Rat traveler

ange

We have a 2018 T@b400. We’ve had a lot of mice over the years and lethal traps have been effective, with no evidence of suffering. We have a resident rat that also denudes my planters here at 7700’ in Colorado. None of the nasty mouse damage in the T@b, but he/she has gnawed on wires (for the water pump and the gas detector) in the cubby hole under the closet. I was able to splice the cut ends together and add insulation tape to the big yellow multiwire cable on the floor in that compartment. Ratty has traveled this summer with us. At least 11,700 miles, freeways and dirt roads. Irish Spring, yummy! Mothballs, dryer sheets no joy. Stainless steel scrubbers plus foam were shredded (foam) despiralized (steel) and relocated. Now we are back home, my planters have geranium and pansy decapitations. Today, I replaced the remains of the steel scrubbers foamed in around the pipes under the closet with sections of wire lattice stapled to the wood. I have a sonic strobing device across the battery terminals, and that does seem to inhibit nest building-although my cat did dispatch one pack rat a few weeks ago, so perhaps our traveling rat is not in the business of nesting any longer. I have portraits from a trail camera. This creature even manages to displace the camera if I don’t secure it, and scattered a small pile of DVDs over the T@b bed last night. (We were sleeping in our bed inside our house). I did hear a mousetrap rattling around the other morning, but when I climbed out of bed, the trap was empty. So, I’m afraid to use the larger version of the effective mouse trap in case it maims the creature. I’d like to try the humane trap but first need to find out how the various parts of the undercarriage are connected. I don’t want to entomb the creature, let alone have a deliquescing corpse somewhere inaccessible. I think it can get into the front space, under the table. Does anyone have a schematic of the tunnels?

AUTiger83

Eventually, it becomes time to declare no-holds-barred war.  I did that with a massive house rat after he casually sauntered between me and the TV one evening (30 years ago).  The green pellet bait mixed with a little peanut butter is effective.  It dehydrates them and hopefully they leave in search of water.  But if they don't, it inhibits decomposition odors.  Found my monster in the attic 10 years later.  Flat as a pancake under the insulation. 

johnfconway

Likely a pack (wood) rat. If "humane" trapped and released in another rat's territory, someone will die or rat will return. Snap trap. Leave dead rat in open place where ravens, turkey vultures or coyotes can see or smell. We put houses (or trailers) in prime pack rat habitat. At least "recycling" them when local population gets out of hand helps the scavengers.

Check out their nests (middens). They are the "beavers of the desert". These little guys weave yucca poles through cholla cactus branches and finish it off with dog poop (presumably to dissuade coyotes from trying to root them out). Deep in the nest is stored food and the rat equivalent of a feather bed -- I think made from pulling fibers from yucca leaves.

We leave them alone until we see evidence of someone trying to build in the inner yard. Snap trapping resumes until no one in trap three nights in a row.

bergger

We had a pack rat take up residency in our tow vehicle last year after visiting the black hills.  It lived in our engine bay for a week before I learned about him.  We found out about him when he scared the heck out of the mechanic when we went in for an oil change after that trip!  He traveled from the Black Hills, up to Leadville then back down to the Denver Metro area!  We were lucky in that the pack rat did no damage to the truck. Glad it did not get into our 400! 

They are tough creatures and difficult to trap.  I first used the largest rat glue trap I could find.  The pack rat did get stuck in the trap after only a few hours.  However he managed to crawl around with it stuck to his body until he removed himself from it!  just a bunch of hair left in it.  I finally got him by using a Tomcat tunnel trap.  It's a kill trap but it certainly got him.  I then did what @johnfconway does and that's toss them out in the field for other critters to benefit from.   When I get critters in places of mine that can cause lots of damage I go to war immediately.  I don't enjoy it but I have a line that they can't cross.  That line is our T@b 400, house, vehicles and my barn.  Oh and the pocket gophers in my yard are on that list as well.  I just finished a two week war with a couple of those.   

Sharon_is_SAM

Boy, and I thought our deer were a problem!

Basil48192

@Sharon_is_SAM - You get deer in your camper???!!! 

dlb

Does a sticky trap for deer exist?