My latest invasion scenario: Brown Rats.
I've lived in my home over 20 years. Occasionally we would see a rat killed by one of the cats, but not often. We never felt the need to put out traps, and wouldn't put out poison because of the cats. We have always composted our kitchen garbage.
Early last year, we heard scurryings in the attic, so I got a havahart trap, caught a rat and released it far from civilization. Reset the trap and had no further problems - for a while.
Next time I noticed our stored dry cat food bag had been breached, and rat droppings were in the back storeroom. Trap, catch & release again. No problems. I also sealed up any likely entry points around the house.
Then I noticed tunnels in our compost pile. I've been setting and trapping rats out there this year - 3 so far, the trap is still up and we still have tunnels.
2 weeks ago my son woke me at 3am saying there was a rat in his bedroom closet. I got a trap, and as I was going to place it in the closet the rat ran into the room. I closed the closet, set the trap in the room and heard it spring at 5am (I sleep lightly). The rat had been trying to chew 9its way through the ceiling to get out of the closet and into the attic!
I've heard about Chinatown's rat invasion, but I don't understand this. I have been releasing them miles away from my home, in fact, miles away from anyone's home.
Years ago a neighbor's cat took a liking to our cats and used to hang out here, on the other side of the stream from them. They moved from Kahalu`u to Kailua, and 2 weeks later the cat was back on our back porch. They came and took it home to Kailua, and 2 weeks later it was back with us. At that point they said, "Keep her." Better that than she get run over next trip.
Now I'm starting to wonder if the rats I released are 'coming home,' or if we're just having an epidemic.
Anyone else having rat problems?
I've lived in my home over 20 years. Occasionally we would see a rat killed by one of the cats, but not often. We never felt the need to put out traps, and wouldn't put out poison because of the cats. We have always composted our kitchen garbage.
Early last year, we heard scurryings in the attic, so I got a havahart trap, caught a rat and released it far from civilization. Reset the trap and had no further problems - for a while.
Next time I noticed our stored dry cat food bag had been breached, and rat droppings were in the back storeroom. Trap, catch & release again. No problems. I also sealed up any likely entry points around the house.
Then I noticed tunnels in our compost pile. I've been setting and trapping rats out there this year - 3 so far, the trap is still up and we still have tunnels.
2 weeks ago my son woke me at 3am saying there was a rat in his bedroom closet. I got a trap, and as I was going to place it in the closet the rat ran into the room. I closed the closet, set the trap in the room and heard it spring at 5am (I sleep lightly). The rat had been trying to chew 9its way through the ceiling to get out of the closet and into the attic!
I've heard about Chinatown's rat invasion, but I don't understand this. I have been releasing them miles away from my home, in fact, miles away from anyone's home.
Years ago a neighbor's cat took a liking to our cats and used to hang out here, on the other side of the stream from them. They moved from Kahalu`u to Kailua, and 2 weeks later the cat was back on our back porch. They came and took it home to Kailua, and 2 weeks later it was back with us. At that point they said, "Keep her." Better that than she get run over next trip.
Now I'm starting to wonder if the rats I released are 'coming home,' or if we're just having an epidemic.
Anyone else having rat problems?
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