squirrel!

[rattlsnak]

wow, you drowned him? And you call yourself a softie??

Geez, i ususally just spray them down with carb cleaner and light them on fire..

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by bigchillcar
+1 in Arkansas's, we tend to eat things, which get into the house uninvited..
ryan

Wow... I bet home invasions are very rare in Arkansas!

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by rattlsnak
wow, you drowned him? And you call yourself a softie??

Geez, i unusually just spray them down with carb cleaner and light them on fire..

What, you don't have a garbage disposal?

[targa911S]

he most likely did not live alone. Reset the trap and warm up that bucket of water.

[Don Ro]

Originally posted by targa911S
he most likely did not live alone. Reset the trap and warm up that bucket of water.

You got that right!
It's April, probably a new batch of Rat-ettes nearby.

Lying in bed at night, I would hear them in my attic. I investigated and found that they entered from under the house and came in through a tiny hole in the water heater room...rat turds atop water heater, etc. I was making my plan of attack for a few days and in the mean time I would hear them run up the water heater and across a heating duct, etc. Gave me the creeps. I closed off all entries and put out commercial-grade bait.

A few weeks later, I was sitting on my deck one morning, looked up and saw a hole in my shake roof - big enough for a large cat. WTF? I did a temp fix with a sheet of plywood as I planned another strategy.

Just about then, a sweet old lady down the street was having a tear-off done on her shake roof. I needed a new roof as well...strolled down to visit her and get info on the roofing company. I went around the back and saw 3 (three) large holes in her roof - identical to mine. She said that she woke up one night because a rat ran across her while in bed. FM!

Within a week, I had my owner/builder city permit, material purchased, and hired a tear-off crew.

I hate rats!!!

[austin552]

Are you nuts!! Some people have rats for pets. Seen Willard?
Our cat caught a mouse in the house once. I was standing on the bed crying like a little girl. Can't go near em in the pet stores either. NASTY

[Hugh R]

Originally posted by cashflyer
Ummm.... yeah. It's not like he has a coyote in the wall... It's a frikkin squirrel!! (Or a rat/mouse.)

It was a tongue-in-cheek statemen perhaps I need to post a so you know when your reading such things.

And I've had to drive off coyotes from the inside of my fenced 18 acres to protect my two dogs from attack (big dogs).

Also, I've killed 9 rattlesnakes over the last three years, two in my garage. And yes, I live in the Los Angeles area and could be construed as a yuppie.

[ed martin]

Unfortunately, this may be only the tip of the proverbial berg. They generally like to come into the warmth of your house during the winter months. What you want to do is inspect around along the the perimeter of the wall and look for droppings. The larger the droppings the larger the rat. That's also where you want to set your traps. The old fashioned spring traps are pretty effective and probably the most humane. Sometimes the really smart rats can get the bait and defeat the trap though. I've always liked the green corn, but you will find yourself having to track down the source of the odor and they don't always die in the most convenient place. The advantage of the poison though is that it is thorough. Keep it away from pets and children. You also want to inspect and cover any cracks or holes where they can gain access to your interior in the future. Anything larger than a half inch an adult rat can get through.

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally posted by notfarnow
...Wifey wouldn't ley me take a picture of the detainee, citing the Geneva convention. ...

My wife would have stepped on it with a bare foot unless she just got her toes done, then she would take a bat to it and slowly squish it. She scares me....

[targa911S]

You wife scares me too hearing that. You better be a good boy lube.

[notfarnow]

Update: Reset trap in the basement, and caught a squirrel last night. I let him live, cuz he was cute.

Funny thing, most people I've spoken to are shocked that I drowned the rat. Most said they would have driven him out to the country and set him free. If I catch any more, I think I'll bring them to their houses.

Anyway, I think I have their doorway sealed off, I just hope I don't have any more trapped inside.

I'm still pretty freaked out about having a rat in the house. YIKES.

[legion]

Originally posted by notfarnow
Most said they would have driven him out to the country and set him free.

As it turns out, that is illegal around here. (Ask me how I know.) It is perfectly legal to kill the offending animal, but not to set it free (unless you set it free in your own yard).

[Eric 951]

Originally posted by notfarnow
Funny thing, most people I've spoken to are shocked that I drowned the rat. Most said they would have driven him out to the country and set him free. If I catch any more, I think I'll bring them to their houses.

Are they freakin' nuts?

I have shot rats that have been caught but are still alive in the trap. Or a good boot-heel to the head.

I hate rats...

[bigchillcar]

As it turns out, that is illegal around here. (Ask me how I know.)

legion..you got a citation for that??
ryan

[legion]

I didn't, but I was with a friend helping them release a squirrel that kept getting into their attic.

[Dottore]

Originally posted by notfarnow
12Am update... trap still empty, haven't heard a thing since yesterday. Will cover the hole tomorrow, and move the trap inside just in case I seal him in.

We had an exterminator come round and install one-way doors on a couple of holes. The critters go outside when they get hungry - but cannot get back in. That way they don't die in your walls or attic.

This worked very well for us. After four or five days the problem was solved.

They have now moved up in the world - to our neighbours flashier house.

[Dottore]

Originally posted by notfarnow
12Am update... trap still empty, haven't heard a thing since yesterday. Will cover the hole tomorrow, and move the trap inside just in case I seal him in.

We had an exterminator come round and install one-way doors on a couple of holes. The critters go outside when they get hungry - but cannot get back in. That way they don't die in your walls or attic.

This worked very well for us. After four or five days the problem was solved.

They have now moved up in the world - to our neighbours flashier house.