I think. Or, a very healthy mouse. But probably a rat. I've seen them of late since construction was nearby. Not many, but I'll assume there are more where the one or two came from. I've seen them in a nearby field and scurrying into my shed. But today I saw one go under my back porch, into the opening of the lattice.


So, I don't want to poison them, as that's bad news for the environment and other critters who may like them for a snack (hawks and owls, from what I know).

For what it's worth, I don't really care about them living around my house, it's the potential for tge interior visitors that I'm trying to prevent. We have a bunch of critters and I like the local species diversity.

What would you do?

---

Hurts like a bastid...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2021 08:45PM by mrbigstuff.

Quote
mrbigstuff
I think. Or, a very healthy mouse. But probably a rat. I've seen them of late since construction was nearby. Not many, but I'll assume there are more where the one or two came from. I've seen them in a nearby field and scurrying into my shed. But today I saw one go under my back porch, into the opening of the lattice.


So, I don't want to poison them, as that's bad news for the environment and other critters who may like them for a snack (hawks and owls, from what I know).

For what it's worth, I don't really care about them living around my house, it's the potential for tge interior visitors that I'm trying to prevent. We have a bunch of critters and I like the local species diversity.

What would you do?

Get a feline companion?

---

Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

Quote
PeterB

Quote
mrbigstuff
I think. Or, a very healthy mouse. But probably a rat. I've seen them of late since construction was nearby. Not many, but I'll assume there are more where the one or two came from. I've seen them in a nearby field and scurrying into my shed. But today I saw one go under my back porch, into the opening of the lattice.


So, I don't want to poison them, as that's bad news for the environment and other critters who may like them for a snack (hawks and owls, from what I know).

For what it's worth, I don't really care about them living around my house, it's the potential for tge interior visitors that I'm trying to prevent. We have a bunch of critters and I like the local species diversity.

What would you do?

Get a feline companion?

Or in the absence of a companion, do you know anyone with an indoor cat? Sprinkle some used cat litter around where you don’t want guests may dissuade them. I had a cat that would try to bring them into the house because he didn’t want to leave them outside.

Snakes or cat...I choose cat

---

“Live your life, love your life, don’t regret…live, learn and move forward positively.” – CR Johnson
Loving life in Lake Tahoe, CA

Don't poison them, medicate them...

Quote
freeradical
Don't poison them, medicate them...

Yep, ExLax will do them in and probably not hurt their predators/scavengers.

---

Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Quote
Diana

Quote
PeterB

Quote
mrbigstuff
I think. Or, a very healthy mouse. But probably a rat. I've seen them of late since construction was nearby. Not many, but I'll assume there are more where the one or two came from. I've seen them in a nearby field and scurrying into my shed. But today I saw one go under my back porch, into the opening of the lattice.


So, I don't want to poison them, as that's bad news for the environment and other critters who may like them for a snack (hawks and owls, from what I know).

For what it's worth, I don't really care about them living around my house, it's the potential for tge interior visitors that I'm trying to prevent. We have a bunch of critters and I like the local species diversity.

What would you do?

Get a feline companion?

Or in the absence of a companion, do you know anyone with an indoor cat? Sprinkle some used cat litter around where you don’t want guests may dissuade them. I had a cat that would try to bring them into the house because he didn’t want to leave them outside.

Yes, the smell of predator urine might be enough to keep them at bay. On the other hand, the presence of a feline companion can give a certain peace of mind. I'll never forget one particular night when I was a teenager. One of our Mainecoons would routinely purr himself to sleep at the foot of my bed (on top of the blankets over my feet, which also made for a comfy automatic foot warmer on colder nights). This particular night, I was awoken at 5AM to a screeching/hissing fit, only to discover that our cat had cornered a flying squirrel which had somehow gotten into my room... he was holding it at bay in a corner under my bed. The poor squirrel was understandably completely terrified, and I was understandably completely freaked out, but also very grateful to have had a feline protector. That was an eventful morning/day, for sure... getting the cat to back off, the squirrel to calm down enough to be captured and brought to a nature center, and convincing my mother that all of this was the right thing to do...

---

Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2021 11:15PM by PeterB.

Rural area? Get some barn owls.

---

39°36'17"N 75°44'43"W

DuckDuckGo
The search engine that doesn't track you.

DemComm Records 2021 Greatest Hits
includes:
Taxman by Joe & Nancy's Rich Ice Cream Band
The Humpty Dance by The Harris-Brown Hookup
Lets Spend The Night Together by The Fang-Swalwell Gang
Díaz-Canel Is A Friend of Ours by The AOC Squad
My Old Kentucky Retirement Home by MitchMcC & The Soggy Boxer Boys
Burning Down The House by Merrick & The Goons
Back In the USSR by Bernie's Red Square Trio

Rats are everywhere in the world, you are never far from them. They are attracted to a food source and in gardens that can often mean wild bird feeders. I will not kill rats but have often rehomed them if they become too much after catching them in live traps and releasing them further away in the countryside.



Paul

Quote
voodoopenguin
Rats are everywhere in the world, you are never far from them. They are attracted to a food source and in gardens that can often mean wild bird feeders. I will not kill rats but have often rehomed them if they become too much after catching them in live traps and releasing them further away in the countryside.



Paul

If you catch and release, I'd do it at least a couple of miles away. Rodents do apparently find their way back. I release mice a couple of miles and a wide creek away (other side of the creek!).

Barn owls for sale. com

I only have great horned and barred ones.

A lot of cats can’t or won’t go after rats, by the way.

Call a critter service like Terminix and get their opinion on how they deal with rats. Let the pros handle it...

---

Disclaimer: This post is checked for correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Any attempts at humor are solely the responsibility of the author and bear no claim that any and all readers will approve or appreciate said attempt at humor.
My name is DP, and I approve this message.

"Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime."- Lavrentiy Beria

Quote
RecipeForDisaster
Barn owls for sale. com

I only have great horned and barred ones.

A lot of cats can’t or won’t go after rats, by the way.

I got barn owls and they crap all over the place. It's as big as a small human's and weird in that it looks like it has insulation in it. Will hardly deteriorate in the rain.

Fred

When we had a mouse outbreak, I got a large galvanized garbage can, put dried corn in the bottom, built a ramp out of a 2x4 and captured them - in the morning I put the lid on and drove them WAY out into the country to an abandoned property with a burned out house and let them go. I think today they have a religion based on the god who was displeased and cast them out

Quote
voodoopenguin
Rats are everywhere in the world, you are never far from them. They are attracted to a food source and in gardens that can often mean wild bird feeders. I will not kill rats but have often rehomed them if they become too much after catching them in live traps and releasing them further away in the countryside.



Paul

.

Only rats around this area or either. food for snakes or pets , There are packrats in the forest . Haven''t saw one in years . In 64 years have not saw any rat like a Norway or gray rat in this area .

......is one of them named.....Ben.....???

---

_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Quote
vicrock
... put the lid on and drove them WAY out into the country to an abandoned property with a burned out house and let them go. I think today they have a religion based on the god who was displeased and cast them out

---

“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in."

Nature, uh, finds a way. Our indoor cats ensure that rodents do not enter the house, and any bugs that are slow enough in close proximity to the cats are summarily swatted and eaten. Outside ? Our back yard is regularly patrolled by three small dogs who happily bark at anything they see.

Rats, mice, it's all good. They have to live somewhere too.

Quote
Fred_Also

Quote
RecipeForDisaster
Barn owls for sale. com

I only have great horned and barred ones.

A lot of cats can’t or won’t go after rats, by the way.

I got barn owls and they crap all over the place. It's as big as a small human's and weird in that it looks like it has insulation in it. Will hardly deteriorate in the rain.

Fred

You should see what it's like in Alaska when hundreds of Canada Geese overfly you...

......Rat....atat.....tat......

---

_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!