Poll of the Day > small rat issue

(+) Yeah! (+)

Long story short, my neighbors have rats. Not many, but they're starting to use my yard.
My yard is a pretty nice southwest yard, so there's bushes, birds, bunnies, flowers, etc.

Is there any way to deal with a couple rats that won't have an effect on the other living things?

I almost wanna remove a bush, but the flowers on it are so pretty and the bunnies like to go into it sometimes.

Are there any good traps or like rat specific deterrents?

This is a very new problem for me. With them coming from the neighbors, it's not like they're in one spot.

how... hostile are you willing to be?

I guess I'm willing to be hostile.
I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Ok, then get some traps from your local hardware store - bunnies won't go in them as they tend to not be particularly food-curious the way rodents are.

Then there's stuff like: https://www.amazon.ca/Rat-Zapper-Ultra-Rodent-RZU001/dp/B00CM859OA/

"Humane, High-Voltage Shock Once rodents enter the trap, it delivers a continuous shock for 2 minutes to humanely kill rats and smaller rodents "

Probably unnecessary, any basic food-box with a one-way door is good enough.

Worst case scenario is you might catch other rodents like mice/squirrels.

This guy rates pest traps

https://youtube.com/@shawnwoodsmousetrapmonday?si=MWQ1BQaY01Q9RuKd

Also if the rats are starting to come into your yard from the neighbors, its a bigger problem then you might think. Double check all possible entrances for your house and seal them. And keep an eye out inside your house for any signs

There was a rat in my house and I scared the shit out of it by sneaking up on it. I never saw it again. I just thought it was cool looking tbh. It screamed weirdly like a human.

Guess it depends on how much they actually want to be in your house. My rat chose the peaceful path and left.

pedro45 posted...

Long story short, my neighbors have rats. Not many, but they're starting to use my yard

If they're outside, that's their domain. It's already outside.

At least they are small rats

Lokarin posted...

how... hostile are you willing to be?

independence day.

Kimbos_Egg posted...

independence day.

https://throwflame.com/products/xl18-flamethrower

I'd suggest a tactical nuclear warhead with a .002 Megaton blast yield.

It's sure to clear your rat problem. Just see one, and toss it at the rat. Boom. No more rat.

Dress up like a girl rat and lure them under a suspended anvil and drop it on them.

Arvena Thelas rat problem.

What kind of food is best as bait?

pedro45 posted...

What kind of food is best as bait?

First you will need some Tomme de Chevre and some chanterelle mushrooms. Add some rosemary and saffron and melt the cheese over the mushroom by smoking it. Now here is the hard part. You are going to need to finish it off with some ohmic cooking. Basically we are going to shoot electricity straight through it. There are a couple different ways you could do this and I'm not sure which will be the best, so you may have to experiment a bit. But if all goes well you will get yourself a ratatouille.

Call 'em a rat taxi

https://youtu.be/BSyryNMZijQ

slacker03150 posted...

Basically we are going to shoot electricity straight through it. There are a couple different ways you could do this and I'm not sure which will be the best,

https://www.amazon.ca/Rat-Zapper-Ultra-Rodent-RZU001/dp/B00CM859OA/

^much much too weak. One website suggested running 120 bolts between 2 sheets of aluminum on either side of the mushrooms, but they said it wasn't a reliable cooking method as the aluminum didn't evenly cook them. Another site suggested turning it into a stew and using the electricity on the liquid portion of the stew, but I couldn't find how well that cooks. I was personally wondering how a stun gun or laser would work, but from looking around I think the amperage is too low even if the voltage is high. I would be interested in trying, but wouldn't expect great results.

I know more about catching mice indoors than catching rats outdoors. probably you should focus on rat-proofing your house. I don't think you can rat-proof your yard.

peppermint oil has at least some repellent effect for mice and sounds like it can also work for rats so you could spray some around your yard, but even if it worked a bit it wouldn't last very long especially if it rains.

googling "rat proof your yard" seems to say that yeah, you would need to do things like get rid of bushes and other places where they can seek shelter.

https://redd.it/1d1uzbi

If it was my wife she'd be trying to keep them as pets

Lokarin posted...

https://redd.it/1d1uzbi

holy geez...