What can eat 12 packs of rat poison?

Good for you! Sounds like you have it figured it.

This morning there are no signs of digging around where the guys put the metal and the cement. Several kids spent the night over there - so it may have been too noisy so we will see what happens this week when it is quiet. Thanks again everyone.

*Any* type of pest control is a temporary solution. You are dealing with a huge gene pool of critters who are trying to survive. I don't care if you trap all 47 of the ones that are on your half acre this summer. In the fall, all their distant cousins will try to move in.

That's exactly why exclusion and changing habitat (ie woodpiles, cleaning up feed areas, lifting buckets off the floor, sealing/caulking) is more important than trapping/poisons. Trapping just removes those already in. Exclusion keeps them out. Changing habitat makes the area less desirable for them to be there in the first place.

Grandfatherbear's feeling's are hurt that no one suggested you might have an infestation of "lawyers"..We had mouse poo under sink and behind washer with a definite musty smell. We spackled up the 2 mouseholes and put out traps..caught 2 mice- AFTER spackling the holes. there is a tiny place where the wiring feeds thru- i would like to put a rat snake through it, GFB says no...and he liked the Arnold Schwartzenrodent..

So true, unfortunately.

I read this site everyday... and it truly amazes me that people will find the littlest thing to have a grip about.

Farmgirl.. he didn't ask.. "Is using this much poison bad for the wildlife and planet?"

Let's stick to the topic at hand.... if you want to get on a soap box, start another thread.

JennNY

JennNY, now you're gonna gripe about thread drift in a thread about rat poison? er, that looks like thread drift to my old rheumy eyes...

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Thanks dare2b, you saved me from having to ask the same question. And I would like to add, that Nel frattempo, seems to have taken the voiced concerns about harming other animals and/or nature in general in the manner in which it was intended.

We all share this planet, and some of us are of the impression that it belongs to each of us equally. Perhaps if you, Jenn, think of it as someone threatening the safety of your home it will be seen in a new light?

Nel frattempo, I'm happy to hear you have found the cause, and have it well in hand. Hopefully you will soon be on your land full time which will in itself discourage our woodland creatures from seeing your cabin as a great place to live.

Hugs,
Marlene

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There's nothing wrong with people sharing ideas about other options for controlling pests.

And, when someone posts about 12 boxes of rat poison - it isn't unreasonable to question why so much...

There was no thread drift - well, until you posted about your drift...

Lets see here.......I do not mean to walk into a bee buzz........but to try and clear some of it up......we do live here full time, its just that the two Cabins are not used full time and are in middle of the woods with no noise, no neighbors, etc. The rats/mice have been there before but never to this extent. One box of poison per summer used to take care of it. This spring, we noticed box was eaten, we replaced it, something ate it, boys put out two, and then two more.... and so on........till it was called to my attention plus a small pile of "poo poo" that did not appear to the children to be "rat poo".......and so I called in advice from neighbors.

There are NO dogs, NO cats and no other large animals that could get under there to the poison. I did NOT use that round marble type poison since it is known to be carried away and I did not want it out in the open / wild area. The poison was ONLY under the crawl space and only in one spot. Since it was the tiny granuals type, I believed it could not be carried outside the crawl space.

Neighbors also have had, for reasons we do not know, an explosion of mice/rats this year. Knowledgeable neighbor came, looked, declared it "woods rats" and so we put out two more boxes. It was eaten quickly overnight.

THAT is when I said enough is enough.........something else has to be done......and I posted on here, got boys to crawl up under, called in help from neighbor who could also crawl under there to investigate (I am physically not able to do that type of activity due to surgeries).....and he again said "woods rats" and "field mice" and the kids found two holes which were repaired / closed up with tin and cement.

For two mornings now no poison has been eaten and no digging has been seen at the repaired crawl space area.

We are also wondering, if we left a radio on would that deter mice/ rats? Maybe, as someone above suggested, if there seemed to be more noise or activity then the rats/ mice would go somewhere else?

Thank you again for suggestions.

PS: Let GrandfatherBear know good idea about the Lawyer poo since that I am a Lawyer, my husband is a Lawyer, but we have NOT poo-pooed up in the crawl space!

Nix on the radio and noise. Rats and mice will live pretty contently with humans.

We use a "bait box" to keep other animals out of any poison baits. Pretty easy to make. Just a heavy wood box turned upside down over the bait with openings on each end big enough for a rat/mouse. Since we had to use them in areas where there were livestock/other animals, we needed to keep them out.

Sure sounds like you are trying everything. Sometimes those glueboards are helpful if rats/mice are avoiding traps. Yes, they will learn to avoid traps/baits after a while.

If you use traps, you can try pre-baiting. Set the traps with bait and then leave them unset - keep feeding the rats for a few days, then one night set all the traps.

I'd still keep after the exclusion method too - really helpful.

Here are some resources (like you aren't getting enough advice )

Bait Stations for Controlling Rats and Mice: Bait stations increase both the effectiveness and safety of the toxic baits used to control rats and mice. Learn how to build, bait and position bait stations around your home and farm to maximize rodent control. Univ of NE Web site:

http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/...licationId=633

Rodent-Proof Construction: Techniques are described in this NebGuide for rodent-proofing existing buildings and those under construction. Univ of NE Web site:

http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/...blicationId=23

I'm glad I read the entire thread before submitting my response... I was wondering why you only put out 14 boxes...?

A six-fot giant platy can easily put 12 or more packs of Decon in its pouch.