HOW TO TRAP RATS WITHOUT GET SQUIRRELS???

[Trooper]

My backyard is an entertainment circus every morning and evening at dinner time. Since we released three females and have adopted two males, they come to have dinner with us punctually every day, and of course that has attracted other neighborhood squirrels, and you guessed it crows, finches, blue jays, mockingbirds, hawks and as is to be expected: RATS AND MICE...!!!

So now we have every rat we see recognizable by name! a situation we can no longer stand for several reasons: they chew/mangle our veggie garden and we are afraid the neighbors might call exterminator firms or worse, throw poison willy-nilly without regrds for our squirrels. Since I cannot see myself killing another living thing, I purchased three of those Hav-a-hart humane rat traps, but they are too sensitive and trip with the slightest breeze and worse, rats won't use it.

My questions to those who might have more experience than I on this subject are:

1-Is there a type of humane rat trap that will not be a lure for squirrels?
2-What is the best bait for the traps? I've heard peanut butter, cheese, anchovies, cheerios, corn and have used them and others, but the problem I think we have is the fact that the two dozen or so of squirrels that come to eat every day has strewn a lot of half-finished bits of all kind of nuts and seeds on my property, and it is like the rats and mice have a smorgarsboard everywhere. Then putting a bait in a strange box is not exactly the best attractant of rats and mice. Some friends have suggested a pheromone or scent used by professionals to overwhelm the bits and pieces odor thrown everywhere.

Once trapped, I would move them several miles on an open field where they can have another chance at life.

Any advise or suggestion? Money is not an issue.

Thanks,

Trooper's dad
(attached picture of one of my girls at dinner time)

[SammysMom]

If you have a deck or other area where you could put the trap "under" something it would probably work. My squirrels do not tend to go under things and rather prefer to go up than down for food.

[Trooper]

SammysMom: thank you for the advise, yet my released girls, like the one in the picture (Scratchy) are so friendly that they have dinner with us AT THE TABLE every night and they will get into everything, over, under and sideways. Initially I thought; well if they get caught, I'll release them next day. But the thought of being trapped for long time in a cramped trap (rat traps are a bit small for squirrels, but they can fit snug in them once they breached the trap) and dehydrate or worse get a heart attack from the fear of being exposed to predators.

Larger traps have the disadvantage that rats might not trip them. hence my dilemma!

Thanks,

Trooper's dad
Below is Trooper guarding his favorite Chestnuts in syrup. He will be getting one for his 3rd birthday tomorrow August 1st!!!!:grin3

[CritterMom]

Trooper looks like he's gonna camp on that jar until tomorrow!

Rats. First, set the traps at night only. Rats are overwhelmingly nocturnal - they may be out eating by day but night is when they are happiest and you won't trap squirrels after dark. I like anything plus peanut butter - a cracker, piece of candy bar, whatever - but you use the peanut butter to stick it down to the bait station in the trap so they have to tug it off. THAT will trip it.

My favorite mouse trap will catch many mice every night and can be modified for rats. You want a 55 gallon garbage can - at least - if you have a bigger one, that is fine. You then need a counter - and you could even just use a piece of plywood on top of something for this. You want to place the garbage can about halfway under the counter. Then, get some paper towel tubes and put a blob of peanut butter inside one end of the tube, and set them on the counter above the trash can so that the peanut butter side of the tube is hanging off the edge of the counter over the trash can. Scoot the paper towel tubes out as far as you can without them overbalancing and falling into the can and you are done. Mouse smells peanut butter, walks down the tube to get it and as soon as it steps into the part of the tube that is unsupported by the counter, the tube and the mouse will both fall into the trash can, and a 55 gallon is tall enough that they cannot leap out. You can catch as many mice as you have places to set the tubes up and still fall into the can - I have caught 4 or 5 a night. Each mouse winds up with his own tube to hide in and they even have the PB to eat until morning. You could do the same thing for rats - I have no idea how high they can jump straight up but a dumpster would certainly do the trick, and you would need mailing tubes instead of paper towel rolls.

[MyLittleMercy]

Wow, same problem here at our house. We have been back & forth thinking what we should do about these guys because I don't want to kill any of them :( As of now, we only see them around the feeders (which I never knew a rat could climb a tree?!) but not as close to the house. My fear is to have one get into the house through the dryer exhaust & find me in my bed! EEK!

I have 2 ask....what do u do when you fill the can?



Trooper looks like he's gonna camp on that jar until tomorrow!

Rats. First, set the traps at night only. Rats are overwhelmingly nocturnal - they may be out eating by day but night is when they are happiest and you won't trap squirrels after dark. I like anything plus peanut butter - a cracker, piece of candy bar, whatever - but you use the peanut butter to stick it down to the bait station in the trap so they have to tug it off. THAT will trip it.

My favorite mouse trap will catch many mice every night and can be modified for rats. You want a 55 gallon garbage can - at least - if you have a bigger one, that is fine. You then need a counter - and you could even just use a piece of plywood on top of something for this. You want to place the garbage can about halfway under the counter. Then, get some paper towel tubes and put a blob of peanut butter inside one end of the tube, and set them on the counter above the trash can so that the peanut butter side of the tube is hanging off the edge of the counter over the trash can. Scoot the paper towel tubes out as far as you can without them overbalancing and falling into the can and you are done. Mouse smells peanut butter, walks down the tube to get it and as soon as it steps into the part of the tube that is unsupported by the counter, the tube and the mouse will both fall into the trash can, and a 55 gallon is tall enough that they cannot leap out. You can catch as many mice as you have places to set the tubes up and still fall into the can - I have caught 4 or 5 a night. Each mouse winds up with his own tube to hide in and they even have the PB to eat until morning. You could do the same thing for rats - I have no idea how high they can jump straight up but a dumpster would certainly do the trick, and you would need mailing tubes instead of paper towel rolls.

[CritterMom]

Well, every morning they need to get transported to their new home. I usually toss some wadded up paper towels into the trash can so they have additional hiding places when they are in there, and you can out a piece of something they can get water from - like watermelon - in there.

[czarina]

What are chestnuts in syrup? How are they prepared?

We have the same rat problem, but I can proudly boast that I have the healthiest rats in town, because they eat Purina horse feed. Nice shiny coats, plump bodies. My husband is terrified of them, I can't tell you how many my kids and I have saved. My husband would kill me if he knew.

I don't have the heart to trap them, but I should.
Good luck!

[Fireweed]

Thanks for humanely trapping them. :thumbsup I like Crittermom's idea.
Please don't leave them in the open when you get them to their new 'home'. Put them on the edge of the field under some bushes or even rock cover (make some cover if you have to). Think some kind of den/burrow so they can immediately take shelter and feel somewhat secure while they slowly figure out what to do next. Leave some watery foods and maybe some seeds, too. :tilt

Good luck!

[Trooper]

Well I did lots of research on the topic, and it seems that the best solution after trapping them, which will not be an easy task, would be to place a low-energy electric fence that would scare the rats but not kill them. everything else would be out of the question because of danger to other squirrels and wildlife. I am sure that a few shocks will wake the beejesus out of them, but at least they'll walk with their life.

Chestnuts in syrup are three stages before chestnuts turns into a caramelized dessert (also known in France as "marron glace"), a delicacy that kings and queens of europe used to indulge while the peasants ate cabbage! You get freshly picked if possible or in-season fresh chestnuts, peel them of both the outer bark and then the inner placenta brown coating until you are left with a white pristine chestnut. A trick to gauge if you have a fresh chestnut is; the freshest it is, the whiter and pale the inner meat will look.

Then place in a sauce pan one measure of water to one of sugar cane. Add chestnuts and start to heat until break boil, then lower to simmer. Let boil for couple of hours but before the syrup turns to caramel. At that point, drain chestnuts and start a new batch of fresh syrup. Repeat 4 to 5 more times. After last batch, place each chestnuts on wax paper on cookie sheet and let air dry. The chestnuts will dry up with a sugar efflorescence. You just made Marron Glace. Save in fridge from 1 to 3 months. In freezer up to a year.

If you stop short on your syrup baths, say on the thrid one, you can save chestnuts and syrup in a jar (what Trooper was sitting on) and serve on top of desserts, ice creams or as a side to dessert cheeses.

Enjoy!!

Trooper's dad

[lovesmice]

You are a good person for wanting to merely relocate the uninvited guests. I can sympathize as I currently have 2 adult/3 baby raccoons that I am trying to discourage from coming into our yard and eating the squirrel/bird food, too.

Regarding humane traps, although I have never had to deal with Wild rats, I have had to deal with Wild mice and after trying just about every humane trap available, finally hit upon a type (Mice Cube) with a 99.9% success rate. (I would say 100%, but I have no way of knowing this for sure.) My husband did drill air holes in the cubes, though, so there is better airflow. I realize like me you will be checking the traps frequently, but condensation can develop quickly on the inside of the cubes from the mouse breathing, and this is not healthy. Also, it can get hot in the cubes, especially in the Summer. These cubes are simple, but effective so if you or someone you know is mechanically inclined, you might be able to make a larger version for rats, but too small for squirrels:

http://www.amazon.com/Mice-Cube-Pk-Reusable-Humane/dp/B000WB13QC
(The above is just an example and is not meant as an endorsement for the particular site.)

As far as bait, I use Wild birdseed. Many of the ingredients (or similar) are what they eat in the Wild and this has worked every time for us. (We had an entire litter come of age one Spring, and not one of them refused this food.) Please do not use peanut butter as it is poses a choking hazard because it is too thick and sticky. Please do not use cheese, either, because mice/rats cannot digest dairy products. (It is a fallacy that they even like it.)

Unfortunately you are going to have to clean up any food remnants in your yard at the end of each day. The mice/rats will not have a reason to go into the humane traps otherwise if they find enough food left over from the squirrels. I know this is a pain, but I go out and clean up the deck every night so the raccoons cannot find a single scrap. (When I feed my Flyers I need to watch and go out when they are done so I can clean up after them, too.)

Mice/rats are crepuscular meaning primarily active during twilight hours: dawn and dusk. Although they do have some diurnal and nocturnal activity, dawn and dusk are when they are most active. I mention this for release as these are the best times for them to settle into their new homes. You mention a field miles from your home as a possible release site. This sounds good. Make sure there is plenty of ground covering, lots of bird activity, a lack of buildings and a creek nearby. The ground covering assures a nest. The bird activity assures a food source. (Whatever the birds are eating-not the birds themselves.) The lack of buildings reduces their chance of entering a structure with kill traps. The creeks provides a source of hydration.

Thank you for caring about the mice/rats and putting the effort into relocating them. I hope you are able to resolve this matter soon.

[czarina]

Thanks for the recipe! I just happen to know where I can get some sugarcane.
If its good enough for kings and queens..............

[pixiepoo]

Healthiest rats in town! HAHAHAHA!!!:grin3:grin3:grin3 I had a similar issue with mine eating the cat and squirrel food on my deck. My fiancé claimed to have seen a "chihuahua-sized rat" one day as a result. I trapped at night and used chocolate covered pretzels and pnut butter. I had a pet rat and he LOVED sweets which is why I tried the chocolate pretzels. I had the trap out for weeks with just peanut butter and no luck. Added the chocolate and BAM! Got him (in a Hav-a-heart trap of course. ;) then moved him 15 mi away). The thing is that more will keep coming until you remove the food source. :/ you'll be trapping and trapping but new one will keep coming. At least that has been my experience.



What are chestnuts in syrup? How are they prepared?

We have the same rat problem, but I can proudly boast that I have the healthiest rats in town, because they eat Purina horse feed. Nice shiny coats, plump bodies. My husband is terrified of them, I can't tell you how many my kids and I have saved. My husband would kill me if he knew.

I don't have the heart to trap them, but I should.
Good luck!

[Trooper]

Well this has been educational, to say the least....! I too do not have any luck with peanut butter, or peanuts, or sardines, or cheese or even the fancy pheromone lure sold on the web for $16 a tube (it looks like raspberry jelly). I think my problem is the "scraps" left by the squirrels feeding every night. Cleaning every morsel would be nearly impossible as they strewn shells and bits of this and that everywhere on my 1/2 acre backyard. I too have opposums, racoons and deer problem (thank God we don't have moles, I hear they can be really devastating to a garden).

I'll try to clean up as much as I can and place the Mice Cube for the small rats and mice and will build with plexiglass a bigger version for roof rats. Also I will try chocolate. I know Trooper loves it and he gets just a nibble once in a while.

Czarina; you don't need to get actual sugarcanes, but just sugar cane sugar as opposed to invert corn sugar or beet sugar. In fact any sugar will work but sugar cane has a longer chain carbon formula and that allows for better concentration when the chestnust dry up.

Below is Trooper playing the role of a credenza decoration statue!

Trooper's dad

[CritterMom]

Trooper is just gorgeous. Mister P's mama wants to know why HER boy squirrel has pee stains on his white tummy and Trooper doesn't.

[Trooper]

Crittermom: Trooper had a stage where his lower underbelly was yelloed with urine stain, especially during the time we have acorns, which also makes the urine turn bronze in color (my son says root beer color) making you worry if blood is in it.

what I found out through observation is that when he had the staing problem, was when we was just a fresh juvenile, about 1 year old (he turned 3 years old August 1st!!!! :crazy) he was "marking" every piece of territory, up to and including me. During his marking he slightly squatted his hind quarters and allowed the urine to soak his fur. Now that he is a big man of a squirrel, he marks or pees with his rear slightly raised and thus avoids getting wet.

I am not totally positive this is the reason why, it might just be becuase my wife always said to me: "Phew!!! clean that boy up" and Trooper got fed up of me trying to wash his undercarriage!

Regards,

Trooper's dad
Below Trooper on his favorite Orange tree...