"Is that a rat?" my wife said.

[MineralMan]

Sure enough, there was a rat in our front yard, under the bird feeding station. As I watched, another one showed up. Not good.

We feed the birds and squirrels in our front yard, but this was the first time that I've ever seen a rat. There are no feral cats in the neighborhood, since Minnesota winters don't make life easy for them.

So, what to do? Can't use poisoned bait, since the squirrels will find it without any question. I bought a couple of live traps and baited them with peanut butter, but the clever squirrels figured out how to open the release door for those traps in about half an hour and scarfed up the peanut butter.

We hired a couple of people to thoroughly rake the area, along with the rest of the yard, reasoning that getting rid of the wasted seed would send the rats off looking for greener pastures. We stopped putting out so much food for the other critters, too. But, the rats remained.

My wife called an exterminator and explained the situation, but they had no answer if we wanted to spare the grey and red squirrels in the yard. "Anything we do to kill rats will get the squirrels, too, especially the little red squirrels."

Then, I remembered that I had a Crosman .177 multi-pump pellet pistol in the basement. So, I found it, along with a can of pellets, practiced a bit in the basement with it to reacquaint myself with shooting the thing accurately, and brought it upstairs.

After three days, we no longer have rats eating under our bird feeder. My wife is pleased at the result, but wasn't too fond of the idea of killing the little rodents. She changed her mind after I explained the breeding cycle of rats. Sometimes, a guy has to do what is needful.

[spooky3]

1. I was going to offer to loan you my cats. When

My neighbors were complaining about an outbreak several years ago, it was news to me! My cats are allowed only in their back yard but apparently the word was out among the rodent community to skip our house.

[SharonAnn]

35. I moved and my old neighbor says his yard now has voles, mice, squirrels, etc.

He asked if I would send back my Bengal cat. She is an awesome hunter.

[spooky3]

99. Bengals are gorgeous but not to be taken lightly! nt

I watched my cats so that they would not attack anything but mice. It was hard for them to understand.

[MissB]

2. The raccoons and owls tend to kill them around here

We had one living under the coop before we fully enclosed it. I’m not sure what killed it, but it left long before the food supply did.

We used to have a family of raccoons in the tree above the coop. They aren’t there anymore.

[Kali]

4. in my case the loss of squirrels wouldn't be that much of a concern

day rats

[MissB]

7. I call them tree rats

Though I like gray squirrels. Not many of those around here.

[Kali]

9. ours are actually rock squirrels, but they are digging, destructive assholes

that mock humans and dogs alike.

[MineralMan]

17. Squirrels Are Fine with me.

We have gray ones, black ones, red ones, and even a white one now and then. They're fun to watch, and don't seem to be destructive or to breed too quickly. They seem to have one litter per year, in the Spring. Ours have names, once we learned to recognize them individually.

We feed them peanuts in the shell, which we buy in 50-lb. bags at the local farm supply store.

The rats, however, are most interested in the bird seed, which includes sunflower seeds. I don't like rats. I don't find them fun to watch, and they breed like crazy. I'm not sure where these were living, but I cleaned up the entire area and tried to eliminate any quarters they might like. Killing them turned out to be the only answer. You can't use lethal traps, either, since the squirrels would find those, too.

We even tried peppermint oil rodent deterrent. It's useless, apparently.

[tavernier]

109. Me too. We wintered one year in a trailer park

where there were many trees and lots of squirrels. They were friendly, used to people who fed them. One was missing a tail and I wondered out loud what happened. The maintenance man was walking by and stopped to tell me the story of “Stumpy”... Apparently one of the residents had a macaw in a cage on their porch. One day Stumpy decided he wanted some sunflower seeds, and helped himself into the cage and to the seeds. The macaw was very hospitable, allowed Stumpy to gorge on his seeds. But as the squirrel was leaving, the macaw collected his payment: one tail in exchange for the meal.

So Stumpy learned the old saying, there are no free lunches.

[Iggo]

19. We call them that, too. And we've been nice about it...so far.

We have an avocado tree out back and those fuckers just grab one, take one bite, and drop it.

But like I said, we've been nice so far. The hose. Rocks. Various kinds of toy balls and sports balls. Tennis balls are the best, I've found. Effective when on target and minimal damage on the bounce-back.

EDIT: These are basically no-kill methods, unless I get a lucky shot in. My current purpose is dissuasion rather than death.

[Arkansas Granny]

28. I have legions of squirrels in my yard. I can stand on my front porch and count 8 mature pecan tree

so they are a well fed bunch. I don't mind them, which is good as I don't see them going anywhere.

[MineralMan]

42. Pecans and squirrels. A perfect pairing.

My grandmother would have suggested squirrel stew and pecan pie for dessert, though. I've eaten both from her kitchen in years past. She was a crack shot with a .22. Any squirrel in her back yard pecan tree was likely to be served up to the family. She also made a mean pecan pie.

[Arkansas Granny]

49. As long as I get enough pecans for Christmas baking and a few bags for the freezer, I'm satisfied.

I doubt I could cook enough squirrel stew to make a dent in the population around here.

[kag]

94. My in-laws had a macadamia nut tree years ago.

We used to get bags of nuts from them, but the rat problem got so bad that they chopped the tree down.

[ismnotwasm]

5. My daughter has what she thought was a "humane" way of killing field mice

She’s rural and gets a lot. It involves a trap and drowning. She would get a many as 14 in the trap.

Yesterday she sent me a video. There were two large field mice, swimming around until the drowned. About two minutes. She was appalled, for some reason she thought it was instantaneous.

She has two cats who like to stay in the house, and once their outside structures are built she’ll get some barn cats, but cats aren’t “humane” either


Shooting the rats was a good idea.

[MineralMan]

11. We have two cats, but they've never been outside in their lives.

One is a good mouser, though. I'm hesitant about letting that one outside, though. She has no outdoor experience, and might come to harm herself.

The pellet pistol seems to be my best defense against the rodents.

[cayugafalls]

6. Sometimes you have to do what is necessary.

Rats will eventually search for food near the house. They eat a wider diet than squirrels and multiply rapidly in times of plenty.

Plus you got your aim back, always a good thing in these times. Set up some cans for fun and plink away to stay frosty in case the rats return.

Stay well.

[Clash City Rocker]

38. Rats can also carry several diseases

So yeah, keep them away from the house as much as possible.

[5X]

8. I live out in the country, all the rats moved into town.

No, I don't mean people.

[lastlib]

93. I'm in Missouri. Ours got elected to the legislature...

As ratpublikans, of course.

And governor, SOS, AG, etc.
Sure wish I could clean those basturds out.

[PatrickforO]

96. That's really good! Not the rats that got elected, but the idea.

[Roland99]

10. You sure it wasn't Jared and Stephen slinking around your property?

[MineralMan]

12. Good names for the rats.

But, I haven't seen either of them around here.

[HAB911]

13. My rat patrol

rat snake


Eastern Indigo


On the other hand, I use my pellet rifle on squirrels that eat my peaches green

[MineralMan]

20. Oh, I'd love to have a couple of those around my house.

Snakes are pretty uncommon to see in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. We have them, but I've not seen one in the 15 years I've lived here. A couple of rat snakes, would be welcome in my yard, for sure.

[HAB911]

23. I love mine

small problem with them is they don't seem to be afraid of us, kind of ignore us, which can lead to us hurting ourselves especially when we encounter them in the orange tree.

the Indigo however, is incredibly fast and when they sense our footsteps really haul ass out of the area or if they feel trapped will rattle their tail in the dry leaves like they are mean or something. problem is they eat other snakes including the rat snakes. cycle of life!

[MineralMan]

27. Where I grew up in California,

we had gopher snakes, king snakes, garter snakes, and some rattlesnakes. When I was a kid, I used to pick up any non-poisonous snake I encountered. Gopher snakes are biters, but soon get tired of biting you, and settle down quickly. King snakes usually don't bite.

Rattlesnakes need to be left alone, unless they're in close proximity to residential buildings. They're an important part of the ecosystem and generally warn you if you get too close to them. My response is to go the other way and let them be. I've also relocated some rattlesnakes, but I've killed a few, as well.

I miss seeing snakes and other reptiles here in Minnesota.

[stopwastingmymoney]

91. It's lucky here in the western states

That the only poisonous snake is easy to identify and warns you off

I knew a dog that was bit by one and she was sick for a long time

[Iggo]

14. Yep, I was gonna say: Pellet gun.

I haven't resorted to that method since the 70s, but I do remember it was a fact of life if you didn't want to use poison.

[MineralMan]

22. Yes. They work on varmints.

I've had one for years, and had an impromptu target range in my basement for a while, but got bored with it. I kept the pistol, though. Those Crosman pump-up pistols give a .177 pellet up to 600 fps velocity. Pretty accurate, too. They're a little expensive, but will do the job on rats.

[safeinOhio]

31. I have a 22 cal pellet rifle.

Almost 1,000 fps and will put a hurt on most varmints. Lewis and Clark had an air rifle back in the 1830s that they harvested deer with. Keep mine by the door in case a coyote tries to snatch one of my pups. You can get one on Amazon with a scope for a little over $100.

[MineralMan]

36. Yeah, a .22 air rifle would be better, but

I don't have one, and won't buy one. I do have the .177 pistol, though, and that has proven to be adequate. It's also unobtrusive and goes unnoticed by neighbors when I need to use it. I can open my screen door a little, and shoot a rat near the corner of my house, which is on the route they take to and from my front yard. I have no interest in alarming neighbors, and shooting even a pellet pistol within the city limits is a misdemeanor. If there's anyone outside, I wait until later, if necessary.

[safeinOhio]

41. I know what you mean.

I live in a semi rural area, but one must alway look farther than the target and what it could bounce off of and hit. But it is very powerful and fun to shoot at a target. Most of my wild game now comes from road kill deer. It would just go to waste and I'm pretty good at cutting up. I do it for friends that shoot theirs for a portion of it. Yum if is fresh.

[rzemanfl]

57. It's always a fine idea to confess to a misdemeanor on a bulletin board.

It might help if you confess to me you made up this story.

[MineralMan]

60. I'm not particularly worried about that.

I doubt that the local police department is very interested in someone shooting rats in their yard with a pellet gun, you know. They have plenty of other things to do.

Why would I make up the story? None of my stories are made up.

[rzemanfl]

80. I was trying to give you an alibi in a joking way.

You're famous and all that. When I saw your post I thought of three things. A local sports reporter who printed in the newspaper that he took more than his legal limit. Another who printed he sighted in his deer rifle in the woods the day before the season opened (which was illegal). That guy from the National Hurricane Center who retired and shortly thereafter posted a picture of himself with a Goliath Grouper which he then released. The fish was not supposed to be in the boat, it should have been released boatside. They all paid fines.

[rzemanfl]

81. I have no idea why my response posted twice.

[MuseRider]

15. I have them on the farm

this year too. Big pack rats. Thankfully the Norway Rats have not found their way into my hay barn. Yesterday I discovered that something has built a thick nest inside my tractor. I recently was adopted by a very nice, somewhat feral kitty who lives in my barn now. We will see how long they stay.

[Hotler]

16. Here is some interesting watching. Terriers killing rats.

[DBoon]

24. a terrier would do the job

They are bred to hunt vermin.

[Blue_true]

50. Really interesting video.

The only words that I could under stand was "good dog" and "Bramble" and "Bella". When the guy spoke more than three words, I was lost as to what they were saying.

[Hotler]

108. There are some videos on youtube of a young man out of Utah I think,

that uses minks to hunt rats.

[csziggy]

76. Whenwe bought our farm, it was an aboandoned pig farm

Lots of garbage, trashed house, abandoned vehicles, and lots of pig shelters made from found materials, mostly sheets of tin propped up on sticks. Rats everywhere. So the guys working for us would play Bat the Rat. Everybody would get a good solid stick, one would flip up a piece of tin, rats would run out, and they'd whack as many as possible.

We had adopted a big part Labrador named Bud. The first time he played Bat the Rat, he grabbed one rat and ran off with it to chew on it. But he watched what the guys were doing and realized that one rat was not the point of the game. Next time he ran after a rat, grabbed and shook it until it was dead (one shake usually), and went after another. He got so that he could kill three or four rats before it was time to flip the next piece of tin.

Bud was very disappointed when we had decimated the local rat population - he missed catching them. While a rat terrier might have been better at getting rats, Bud did just fine.

[Kali]

106. LOL

I can just see Bud! My fat illegal alien (NO clue what her lineage is - maybe soem beagle, maybe some corgi) is a pretty fair ratter, and she used to be able to catch cottontails but no dogs around here seem able to nail the rock squirrels.

[JohnnyRingo]

79. There's a good story that goes with that video

https://www.agweb.com/article/rat-hunting-dogs-war-farmings-greatest-show-legs

[TheBlackAdder]

18. Check out YouTube's MouseTrap Mondays, there are bucket Walk-The-Plank traps to use.

.

I subscribe to this guy's channel, Shawn Woods. https://www.youtube.com/user/historichunter

.

[MineralMan]

21. Those would kill squirrels, too, so not an option.

I have no interest in killing squirrels. Some of ours will take food from our fingers.

[TheBlackAdder]

26. Primarily squirrels are diurnal and rats nocturnal, so set the trap at night and remove in the AM.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

25. Quite an apropos post...

We live in a rural area of Michigan although we do reside closer to our “town” than rural would seem to describe.

Talking to our post person today a pheasant showed up in a driveway couple doors down. Standing brilliantly, it glanced at my dog, which for some unknown reason did not even wiggle a whisker, then proceeded to saunter across the road going about it’s own business.

Judy our post person mentioned as she drives around on her route she has noticed quite a bit more wildlife roaming around not only birds but coyotes, porcupines, of course deer plus she saw a bear a little off the road by an unoccupied summer home. Bears don’t usually come anywhere near that close.

We figured it must be from the lack of traffic and people, letting them roam without our interference. Lucky all you get are rats with a way to get rid of them.

[Botany]

29. Get some good rat and mice bait (AM Leonard*) and put the bait in place where only the rats can ...

.... get them. If you have to build a little house .... 2 2x4s about 12" long and plywood on the top the opening
no wider than 4". glue the rat bait in the middle .... keep putting the bait out after it is eaten. Look for the
their holes under sheds or garages. Rats are also thigmotactic .... they like to run along areas where their
whiskers are touching something so placing the bait along the side of a house or a garage is a good thing.

Killing them with a pellet gun works but it only kills one at a time you want to get the population and baits
will do that. The good thing about the bait is that you will get a pregnant or lactating female and they will carry
the toxin back to the baby rats.

Lowes and other places sometimes have a product called Tomcat. Tomcat's bait has a little house that keeps the bait away
from non targeted animals.

* I do not get anything at all from them.

[MissMillie]

30. One of these may help

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/rat-terrier/



Although last year we found a mouse in our bathroom, despite having 4 of them, AND a cat. (I told them all that they were fired.)

[MineralMan]

47. We occasionally have mice in the house.

One of our cats, though, makes short work of getting rid of them. She doesn't eat them, but enjoys leaving a dead one where we can find it. Cats are weird.

[Thomas Hurt]

32. My first thought was pellet gun.

Ratting with pellet guns is kind of thing in the UK, according YouTube.

[MineralMan]

53. I had that same pellet pistol when I was in the USAF in the mid to late 60s.

I took it with me to the base I was assigned to in Turkey. On that base, we had a bear in a cage, of all things. Gulan was his name - the Turkish word for bear. Anyhow, I made friends with Gulan, bringing him food and making sure his water bowl was full. His cage, though, was infested with rats, so I would take my pellet pistol down there to shoot them. Gulan disposed of the rats I shot right away. They were a treat, I guess for him.

Why was there a bear in a cage at a USAF base overlooking the Black Sea? Well, someone who was stationed there before I arrived had apparently bought a tame bear from some Turkish person when it was a cub. For over a year, the bear was loose on the base, and very friendly with everyone. Then, it somehow got into the base exchange and ate all of the candy bars in the store.

So, the base commander had a cage built for Gulan, the bear, and he became the base mascot. I'm sure that was against all regulations, but there the bear was. The same base also had a camel that lived in one of the secure compounds where work went on as part of the base's mission. The camel, however, was not tame, and used to chase people from the security entrance to the compound into the building inside. Why there was a camel there, I also don't know.

There was another security compound on the base, where I worked. Inside its secure perimeter fence were several donkeys. They were very tame, and appreciated carrots brought up from the mess hall. Why were they there? Who knows? Remote military bases often have strange things going on, I guess.

[Kali]

107. love this

not just remote bases, Turkey is just a different place itself.

[SheltieLover]

33. Yikes!

Thank you for looking after the squirrels! I adore them. When I lived in Chicago, I always fed them very well. One -20 morning, just after awakening, I heard scratching on the exterior near the door which was very unusual. When I peered out, a very cold looking little squirrel was staring at me as if to say, hurry up, it's cold out here. That morning, they inhaled 7 1 lb. loaves of bread, toasted for warmth & made ino quartered sandwiches stuffed with extra crunchy peanut buttrer.

The one scratching at the door maybe was new to the area, not sure? But I bought a huge, Amish-made wind chime & hung it just inside that door. I did this as a means of Pavlovian training so that the little cuties wouldn't waste precious energy in the extreme weather.

I sure miss them. Squirrels where I currently live have no interest in peanut butter sandwiches, even when it's "cold." (It doesn't get cold here, compartively. lol) But the possum and raccoons enjoy the treats. 😊

[Hekate]

34. Well done, you. Next door neighbor sets out poison, but unfortunately that goes up the food chain

A lot of predators can end up dying from poisoned rats. When a dead hawk was found by another neighbor, she set up a feeding station for hawks in her back property (it's a neighborhood of spacious lots, fortunately). They may nest there as well -- I don't know the whole story, I just know that we now have two pairs.

[MineralMan]

40. Yes. That's the problem with poisoning vermin.

I don't like the idea of it, since folks around here have dogs and cats, who think a dead critter is a toy to play with. I wish the live traps had worked. I could have taken the rats somewhere that has plenty of foxes around and released them. But, the squirrels are too smart about traps, apparently.

[LAS14]

37. The visit from woodchucks every four or five years makes me so want..

... to adopt the strategy of a contractor friend. Get a shotgun and go sit in a chair near the garden before sunrise. Watch for their inevitable appearance and blast away. Hubby won't go for even a shotgun around the house. Sigh....

[ismnotwasm]

39. My husband got me a shotgun for my last birthday but I'm left handed, so basically

He got himself a shotgun

[safeinOhio]

43. I had a lab rat in college, a white one with

little beady red eyes. Very sweet little guy and have always though about getting one for pet/friend.

[MineralMan]

45. Yeah, I had a pet rat for a while.

Cute little fellow, and very friendly. Black and white, it was.

[Drahthaardogs]

44. I hate to tell you this but

If you see two rats during the day, you have a HUGE rat problem.

Best thing to do is take the food in every night.

Feral cats suck at killing rats. They will kill the little ones but most wont tangle with a mature rat. They will kill the song birds though.

[safeinOhio]

48. Fire stations alway had a

dalmatians, and they weren't use to put out fires. Great rat catcher, but not the best for pets.

[Drahthaardogs]

52. Grew up on a ranch.

One corgi killed more rats and mice in a day than all the barn cats in a month.

[Vinca]

46. Last year we had a rat that appeared by the bird feeder, but he didn't look like an ordinary rat to

me and I discovered it was a kind that normally lives in the woods (we live in a rural area). I decided to leave him alone unless he decided to bring the family to the feast and, fortunately, he didn't. He went back into the woods come spring and I've never seen him again. This winter we entertained a couple of possums again and a chipmunk took up residence in the garage. One night the world's fattest raccoon appeared out back, but none of them have been a bother this year. They all head back to the woods when nice weather comes. I'm overdue taking down the bird feeder and have to get it done. I draw the line at bears!

[albacore]

98. Wood rats are cool..... nt

[leftieNanner]

51. We have had rats out at the barn

And since we are an animal sanctuary, we don't kill things (no matter how tempting). We do have owls that nest in the rafters most every year, so they take care of some of them. Last year we had a terrible rat problem, so we put out rat birth control. It's a liquid and they were lapping it up! So far this spring, no baby rats!

[MineralMan]

58. Interesting. I'll have to look up rat birth control, in case

I see rats again.

[SWBTATTReg]

54. Oh rats! Just an inside joke. By the way, don't count on the cats taking care of the rats...the

rats will attack the cats (I have experienced this w/ my animals decades ago). Good shot by the way, w/ the pellet gun. They do breed disease and carry it too (fleas). Most cities (like here in STLMO) do have eradication programs for rats, perhaps your municipality does too, you might want to give them a call.

[Ilsa]

55. I wonder if there is a way to bring falcons and

other carnivorous birds to your neighborhood?

[MineralMan]

70. Actually, we do have hawks that nest in the neighborhood trees.

I haven't seen them yet this Spring, but they're about due to show up.

I'll keep my eyes open for them.

[Ilsa]

104. They may feast on them. Good luck with the vermin problem.

Hopefully, we can run the vermin out of the White House soon.

[Pobeka]

56. Also, look for rat holes on the property.

They don't leave a mound like moles, just a clean little hole about 2 inches in diameter (at least the norway rats in the PNW). I ground up some dried thai chilis to make a powder in a coffee grinder (be very careful, the dust escapes even with the grinder lid in place, it's seriously potent, not good to breath.) Then sprinkle a few teaspoons of the powder in the entrance of the hole.

Haven't seen a rat since I did that on 4 holes I had in my yard.

Good luck!

[MineralMan]

62. I will try that idea.

[yaesu]

59. Years ago I worked for a large multi national food company & my job was pest control

Once in a while we would have a rat sneak in or shipped in during produce season & had to hunt them down, usually in the larger warehouse buildings. My main tools were a mag light, a mirror mounted on a dowel for checking under pallets & a special order smooth bore Remington 22 for shot shells.

One day, at a time when the union & company were in contract talks I was hunting for a rat, gun in hand. The new CEO, who probably didn't know I existed, was touring the plant on one of the utility electric carts & as soon as he saw me he slammed on the brakes with a look I will never forget. He calmed down as soon as other workers told him what I was up to. Will never forget it. I did get that rat by the way ;o)

[MineralMan]

63. Sounds like a great job!

[yaesu]

74. I must admit it was one of my most enjoyable jobs;o) and a good union job as well. nt

[Atticus]

61. There is a company---possibly "Hav-a-Hart?---that makes a small humane trap that just

"catches" small critters without harming them. We got one several years ago to catch and relocate chipmunks fro around our back porch. They are essentially a 16" long wire cage that allows release or-------- They also don't float if put into a 5 gallon bucket of water,----so-------.

[DENVERPOPS]

103. LOL

Been there, done that......Just wait until you catch a skunk in one........

Also, rats are extremely intelligent......We figured out using scientific info, that ONE pair of mating rats could become 900 in one year's time. Scary, huh. Around here, we have the norwegian rats, (the ones with the hairless tails) These rats are not indigenous to America. They are the ones sold in pet stores. So evidently someone turned their pet rats loose, and here we are.......

[ffr]

64. Redtail

Welcome your new friend.

[MineralMan]

66. Yes, the hawks should be showing up any day

now. There's always a couple of them in the trees in our neighborhood, but it's still too early in the Spring for them.

I expect to see them any day now, though. They're good hunters, for sure, especially when their raising a brood in their nests. It's about that time of year for them in our neighborhood.

[FormerOstrich]

65. I had a terrible time with

roof rats until I bought a couple of these. While it seemed like a lot of money it was cheaper than the professional service I had paid to trap them. I bought my first one and was so impressed I bought a 2nd one. I haven't had any problems since.

Good Nature

[MineralMan]

68. Interesting. Expensive, but interesting.

[jalan48]

67. Our city allowed residents to double the number of hens they could own and shortly

thereafter rats started to overrun our neighborhood. Some people put out poison and then dead cats and squirrels began showing up on lawns. Rats are disgusting, I have no problem with killing them.

[NNadir]

69. The rats come out at the opening of Camus' "La Peste," (The Plague.) Just saying... n/t.

[MineralMan]

71. Yes. That came to mind for me, too.

[ancianita]

72. Rats come out in spring. But they will tunnel in the fall, or follow sewer systems into warm

Last edited Sat Apr 4, 2020, 02:32 PM - Edit history (1)

dwellings.

There are compassionate animal control experts ( that compete with exterminators, who really just spread poison) who will dig a 2 ft trench, line it with high grade chicken wire, around your house to block rat tunneling.

They do much more, so if you can find an animal control service that digs trenches, they'll tell you the rest, and do a whole lot more, about sealing up the house itself.

It costs, but as you know, so does doing nothing.

Rats, like most animals, will take a path of least resistance away from your house. They might still be around, but the only way they can get in is to eat through any weak building material point they can find.

Just my experience here in Florida.

[dem in texas]

73. Rats are Still Around

They have just stopped coming out in the daylight. They are still feeding, but after dark.

I have a neighbor who puts out bird seed in a feeder and dry food in the alley "for the litter Critters" as she says. Everyone on our side of the street is overrun with rats because of her feedings. I have tried to nicely say to stop doing this, but she hides the food dishes where she thinks we can't see them. I feel like jumping all over her, but she is taking care of her 92 year old husband and has severe depression.

The positive way I have solved the indoor rat problem is taking in some of the feral cats and turning them in to indoor fur babies. But feral cats are hard to tame unless you catch them when they are tiny kittens

[Demovictory9]

75. ugh. I hate animal killing stories

[Rhiannon12866]

85. I know. I used to have a pet rat, he was very intelligent.

I rescued him after taking a required psych course in college. I don't feel very well after reading this. I was hoping for the uplifting kind of animal stories we usually read on DU.

[Demovictory9]

86. When I shop at the pet store, I love watching the mice, rats, guinea pigs

[Rhiannon12866]

92. Me, too. Though it's tough with the small animals since they have such short life spans

When I was a kid, I also had a pet mouse named Franklin D Roosevelt, Frank for short. When I went away to camp in the summers, my grandmother would "mouse sit" for me.

I was surprised to read this kind of thing on DU since I remember that in my early days here there were others who also had pet rats and DU was quite animal friendly.

[JohnnyRingo]

77. You need a rat dog.

I'm joking, but you reminded me of a fascinating article I read recently about dogs trained to hunt & kill rats.

https://www.agweb.com/article/rat-hunting-dogs-war-farmings-greatest-show-legs

Rats don't stand a chance.

[RhodeIslandOne]

78. I saw a crow eating a giant rat in my backyard a winter ago

The rat was pretty much frozen, which I found to be a good sign that if it was in my backyard couldn’t get in the house. It’s also possible the crow had found it down near the water and flown and dropped it to its death.

[Mosby]

82. You and a couple of your neighbors should put up owl boxes.

They are just like a bird house but with a really large hole. The reason I suggest including neighbors is that oddly they will not hunt near their box.

I live in a part of phoenix that now has rats, but now we also have lots of Raptors. A pair of barn owls visit my bird bath every night.

[bluecollar2]

83. Snakes

My neighbour was an avid bird feeder.

As a result there were always rats and mice feeding...

Until about a year later and word got out...

Once the snakes got the heads up the rat/mouse population declined significantly.

Occasionally had to go next door to remove a snake from the patio but they mostly kept to themselves....

[patphil]

84. Good job!

We have a resident red-tailed hawk who takes care of things for us, free of charge.

[doc03]

87. I stopped feeding the birds after I had chipmunks

and mice in my basement. I think birds have plenty to eat without us feeding them especially in the summer.

[HipChick]

88. My neighbors cat kept bringing gifts..

He was quite proud of himself, and would sit out on the fence in the morning, while I shriek and cringed at his latest token...

I hated having to pick those things up...good job on doing on what had to be done..

[Brainfodder]

89. Test the theory that only rats and humans eat potatoes?

The rest is obvious....

Good Luck!

[Kablooie]

90. Online someone suggested using chicke, ham or sardines for bait.

It won't interest the squirrels at all but the rats will go for it.

[Disaffected]

95. Or, move to Alberta:

One of the few inhabited places on earth with no rats.

Lots of grey/black squirrels though. Imports from the east that have driven out the native red squirrels in many areas.

[roamer65]

97. If you have rat holes, get some muriatic acid.

Pour a cup down the hole, have a rat hating dog or two ready and sit back and watch.

Since ur an urban dweller, you can’t use the shotgun.

[bubbazero]

100. Apparently your aim is sufficient

For those who aren't quite so proficient--try a .22 cal single shot rifle, smooth bore, designed to be use with .22 cal bird shot. Again if in restricted areas, pellet gun with significant force. The old fashioned .22 cal rifle/ .410 shot gun -- over/under --single shot may be the best "varmint" gun ever created. But if you can hit with pellet gun pistol -- you are a far better shot than I. (I tell the "Great Hunters in Plaid" the reason I can't hit the broadside of the barn, is I'm the one who would have to then FIX THE DAMN BARN)

[albacore]

101. Suggestions....

I feed birds, including woodpeckers. I also feed squirrels. And the food attracts rats. Keeping all 3 separate is a challenge.
First, I got some pepper oil and mixed it with vaseline and smeared the mixture on the posts the bird feeders hang from. One contact... and it teaches them forever not to mess with the bird feeder. It actually seems to be a knowledge passed down to the next generations, too. That takes care of the squirrels. No permanent damage to their bodies, but their psyches....that's different. (wear rubber gloves, eye protection, and wash with soap after even touching the container!)

Next, I bought a "ratinator".. a repeating rodent live trap. I put it out at dark and pick it up in the morning. Otherwise, you catch the little squirrels during the day. The ratinator is a live trap, so you have to decide whether to release the rats near a WalMart near you (kidding), or drown them. I knew I had rats, but when I set it out the first night and got NINE, I knew it was serious. I caught a total of 16, and then nothing for months. You don't have to set it every night after the initial period. Don't complain about the cost. If you have rats, buying the trap is cheaper than dealing with the rat damage.

Owls are a better solution than cats are. Way better. My squirrels attracted a pair of barred owls... they pick one off at dusk and dawn every once in a while, but they also patrol at night for rats and mice. The barred owls are big enough - and tough enough - to take a cat, so be aware.

Rugged Ranch Ratinator...Amazon
Cole's Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce...Amazon or local feed store, perhaps.

[albacore]

102. ...and...

I wash the trap with water and Joy detergent and then paint the ratinator with apple juice every time I set it at first, and every time I actually caught a rat in it. Rats are really smart, and they also leave chemical messages behind on the trap.

[Mickju]

105. We had the same problem, but it was skunks.

We finally had to remove the bird feeders and stop feeding the birds which makes us sad.