View Full Version : Pack Rat!
I've been at war with a pack rat that has built a nest under our wood pile. I've lost every engagement so far. I don't know how big it is because my game cam wakes too slowly to catch it. So, last night I put out a large trap and a small trap. The damn rat ate the bait on the large one without tripping it and STOLE the small one. :mad:
Pat
I've been at war with a pack rat that has built a nest under our wood pile. I've lost every engagement so far. I don't know how big it is because my game cam wakes too slowly to catch it. So, last night I put out a large trap and a small trap. The damn rat ate the bait on the large one without tripping it and STOLE the small one. :mad:
Pat
Yeah, they are bad this year. I've had them eat bait out of a hair trigger rat trap...how quick are they, there was one finger in the trap.
I sometimes (away from the house because of dogs/dead PR bodies) use a poison cube that is secured in a plastic box...locks shut with a hole large enough for PR's.
Works great but you don't want a poisoned PR in the yard for your dog I'm thinking.
I've a few nice car rewiring bills from the little bastards.
BTW, if you get rid of the PR get rid of the smell (urine/feces) as it attracts other PR's...I use undiluted pinesol spray...
Yeah, they are bad this year. I've had them eat bait out of a hair trigger rat trap...how quick are they, there was one finger in the trap.
I sometimes (away from the house because of dogs/dead PR bodies) use a poison cube that is secured in a plastic box...locks shut with a hole large enough for PR's.
Works great but you don't want a poisoned PR in the yard for your dog I'm thinking.
I've a few nice car rewiring bills from the little bastards.
BTW, if you get rid of the PR get rid of the smell (urine/feces) as it attracts other PR's...I use undiluted pinesol spray...
I found the small trap under the wood rack. It tripped but no rat and no bait. I tossed several of the Tomcat blocks under the rack but they haven't worked yet. I'm going to put some more out tonight. Fortunately, the dog won't mess with dead things.
I've been checking the vehicles and they are clear so far.
Thanks for the Pinesol tip!
Pat
The Reaper
09-18-2014, 18:52
Don't handle the carcasses with your bare hands.
TR
Don't handle the carcasses with your bare hands.
TR
Haven't gotten that far yet. :D
Pat
mark46th
09-20-2014, 15:40
I'd spray the area with an insecticde, too. Triatoma(Kissing or assassin bugs) live in pack rat nests. In Mexico and Central America, the bite from these bugs can carry Chaga's disease, which causes a heart infection. The only cases I have heard of up here were in Texas.
I've a few nice car rewiring bills from the little bastards.
Happened to us once. We got an outdoor cat at the shelter and the only rats we see now are dead ones. Properly placed glue traps work well too.
I'd spray the area with an insecticde, too. Triatoma(Kissing or assassin bugs) live in pack rat nests. In Mexico and Central America, the bite from these bugs can carry Chaga's disease, which causes a heart infection. The only cases I have heard of up here were in Texas.
I remember those dudes from living in Texas and Oklahoma. Haven't seen any out here, though. Didn't know that they bit humans, either. Fortunately, we live in a migratory bird lane and have very little trouble with bugs. Plus, the nighthawks and bats are very efficient in the evening and at night. We also have tons of lizards, some about 9" long.
Pat
Got one! Had to go to the big guns. With this heavy duty trap they have to put their head through the trigger to get to the bait. Snapped a little after midnight.
Pat
Happened to us once. We got an outdoor cat at the shelter and the only rats we see now are dead ones. Properly placed glue traps work well too.
I'd do that but outdoor/barn cats don't survive here....coyotes or horned owls will get them....my neighbor went thru 3 from the pound in 6 weeks, gave up.
Ambush Master
09-23-2014, 16:43
Also, Peppermint Oil will repel ALL rodents!! Put some on a Cotton Ball and put it where you don't want them to go (several under the hood and around ubder the vehicle)!!
Also, Peppermint Oil will repel ALL rodents!! Put some on a Cotton Ball and put it where you don't want them to go (several under the hood and around ubder the vehicle)!!
Shit, I'll try anything......
If they are in a confined space try chemical warfare.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/271598615601?lpid=82
The hardware store has them for less than they are selling here.
No, I'm looking for a really small, like cartoon sized, suitcase nuke....a mushroom cloud about waist high.
No, I'm looking for a really small, like cartoon sized, suitcase nuke....a mushroom cloud about waist high.
This is what I used: http://www.zoro.com/i/G4389917/?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google_Shopping_Feed&gclid=CjwKEAjwtIShBRD08fKD1OWSik4SJAAuKLovQ_LVYocW cA_O_VRYgkCo3q2f8rnqAhFGRLalg8PWIRoCQZvw_wcB Got it at Lowes. Not a SADM, but maybe a 175mm. :D
It does have this on the toothy end: 對大鼠此方 :D
Pat
Ambush Master
09-23-2014, 21:41
I have not personally used the Peppermint Oil, but I do know several Folks that have, and I TRUST them. They said it worked,...........For Me, It Works!!!
I have not personally used the Peppermint Oil, but I do know several Folks that have, and I TRUST them. They said it worked,...........For Me, It Works!!!
We can wash our vehicles in the hippie favorite: Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap Organic Peppermint Soap. :D
Pat
I'd do that but outdoor/barn cats don't survive here....coyotes or horned owls will get them....my neighbor went thru 3 from the pound in 6 weeks, gave up.
California coyotes must not work well together! From the looks of this map (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote#mediaviewer/File:Coyote_subspecies_distribution_map.svg) the subspecies we have here is different than the subspecies in Arizona, but from my research, the hunting techniques the coyote species uses are consistent. Must be the terrain, or how reliant the liberal coyotes out here are on their government.
We have coyotes and owls but I've only lost 1 cat to what I assume was coyotes because we had a pack of them who liked to hang out near our old house. We have a problem raccoon at our current house. Got into a fight with our dogs a while back on our deck. The dogs kept him away for a while but he was back a couple nights ago eating our cat food and the damn thing broke the cat bowl in the process.
California coyotes must not work well together! From the looks of this map (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote#mediaviewer/File:Coyote_subspecies_distribution_map.svg) the subspecies we have here is different than the subspecies in Arizona, but from my research, the hunting techniques the coyote species uses are consistent. Must be the terrain, or how reliant the liberal coyotes out here are on their government.
We have coyotes and owls but I've only lost 1 cat to what I assume was coyotes because we had a pack of them who liked to hang out near our old house. We have a problem raccoon at our current house. Got into a fight with our dogs a while back on our deck. The dogs kept him away for a while but he was back a couple nights ago eating our cat food and the damn thing broke the cat bowl in the process.
The packs around here are pretty aggressive....they take small dogs too.
One Coyote runs at a barky dog (small 20 lbs or so as Coytes won't attk a big dog)...then turns and runs away getting the mutt to chase him...right into the pack where they tear him apart.
Neighbors about 15 acres over didn't know about that and lost their dog the first week here.
New pack rat: This one has stolen 2 armed mouse traps and my wife's sun visor that she left out on a table on the deck. He couldn't get the visor in the nest, though. :D Kind of hate to kill such a resourceful little dude.
Pat
New pack rat: This one has stolen 2 armed mouse traps and my wife's sun visor that she left out on a table on the deck. He couldn't get the visor in the nest, though. :D Kind of hate to kill such a resourceful little dude.
Pat
I've been successful with Victor rat traps placed on firm ground so the the little bastards get the full shock....I'm in a constant state of war...
New pack rat:
Pat
Breed the little bastards,,
Start an off-shore mail-order food company,,
Venezuela could make you a fortune..
Taste like chicken.. :]
2018commo
04-21-2016, 10:37
I use a rat sized Havahart trap with only one end open, use a can of cheap cat food for bait. do not open the can, but put several holes in it and secure it to the back of the trap. After capture the rats get a bath, and after the bubbles stop and the rat is declared "clean" they get fed to the pond turtles.
Team Sergeant
04-21-2016, 10:57
I use a rat sized Havahart trap with only one end open, use a can of cheap cat food for bait. do not open the can, but put several holes in it and secure it to the back of the trap. After capture the rats get a bath, and after the bubbles stop and the rat is declared "clean" they get fed to the pond turtles.
Excellent idea!!!
(Why didn't I ever think of that.......)
Got him using the Tomcat trap. I'll miss the little prankster. :D
Pat
Got him using the Tomcat trap. I'll miss the little prankster. :D
Pat
Hell, what's your address and I'll tell the rat community here...
2018commo
04-21-2016, 18:15
Excellent idea!!!
(Why didn't I ever think of that.......)
It's an old trick, suspect you're wired to go High Ordnance first!
Hell, what's your address and I'll tell the rat community here...
You've got a better playground for them than we do. :D
Pat
Team Sergeant
04-21-2016, 19:46
It's an old trick, suspect you're wired to go High Ordnance first!
LOL, A friend asked me to kill the rats in his horse barn when I was 14-15. Killed a bunch of rats with a pellet rifle. Shot between the horses legs etc. The job got done. This was before great rat traps I'm sure. ;)
A damned pack rat stole my pack rat trap! It was armed but something small ate the bait so it was possible to haul it off without tripping it.
TomCat rat /mice (for the babies) traps work exceedingly well....I bait them with rat poison too...they love the crap.
Been getting about one packrat a day
TomCat rat /mice (for the babies) traps work exceedingly well....I bait them with rat poison too...they love the crap.
Been getting about one packrat a day
It was a TomCat rat trap that it stole! I just found it funny, really. The coyote has been doing a good job of dealing with the critters, but I haven't seen it recently. I think that you have more feed issues that increase your problems. We've done away with that problem. We only had one rattler and it was actually in the "snakes live" zone but Nancy ran over it with the mower...twice. :D She mows a walking trail around the BLM land that surrounds us. The city-girl likes her little John Deere D-105. :lifter
I've killed two Green Mojave's this year...one at my front door. Our Coyote's are lazy Democrats on the dole…..bastiches!
I've killed two Green Mojave's this year...one at my front door. Our Coyote's are lazy Democrats on the dole…..bastiches!
:D
The Mojave's are mean bastards. Nance had a friend tell her to just shoot water at snakes and they would retreat. The first Mojave she ever encountered she turned the hose on. It charged her faster. He called for me to bring her gun. I did and she dispatched it quickly. Had another one the next day, but she was carrying at the time.
A new pack rat found our hidden spare key and moved it to it's nest. BUT, it removed the Marvin the Martian keychain that was on the split ring! I can't find Marvin or the spilt ring, the bastard. It also stole a small mouse trap but brought it back in exchange for Marvin. Now the pack rat trap is gone. Geez.
Intel NCO
07-18-2020, 22:30
A new pack rat found our hidden spare key and moved it to it's nest. BUT, it removed the Marvin the Martian keychain that was on the split ring! I can't find Marvin or the spilt ring, the bastard. It also stole a small mouse trap but brought it back in exchange for Marvin. Now the pack rat trap is gone. Geez.
I'd say get a cat, but you'd hope there's be enough bobcats around these parts to handle that.. seen at least 2 in my backyard lately here in SV.
A new pack rat found our hidden spare key and moved it to it's nest. BUT, it removed the Marvin the Martian keychain that was on the split ring! I can't find Marvin or the spilt ring, the bastard. It also stole a small mouse trap but brought it back in exchange for Marvin. Now the pack rat trap is gone. Geez.
He (or a different one) brought Marvin back after 3 and a half years. But the spilt ring is still missing.
ETA: Forgot to mention that it took the rat trap I set for it again. Fair trade, I guess. I just don't know what it has planned for the trap.
Breed the little bastards,,
Start an off-shore mail-order food company,,
Venezuela could make you a fortune..
Taste like chicken.. :]
Forget my old recommendation,,
This must be at least the 3rd or 4th successive generation Pack-Rat you're dealing with, across this epic battle.
THEY need to be isolated and their DNA extracted to use for a new Super Rat Warrior.
Have youy setup any game cams to capture their image(S)??
I have a friend that runs a very discrete lab in Yunnan, China :munching
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20380897/
Have you setup any game cams to capture their image(S)??
Yep. Many times, but it's so slow to wake up that it's only caught the dog's nose and my wife's legs.
With the trap missing, I hope it didn't get a leg caught and dragged it off. I did see two buzzards land in, or near, the riparian area we live next to. I went to check it out, but couldn't find where they landed.