheese & arsenic dinner . I have a BB rifle but it couldn't kill a mouse at 5 paces ....( put a hole through my garage vinyl siding though) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verado Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 I have a Benjamin air rifle with heavy barrel and thumbhole stock. .22 cal. and 1200 fps. Superbly accurate and perfect medicine for rats, squirrels, possums etc. Last summer, for the first time ever, I had something eat every tomato off the vines before they were quite ripe. I assumed it was squirrels but after reading your comments, perhaps it was rats. Never seen one though. As this had never happened before, I thought possibly after the very dry summer, the squirrels were seeking moisture in the form of my tomatoes. They were however planted next to the pool so maybe that theory is all wrong too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted April 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 Very possible a possum got your tomatoes , they are mostly vegans. Tomato worms can do a job eating holes in tomatoes . Most of my garden plants need to be covered 100% to keep critters out . The birds will peck a hole in a tomato and they will clean out my strawberries quickly . Birds destroy millions of dollars on the farms eating fruit & berries . I'll be watching for rats and so will the little doggie ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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