OMG! RATS!

[sumbride]

Still none in the main areas of the house. M said he saw some in the basement hallway last week. I''ve seen them in the utility closet but I don''t know what''s new. I need to clean out that closet so we can tell, but I need to get some rubber gloves first! I''m hoping maybe it left but I''m not that optimistic.

One of our cats appears to have, um, got scared, while using the litterbox the other night. He wasn''t quite done yet when he hopped out and ran upstairs. YUCK. M thinks maybe the rat scared him. I think it was the spin cycle on the washer.

 

[Ellen]

Yeah, clean up everything and then you''ll know if they''re still around.

lol@the cat, kinda

 

[sumbride]

We finally got that little utility closet completely emptied out and vacuumed with the shop vac. We stuffed steel wool in a lot of gaps but couldn''t quite get the spray foam to work right. We got it everywhere but where we wanted it! And boy is it sticky! We haven''t seen a single sign since last week. I''m wondering if they''ve left. Maybe my cat scared them off?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/20/2007 6:58:07 PM
Author: sumbride
We finally got that little utility closet completely emptied out and vacuumed with the shop vac. We stuffed steel wool in a lot of gaps but couldn''t quite get the spray foam to work right. We got it everywhere but where we wanted it! And boy is it sticky! We haven''t seen a single sign since last week. I''m wondering if they''ve left. Maybe my cat scared them off?

Could be... No "news" is good news. Just keep watching.

 

[ellaila]

I was reading about rodent extermination (we''ve been hearing mice in the walls

), and one of the recommended things to do was to put cat hair near any holes/entryways -- so, yes, maybe your cats are keeping those buggers away just by shedding! We used to curse the neverending, impossible-to-get-rid-of cat-hair dust bunnies that our cat keeps supplying us with, but now we praise him for keeping the mice out

Here''s the quote actually: "The most effective deterrents are cleanliness, placing cat hair around entryways, and moistening rags with pure peppermint oil (a natural repellent to mice and rats)."

Some other interesting facts here: http://www.livingwithwildlife.org/wildlifehelp/animals/rat.html

I hope your guys have moved out!!

 

[sumbride]

So next time we don''t have time to vacuum before someone comes over I''ll just say it''s part of our rodent prevention plan! Those little cat-hair-tumbleweeds drive me nuts! Maybe I''ll just let the dyson gather some dust for a little while longer! or I''ll just empty the canister directly into the basement walls?

Somebody told us that rats don''t eat peppermint since it is a deterrent... well, nobody told the rats that live around here! I bought a whole flat of peppermint plants last spring and we proudly put them in pots all over the patio. And one by one they were eaten to the roots! the only ones that made it were the ones on plant stands! I cried a wee bit then laughed imagining all the minty-fresh rats out there. 100% peppermint oil may smell bad to them, but they have NO problem eating peppermint plants!!! It was like a fresh spring salad to them. Our garden went vertical shortly thereafter.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/20/2007 10:40:00 PM
Author: sumbride
or I''ll just empty the canister directly into the basement walls?

LOL!


Funny about the peppermint too. Well, the breath, not the fact that they ate them.

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 1/10/2007 9:41:35 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 1/10/2007 7:31:16 PM

Author: Ellen

Date: 1/10/2007 7:21:23 PM

Author: sumbride

Thanks Ellen! that actually hadn''t occurred to me! I think I can take the peanut butter if I add some vanilla, maybe.

Careful, you may find yourself baking cookies shortly.

mmmmmmmmmmmm peanut butter cookies

storm will kill rats for cookies!!!!

HEE HEE

Sum~ I am so sorry to hear about your situation. Fortunately, I have never had to deal with rats. I am not even sure that I have ever seen one in the "wild". We have a lot of Field Mice. Pesky little buggers! As Long as there are nt too many, we just get the pest guy to lay bait under the house. I am not sure what I would do in your situation.. eek.. move!!! But then again, as soon as I see a cockroach, I am ready to call the movers...