I have a rat that has taken up residence in my oven. I have no idea where
these things came from as they had never been seen until about 3-4 months
ago. The neighbors are having problems, too, starting about the same time.
I've set traps and it doesn't fall for it. I got 1 about 2 months ago, but
this other one won't get caught. I'm using the typical spring trap, I guess
it's called, baited with peanut butter, which worked well on mice in the
past, and I haven't seen a mouse in over a year. It's an older building in
an older neighborhood. The worst part is when I turn on the oven it smells
the place with the smell of rat urine, which is just disgusting. Once I get
the rat, is the oven salvageable? I'm thinking not. I'm thinking it's a
lost cause and I'll need to just get another one. Any suggestions on how to
get this animal would be most appreciated.

In article 1106183753.437fb38ef51a45c599c7210124607066@teran ews, abd@
123.gov says...
I'm thinking not. I'm thinking it's a
lost cause and I'll need to just get another one. Any suggestions on how to
get this animal would be most appreciated.


You might try placing your bait on an unset trap, let them get used to
the trap with food on it...can always try a different attractant,
chocolate syrup works well...at some point you might look into placing
rodent bait behind the stove if the trapping fails.
--
Lar

to email....get rid of the BUGS

Paradox wrote:
I have a rat that has taken up residence in my oven. I have no idea where
these things came from as they had never been seen until about 3-4 months
ago. The neighbors are having problems, too, starting about the same time.
I've set traps and it doesn't fall for it. I got 1 about 2 months ago, but
this other one won't get caught. I'm using the typical spring trap, I guess
it's called, baited with peanut butter, which worked well on mice in the
past, and I haven't seen a mouse in over a year. It's an older building in
an older neighborhood. The worst part is when I turn on the oven it smells
the place with the smell of rat urine, which is just disgusting. Once I get
the rat, is the oven salvageable? I'm thinking not. I'm thinking it's a
lost cause and I'll need to just get another one. Any suggestions on how to
get this animal would be most appreciated.



Put out rat poison......

Clean up your garbage.

Get a cat, but make sure it's one that likes ot eat mice (former feral
or stray will usually do that). Mine even eats bugs! I think of him
as cheap pest control.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Get a cat, but make sure it's one that likes ot eat mice (former feral
or stray will usually do that). Mine even eats bugs! I think of him
as cheap pest control.


Unspayed females are the best hunters.

Paradox wrote:
I have a rat that has taken up residence in my oven. I have no idea where
these things came from as they had never been seen until about 3-4 months
ago. The neighbors are having problems, too, starting about the same time.
I've set traps and it doesn't fall for it. I got 1 about 2 months ago, but
this other one won't get caught. I'm using the typical spring trap, I guess
it's called, baited with peanut butter, which worked well on mice in the
past, and I haven't seen a mouse in over a year. It's an older building in
an older neighborhood. The worst part is when I turn on the oven it smells
the place with the smell of rat urine, which is just disgusting. Once I get
the rat, is the oven salvageable? I'm thinking not. I'm thinking it's a
lost cause and I'll need to just get another one. Any suggestions on how to
get this animal would be most appreciated.



If neighbors have rats, too,then it is a city issue. Call your city
building department or code enforcement.

Was there recent demolition of a nearby structure that drove them out of
"old" habitat? Cold or warm climate?

Any signs on outside of building that the rat chewed it's way in? Gaps
around foundation or roof?

Rats carry some serious dirt - I would get the situation taken care of
pronto.

Why not make friends with your rat? You can name him "Mr. Jingles", and
maybe teach him how to do some tricks.
Or, sing the following every night, loud as you can:

Ben, the two of us need look no more... we both found what we were
looking for.

Oh wait. I forgot the rats chewed Michael Jacksons face off when they
found out he is a sick pedophile freak of nature.

So, on second thought, don't sing any MJ tunes to your rats. They will
probably get mad.

But you could still name your rat "Mr. Jingles".

Glue trap, accept no substitute. Just be sure to attach it to something so they
don't drag it away. You can staple it in the middle of a big piece of cardboard

Let me make a suggestion: Your rat might be wary of human smell on the
trap, from you handling it.

Buy a new set of traps (cheap enough). Put on a pair of rubber
dishwashing gloves before opening the package. Bait & set the traps
wearing the gloves.

This approach worked for me, for what was apparently a very
discriminating rodent.

Any suggestions on how to
get this animal would be most appreciated.

"Rob Gray" wrote
Put out rat poison......

I thought about that, but don't want a rotting rat carcass that I can't find
stinking up the house for however long it takes to go away. It is an
option, if all else fails, though.

Just like with Humans! Thats cool.

"Norminn" wrote
If neighbors have rats, too,then it is a city issue. Call your city
building department or code enforcement.

Was there recent demolition of a nearby structure that drove them out of
"old" habitat? Cold or warm climate?

Any signs on outside of building that the rat chewed it's way in? Gaps
around foundation or roof?

Rats carry some serious dirt - I would get the situation taken care of
pronto.

This is a not-so-typical situation. It's an old commercial/residential
building, in a mixed-use neighborhood, about 78 years old, in a rural area,
next to a river. There are places all over the buildings where rodents
could get in, and aside from the occasional mouse, rodents have never been a
real problem. Set a trap or two, never see another one for 6 months or a
year. Rats, on the other hand, seem to be much tougher to get rid of, and
this is my first experience with them.

Here's the story. Several months ago, some guy about a block away opened a
fish market. It failed within weeks, and he dumped a bunch of fish stuff on
the banks of the river nearby (he's currently in trouble and facing
prosecution, so I'm told). The dumping attracted flies and well, you get
the idea. It was about this time that the rats showed up, and from talking
to neighbors this was the first time for them, also. They seem to have
mostly gone away but there are a few hanging around.

Greg wrote:
Glue trap, accept no substitute. Just be sure to attach it to
something so they don't drag it away. You can staple it in the middle
of a big piece of cardboard

Why do glue traps work so well? I know it's just a rat, but I don't
like the idea of it starving to death and prefer the spring traps to
just kill them instantly.

I would like to know what the benefits to glue traps are, though. At
this point I'm willing to do whatever works best.

Robert Barr wrote:
Let me make a suggestion: Your rat might be wary of human smell on
the trap, from you handling it.

Buy a new set of traps (cheap enough). Put on a pair of rubber
dishwashing gloves before opening the package. Bait & set the traps
wearing the gloves.

This approach worked for me, for what was apparently a very
discriminating rodent.

That entered my mind at one point, but I didn't think it would be that
big of a deal. Sounds like a good idea.

Paradox wrote:
Why do glue traps work so well? I know it's just a rat, but I don't
like the idea of it starving to death and prefer the spring traps to
just kill them instantly.


That's what they make .45 caliber pistols for....




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
Why do glue traps work so well? I know it's just a rat, but I don't
like the idea of it starving to death and prefer the spring traps to
just kill them instantly.

That's what they make .45 caliber pistols for....

Isn't there a Clint Eastwood western where he shoots a cockroach off
the wall from across the room while in the bathtub?

"The Dave©" wrote in message
...
Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
Why do glue traps work so well? I know it's just a rat, but I don't
like the idea of it starving to death and prefer the spring traps to
just kill them instantly.

That's what they make .45 caliber pistols for....

Isn't there a Clint Eastwood western where he shoots a cockroach off
the wall from across the room while in the bathtub?

I think it was a scorpion??

In article , says...
I would like to know what the benefits to glue traps are, though. At
this point I'm willing to do whatever works best.


Safer to use, so no broken fingers or puppy snouts.....lower profile, so
can be placed in areas the snap traps sometimes can't.....rats are
neophobic, some times they explore the edges of the traps and decide not
to go to the trigger, if they explore the edge of the glue trap, they
may get a foot stuck and end up getting the body stuck trying to release
the foot.....when the animal dies and the body goes cold, the parasites
that may be on the rat will crawl away, with the glue trap they too are
caught
--
Lar

to email....get rid of the BUGS

In article , says...
Robert Barr wrote:
Let me make a suggestion: Your rat might be wary of human smell on
the trap, from you handling it.

Buy a new set of traps (cheap enough). Put on a pair of rubber
dishwashing gloves before opening the package. Bait & set the traps
wearing the gloves.

This approach worked for me, for what was apparently a very
discriminating rodent.

That entered my mind at one point, but I didn't think it would be that
big of a deal. Sounds like a good idea.

The rodents will be used to any human smell, especially if they are
inside the structure. Gloves should be a must though when handling a
used trap or removing a carcass the fleas will readily jump to you from
the carcass and several types of bacteria will be found on the spoiled
meat/blood on the trap.
--
Lar

to email....get rid of the BUGS

Rats go where the food is. And where there are rats, there are very often
dogs.
Rats are copraphilic, they eat feces.
They have to, they don't absorb the B vitamins well.
Rats are like uninvited guests. They'll stay as long as you feed them. Their
numbers will expand to accomodate the food supply.
Stop feeding them, and they will resist moving. To the point of eating their
young as a food source.

STOP FEEDING THEM.
"Professor" wrote in message
oups.com...
Clean up your garbage.

Rats are very suspicious of new items in their environment. Many years ago
there was a long interesting article in National Geo about rats.

I'm not sure where I learned this technique but it REALLY works, my son says
it's not fair.

Whenever I've had to trap rats I used a spring trap (Victor).

The key is to bait the trap (I use peanut butter) but DON"T set it.

I do this for three or four nights. After giiving the rats 3 or 4 free meals,
I bait and SET the traps. By this time they are no longer wary of the traps.

The first time I used this method I caught four rats with six traps in one
night......the lot of them gone!

cheers
Bob

I had a similarly difficult time trapping a rat in my house
as the OP. The city rodent control officer advised setting
the spring trap (Victor type) at a right angle to the wall,
with the bail springing toward the wall. The idea, I guess,
is to make it harder for the rat to jump out of the
way. Once I started doing that, my rat ceased having
success in springing the trap without injuru g. While I
can't claim I have conducted randomized controlled trials,
I have found that this setup improves my success with both
rats and mice.

Good luck. Getting a rat can be difficult and
frustrating.
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=
Mike Lacy, Ft Collins CO 80523
Clean out the 'junk' to email me.