I don't know if this is a home repair problem or not but we've had Rats in
our basement for a while now. I managed to trap and kill a couple but I'm
sure there are more around.
I don't want to use poison cause I have a dog . I've been using the
conventional Rat Trap type of spring trap but the buggers seem to be able to
eat the bait right off the trap without triggering it sometimes. I need
this problem gone before it gets out of hand.
Angus

If you know you have rats, the problem has likely already gotten out of hand.
For every rat you see, there are plenty more behind that one that you *don't*
see. And boy, can they do damage. Rats got in between the walls of a friend's
townhouse and did a whole lot of chewing on the wiring, giving her a big fat
repair bill. Just a couple of little ol' field mice decided to take up
housekeeping under my dishwasher and did a number on both the wiring and the
hoses. They also chewed right thru the plaster wall that the dishwasher backs
up to.

For the mice, I set spring traps, got rid of the mice, and still set traps
every couple of months. Got rid of all the food in the kitchen cabinets for
awhile too so there was no food to attract them.

The friend with the rats called in the professionals, and for rats, that's what
I'd do if it ever happened to me. I would think rats could just do too much
damage too quickly to fool around with. With whatever they're going to use,
the professional can likely tell you if maybe you should send the dog on
vacation to some friends or relatives for a bit til the problem is resolved.

Good luck!

Cindy