Rodent control?

[lychas]

Just wondering the best way to control the rat problem i'm having in my herp and invert room. I take it just regular baiting and trapping? Any other things i can do?

 

[bugster]

foodsources

Remove any and all potential foodsources or attractants for the rats. Either put stuff in sealed containers or remove it entirely to a better spot. Also, find a way to block any entry points you can locate, even very small holes as a rat/mouse can squeeze through spots much much smaller than you'd imagine.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I'd be careful with baits, you don't want them to track something up on top of your animal cages, or chew their way through a screen lid after consuming poison and getting chomped by something bigger than they are.

But yeah, I agree with the post above me, if you just put out bait and traps but don't try to block entry or remove what's attracting them in the first place, you'll never make any real progress. More will just show up.

 

[macjizzle]

I, too, am having this problem...but not just in one room but rather various rooms of the house. besides eliminating the possibility for the rats/mice to reach food what else can i do to make them stop coming? ie: what else is considered attractive to them?

 

[Neuroticax]

Secure the food, get live traps, let 'em go in the woods.

 

[357wheelgunner]

Secure the food, get live traps, let 'em go in the woods.

We used to put the live traps in a bucket of water, then dump the contents in the woods. Then we'd wait over the dead rats and shoot the coyotes and feral dogs that came to get them....

 

[arachyd]

Water is also attractive to rodents. If you leave dishes in the sink make sure they are not holding water. Put stoppers in your sink drains at night because a rat or mouse will go down to the S bend in the drain for a drink. There isn't much you can do to keep them out of the toilet but a few traps in the bathroom would help. I've found that glue traps are horrible things to work with (the critter is still alive and can't be safely removed from it easily so you dispose of the trap too) while at the same time one of the most efficient kinds of trap on the market and basically harmless to dogs, cats and humans. They are fairly cheap too. I only use them if the snap traps don't work right away but they always get their rodent. If a small pet accidentally gets on one you can remove them by dissolving the glue with oil-mineral, olive, corn, etc.

 

[Neuroticax]

We used to put the live traps in a bucket of water, then dump the contents in the woods. Then we'd wait over the dead rats and shoot the coyotes and feral dogs that came to get them....

What's the point of live traps if you kill them anyway? :?

 

[357wheelgunner]

What's the point of live traps if you kill them anyway? :?

No mess or smell. Most mammals crap themselves shortly after dying, and the decay brings in other pests if you don't get rid of them immediately. Also....we always had plenty of live traps, not so many dead traps?

 

[Neuroticax]

No mess or smell. Most mammals crap themselves shortly after dying, and the decay brings in other pests if you don't get rid of them immediately. Also....we always had plenty of live traps, not so many dead traps?

I suppose I can see your point.

 

[Elapid]

just leave a couple snakes running loose.

 

[bugster]

cat

getting a cat could be an effective discouragement or full deterrent in some cases---depends on the cat and the rat!!

 

[Neuroticax]

I can not agree with more with the cat idea. I have two and we recently had a couple mice sneak into the house, within a week they were in the living room, headless as a present.