The rat exterminator...Monica the cat in Chicago

[ladypeartree]

do you have brillo pads such as we have in the UK ? steel pads filled with soap in powder form ( used to scour stained pots and pans ) I was told to push them into any holes you can find no matter how small as they cant stand the things and are unable to gnaw through them

[Vine Abider]

32 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

Vegetable oil can help free trapped creatures from glue boards. I do not recommend handling the critter because they will bite your hands and fight back.

Yes, I used vegetable oil to free the lizard that got stuck.  I have welding gloves if I needed to handle a rat, but my wife has vetoed the glue boards in favor of trying the peppermint, because she's concerned about other critters getting stuck (but she's skeptical about the peppermint too).

[Debp]

4 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Thanks for conveying the thought of the glue boards.  I had been thinking about putting some up in the tree, however, I stopped using snap traps up there because my wife found a bird (thrasher) caught in one.  It survived, but lost one of its feet in the process. I guess if a bird got caught in a glue board I could probably free it with little damage to it. (have actually had to do that with lizards I caught in my garage with an insect style glue board) 

Oh I hate to think of a bird or lizard caught on a glue board.   Unless you can place the board where you think only the rat will be.    I even hate to think of anything alive stuck on a glue board.

But I know you don't want that rat to propagate.

[Debp]

3 hours ago, Marathoner said:

I do not recommend placing glue boards in trees or other outdoor areas, @Vine Abider. The risk of trapping other animals is too great. Unless we are talking about stationary bait containers positioned around the foundation of a structure, outdoor traps for small animals like rats are too risky.

Only use glue boards and other traps indoors out of the reach of friends like cats or dogs. 

I didn't use poison against that rat or deer mice because they are prey for other animals. Again, too risky.

I've seen those stationary bait containers near some businesses.   They are a black plastic box with an entrance hole.

@Vine Abider Maybe try the Vaseline?   You only have to put enough so the rat can't jump over it.   It might not like the feel of sticky Vaseline on its feet.

A funny story.   We used to have a great mayor, Richard Riordan.   He was a wealthy businessman...he only took a dollar a year salary.

Anyhow, he said around City Hall in the early morning, there were a lot of rats!   And he said he didn't mean the two legged variety!

[Vine Abider]

8 minutes ago, Debp said:

I've seen those stationary bait containers near some businesses.   They are a black plastic box with an entrance hole.

@Vine Abider Maybe try the Vaseline?   You only have to put enough so the rat can't jump over it.   It might not like the feel of sticky Vaseline on its feet.

A funny story.   We used to have a great mayor, Richard Riordan.   He was a wealthy businessman...he only took a dollar a year salary.

Anyhow, he said around City Hall in the early morning, there were a lot of rats!   And he said he didn't mean the two legged variety!

I've actually had that thought, even before this discussion, but I'm seeing places online where people are saying it harms plants and trees.

[missmuffet]

[Marathoner]

When one thinks of a terrier, cute little dogs come to mind. What were terriers originally bred to do?

Get rid of vermin like Norway rats. 

[Vine Abider]

11 hours ago, Marathoner said:

When one thinks of a terrier, cute little dogs come to mind. What were terriers originally bred to do?

Get rid of vermin like Norway rats. 

And we've got a terrier! My wife won't let me turn it loose on the vermin, but nothing would make the dog happier! 

[Debp]

9 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

And we've got a terrier! My wife won't let me turn it loose on the vermin, but nothing would make the dog happier! 

The dog chasing it might be enough to make the rat go over to your neighbor's yard!

[Debp]