Rat Attack

[slownsteady]

My first thought was getting some kind of motion activated camera to catch a look at it, but that may not be so easy to get.
No reactions from the dogs? Do they sniff around the area? Do they wake up at night and get alert?

 

[applebear]

Yeah that would be tricky...I've asked my fb friends if they had a camera that would go all night, but no one does and I can't afford to buy one...would also require some lighting out in garage, and it doesn't work either.

The dogs will lift their heads if it makes a loud enough noise, but nothing to see so they barely move. I have had past mice scrurry across the floor and my chow is on it [not that he's fast enough to catch it, but most def alerts if seen].

Also, not finding droppings in house though I haven't pulled out that stove yet either. I did find a large hole in garage on house wall...but no clue if something made it's way in. If so, it lead to the basement crawl space and maybe found a way up from there [I'd set up traps down there too, but it's difficult if you don't know what you are hunting]? :/

 

[slownsteady]

Our first day in this house (long ago), we knew we had a lot of clean-up to do before we moved in. We brought sandwiches for dinner that first day and while we were sitting at the kitchen counter, a mouse popped it's head out and looked around... right from one of the burners of the stove. I was in shock, not so much that there was a mouse in the house, but that he knew how to navigate up through the stove! In the following days, we pulled out the stove, the fridge and the dishwasher. It was amazing how much mouse poop was behind the dishwasher.
We eventually took some old AL screens and cut them into strips and used them to close some seams where the wall met the floor.

 

[applebear]

That doesn't surprise me at all. When I was a kid, my parents set a trap inside the stove [under the burner part that lifts] and we got one that way...only it just snagged her by the back leg. I begged to keep her, and in an aquarium she went [the leg went dead and just dropped off, and we called her tripod]. She got loose once, and returned to the cage. lol

Whatever this is, isn't a mouse though. I did an online search trying to find scat droppings to get some kind of clue, but natta.

Guess it'll just be a waiting game until I figure it out...right now, mystery critter is winning. :/

 

[nealtw]

Did you find this?
http://www.abeepestpro.com/differences-types-of-pest-droppings-poop.htm

 

[HighRoller]

Boy does your life sound complicated! Good luck with your issue man, That sounds horrible.

 

[applebear]

No Neal, though I found similar. Not seeing anything there that really matches up...the things that do kind of look like it, wouldn't match up in size wise [ie the roach poop 'kind of' looks like it, but it's way too big to be that].

And now that I think of it, I haven't found the scat in the house either...though I haven't pulled out stove or fridge [is hard, kitchen is tiny].

I don't know, need to get the funds raised to get the siding finished...it's the garage that is the problem. It has some foundation issues from rot and gappy on the bottom.

 

[ElizabethMunk]

The best way to eliminate rats would be to cut off their food supply by closing all the garbage cans tightly. The most popular rat baits used are peanut butter and bacon grease. To prevent the rats from re-entering your house just seal all the vents, cracks and holes.

 

[zannej]

Oh man, I hate when they get into the stove. My stove is ruined bc they got into the insulation under the burners and above the oven part. Anytime we used the oven or burners it would warm up the mouse pee and the stench filled the house.

I hope you can find a solution to the critters. I haven't found one yet-- but that's partially since I'm in the woods and my house was never sealed properly when it was built. All sorts of hidey holes for the mice. The cats have reduced the numbers quite a bit, and for awhile we had a chicken snake that got in and was eating the mice under the stove (I saw it zip under and heard a mouse squeaking and decided Mr Chicken Snake could stay).

 

[applebear]

Oh man, I hate when they get into the stove. My stove is ruined bc they got into the insulation under the burners and above the oven part. Anytime we used the oven or burners it would warm up the mouse pee and the stench filled the house.

I hope you can find a solution to the critters. I haven't found one yet-- but that's partially since I'm in the woods and my house was never sealed properly when it was built. All sorts of hidey holes for the mice. The cats have reduced the numbers quite a bit, and for awhile we had a chicken snake that got in and was eating the mice under the stove (I saw it zip under and heard a mouse squeaking and decided Mr Chicken Snake could stay).

Whatever it was, it hasn't returned since. I have never really had a rodent problem until this junk with the house happened, but now that the side is completely sealed-that has helped a lot. The garage is still a risk, but hopefully that will be taken care of if we can get the people together to finish the work.

I'm happy to say I normally catch on fast when one is in the home, so they don't get much time to hunker down in the stove, etc.. I just HATE them in the house and it becomes mission kill.

I did have something in the garage that seemed to have some size to it [as it pulled completely free from that large sticky trap]. I tried a live trap as well and finally broke down with rat/mouse poison...I resisted for the dogs, but I go out with them in the yard every time and do regular sweeps cleaning up poo. Literally overnight, it ate the entire bin of it. I found no animal...but the scat has stopped and the new pellets I put out haven't been touched since.

Applebear: 1 Varmint: 0

 

[DanBrown]

Agreed with slownsteady, very valuable to learn a lesson that early on. haha!

 

[frodo]

aint no mouse in this house,,,,we are on patrol

 

[applebear]

I'm allergic to cats, though I'm also more of a dog person. Can say that is the advantage to the kitties though. lol

 

[nealtw]

I'm allergic to cats, though I'm also more of a dog person. Can say that is the advantage to the kitties though. lol

Sphynx cats have no fur, great for people that are allergic.

 

[slownsteady]

Sphynx cats have no fur, great for people that are allergic.

...if you can stand looking at them. And forget about petting them - just my:2cents:

 

[frodo]

get a cat and some allergy pills

 

[zannej]

They actually now make an anti-allergy toothpaste-- but it isn't covered by insurance yet. You can either get the toothpaste specifically adjusted to your allergy needs or drops under the tongue. They just completed some studies on it and it has been helping people. Unfortunately, it costs about $400 every 3 months or something like that.

 

[applebear]

Sphynx cats have no fur, great for people that are allergic.

They are a very high maintenance cat. They have special care requirements, not to mention a higher energy and spitfire personality to go with it. Also, not sure if I could handle petting a babies bottom. lol I'd be more interested in a Rex in this case, but really I am just not a cat person.

I like them afar, where I am not having to clean litter boxes, worry about allergies or shooing them off the counter tops.

 

[applebear]

get a cat and some allergy pills

Well there certainly is enough cats in town to choose from [sadly too many dumped and left to reproduce]. I am on two allergy pills and a nasal spray now. It has helped greatly with allergies, though I haven't tried playing with any kitties since being on them.

 

[applebear]

They actually now make an anti-allergy toothpaste-- but it isn't covered by insurance yet. You can either get the toothpaste specifically adjusted to your allergy needs or drops under the tongue. They just completed some studies on it and it has been helping people. Unfortunately, it costs about $400 every 3 months or something like that.

That's crazy. If I had a great desire to have cats, it may be more of a disappointment, but I've never been big in them [though I admit if someone handed me a munchkin, I may try to make it work lol].

I have a feeling even when approved by insurances, mine still wouldn't. They wouldn't consider it a 'necessity' at that price. I needed some skin cream once, and had to go on something cheaper because of one such case...the cream I had to go on doesn't work, but they don't care either. :down: