[ScoopLV]

Last time we were in China, we took to calling the roof ornaments on the great old buildings "roof rats." My wife and I want to buy a bunch of these things and install them on our roof. Unfortunately, I haven't found any place which sells them in quantities lower than 50.

If anyone knows where I can find some Las Vegas "roof rats" -- do drop a line.

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by jangler

Sorry for bumping this nasty subject but just today I found a fairly large one running up the back yard wall just an hour ago. It's now 2PM. This is the first year I grew, well rather had a voluntary cantaloupe patch. Something was chewing up the young fruits and now I know what it is. Since wrapping my cantaloupe it's now going for my eggplants. I love growing food, currently have fig, pomegranate, lemon, lime, nectarine and pluot trees. Their all about a year in the ground so their not prolific fruiting just yet but then there will come time these will attract more of these rats. I keep my yard clean, but I do have some bags of compost that I noticed had nibbles in the bags as well. I also grow veggies and disgusted to think that these creatures may have taken some nibbles on my greens. For those who have had to deal with this problem what did you use. We have stray cats or roaming pet cats in the neighborhood, I don't like them because they defecate in my garden beds but don't want to kill them either. So poisons that may harm someone's pet is out of the question. Any suggestion or ideas? This is the first time I will be dealing with something like this but I'll be taking care of this on my own. If you have a reputable person you can recommend or have an idea or two that I may try, I would be ever so greatful for your time in replying to my post.

A place I used to work deployed some traps for the ground squirrels around the building. I think he got them from Ecolab. The poisoned bait is inside the trap that looks a little like an oil pan. They don't come back out.

Incidentally, many of the people I worked with considered the ground squirrels cute and participated in a little eco terrorism by blocking the opening in the traps.

These were tiny little chipmunk things. Don't know if they have one that is rat sized, but it might be worth a phone call.

[Erratikmind]

Rats you say? I thought that I had left those folks back in California.

[jangler]

Thanks for the suggestion folks. I'll give terminex and ecolabs a try. See how much they'll charge me to set traps for these rats. I'm sure they're rats and not ground squirrels, tail too long. They've eaten more of my eggplants and even the leaves since my post this afternoon. Plant is so tattered now. It takes a bit to do to keep plants alive, now I have to contend with these critters. I'm just a bit worried that they end up making a nest up in my attic or invading my garage. My friend is using half to store her possessions. It'll be an ideal nesting ground too. Need to get ahead of this problem.

Erratic, I thought I left rats in NYC as well. Those critters are mutants, I'm convinced they're hell spawn.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by NLVgal

A place I used to work deployed some traps for the ground squirrels around the building. I think he got them from Ecolab. The poisoned bait is inside the trap that looks a little like an oil pan. They don't come back out.

Incidentally, many of the people I worked with considered the ground squirrels cute and participated in a little eco terrorism by blocking the opening in the traps.

These were tiny little chipmunk things. Don't know if they have one that is rat sized, but it might be worth a phone call.

Terminex also gave me one or two of those but they didn't catch any.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by jangler

Thanks for the suggestion folks. I'll give terminex and ecolabs a try. See how much they'll charge me to set traps for these rats. I'm sure they're rats and not ground squirrels, tail too long. They've eaten more of my eggplants and even the leaves since my post this afternoon. Plant is so tattered now. It takes a bit to do to keep plants alive, now I have to contend with these critters. I'm just a bit worried that they end up making a nest up in my attic or invading my garage. My friend is using half to store her possessions. It'll be an ideal nesting ground too. Need to get ahead of this problem.

Erratic, I thought I left rats in NYC as well. Those critters are mutants, I'm convinced they're hell spawn.

I think I heard one of them say he was going to sit on the coib and listen to the boids while his buddy was pawking the caw.

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by jangler

Thanks for the suggestion folks. I'll give terminex and ecolabs a try. See how much they'll charge me to set traps for these rats. I'm sure they're rats and not ground squirrels, tail too long. They've eaten more of my eggplants and even the leaves since my post this afternoon. Plant is so tattered now. It takes a bit to do to keep plants alive, now I have to contend with these critters. I'm just a bit worried that they end up making a nest up in my attic or invading my garage. My friend is using half to store her possessions. It'll be an ideal nesting ground too. Need to get ahead of this problem.

Erratic, I thought I left rats in NYC as well. Those critters are mutants, I'm convinced they're hell spawn.

You might consider a big, scrappy, well fed cat for nighttime patrol. They will kill for fun. For daytime patrol, I recommend Australian Shepherds or fully grown chickens. Neither take too kindly to violation of their space by smaller critters.

[SoCalCpl2]

And they love Palm trees...

[jangler]

If only I have room for chickens. A couple of big cats already prowl at night. Both of which aren't mine. Unfortunately they just use my back yard as a big kitty litter but ignore the rats. Or maybe the rats wised up and go for my veggies and fruits during the day. Just saw the same big ratter a minute ago running up the back wall. They just discovered my figs. Very tenacious this things.

Buzz, funny... Not a native Noo Yawker but lived there for over 2 decades. I do have a funny accent. People say they can't quite pin it from where. Worked mostly in the city but lived in the boroughs. Probably accounts for the funny accent.

I'll try the traps, can't hurt...

Thank you guys. Now gotta get back to work before they notice I've been goofing...

[Danknee]

I got an electric rat trap off Amazon. Nothing for weeks, then it got cold and I've killed 5 rats, 3 were caught one a day for 3 consecutive days.

Each kill I wipe out the trap with soap and water. I bait with two pieces of dog food with a little peanut butter on them.