I started out posting my rodent stuff on Facebook, but it has quickly turned into probably the most grueling saga about this house, so it gets a blog post. This thing is probably the #2 or #3 factor contributing to my bald spot. It makes me feel so dirty, so ashamed, so frustrated.
So, we had seen signs of mice a year ago or so. Christmas stuff was eaten into upstairs. We thought we took care of it by putting out some mouse poison traps, after which we stopped seeing the signs. About a month ago, while the kids were staying at my parents' house and we were coming back at night from a wedding, we opened to door to see a cockamouse sprint across the floor and out of sight. It was only then that I realized we had signs of rodents that I just wasn't noticing. Certain food items we hadn't used had nibble holes in it. The rabbit food bag was gnawed into. The food Lucy didn't eat at night would be gone by next morning. The signs were there, we obviously had a rat.
So, my attack started out simple. I didn't want to mess with snap traps yet, so I went with two glue boards in our cabinets (After the blinders had been removed, I started HEARING them in the cabinets, so I figured a glue board would trap them). Before you rush to tell me that those things are the most unethical traps around (which I'd agree with), my strategy was to use oil to release the rodent safely away from the house after it got caught. Anyway, those did NOTHING. Even after I baited it with dog kibble, something just ate it off without getting caught. So those got thrown out quickly. My next idea was to try "Power Kill" Snap traps. These aren't as hard to set as old fashioned snap traps, but it's the same mechanism. Bait pedal releases the snap and...there you have it. Something TRIGGERED one of my snap traps by the rabbit cage, but didn't get caught. Now, the other thing was, I couldn't leave those traps out, because it was out in the open. So I only left it out at night, when everyone was upstairs or in their kennel. So, after THAT resulted in nothing, I invested in a live trap made by Havahart. Basically, a big cage with two open ends that once something touches the bait pedal, the ends close up and trap the rodent in for me to deal with later. Setting that out...STILL NOTHING.
At this point, my first big break came when I had to go down in the basement to start preparing for Hurricane Sandy. Our basement is an unfinished stone cellar. We use it for storage, and it's where our hot water heater and boiler is. So needless to say, we don't have a need to go down there often. Well, I went down to start clearing out an area for putting stuff in...and that's when I saw them. Rodents scurrying around trying to hide from me. I was able to discover the entry point (Two spots in our outside basement door where the wood had rotted/been chewed away), so I set a couple different snap traps around the wall by the door and bought a big wad of steel wool to shove in each of the holes. After just one night, when I went to check the traps, I had already caught TWO. My pride was beset with disappointment when I looked at the size of the two and realized these two were small potato rats. The big one we had seen that started this whole thing, it was still out there. So I disposed of those two and re-set the traps.
Meanwhile, one night I heard more noises in the kitchen, but couldn't locate anything. Decided on a whim to setup the Havahart live trap by the dog's food bowl and bait it with kibble (Before, I had used peanut butter on saltines). Sure enough the next morning, I had one. Alive. Which them made me realize...I had no clue where to live release a rat. I mean, I have protective gear to make sure I don't get bit, and I wasn't about to take the rat out of the trap by hand. But, you can't release it anywhere near your house or they'll come back. And I didn't want to release near anyone ELSE's house. Luckily, I found a remote wooded spot 4.5 miles away from me, no houses within about 1/4 mile or so in any direction. So there you have it, rat released. Halloween night, we had some possible tomfoolery with someone banging on the side of our house. While going to check it out, we caught sight of a big one scurrying in the playroom. When I went to find it, I found a MASSIVE hole chewed in the floor in the corner behind Noah's dressup closet. CRAP! This isn't one or two isolated pests in the basement. Now we're talking more than 4 and in our CHILDREN'S PLAYROOM!
It was at this point, I decided to call in the big guns and get an exterminator to assist. I also decided to set the live trap in the playroom overnight. I caught one again...a little one. DAMN IT! So we're up to 4 rats, and still not the big one I'm expecting. So, released that one and picked out a place to call, but didn't get a chance to until Friday. By then, my basement snap traps caught TWO more, and STILL not the big one I've been on the lookout for. So we're up to 6 RATS, with more still there. You can imagine by now, I am just bashing my head into a wall.
So Regional Pest Management came out Monday and walked around with me, pointing out things we should secure/clean up to reduce rodent activity. He walked around my basement and pointed out about 10 spots I should trap, then told me I could either pay him $450 to set up those traps, or I could do it myself. Before I could respond, he hinted to me that since I've seemed to set up traps on my own fine, I probably would want to that that option. So I paid nothing for the free consultation, and got an idea of where to set my traps. We had a busy schedule Monday night and Tuesday with visiting Shannon's MoH Erin and then scans and treatment on Tuesday. So today was first time I could check since Monday. I caught 3 rats and one mouse/baby rat. So, for you all counting at home, we are up to 9 RATS and either a baby or a mouse. #%!$%$#@!!!!!!!!!
So, this is where I'm at. I now have 7 traps in the basement. Before I go to bed tonight, I will also have traps on my basement steps outside. I also am putting 2 snap traps under my kitchen sink (Made the dumb mistake last night of leaving a loaf of bread (in the plastic baggie, sealed) out on my counter. When I came downstairs this morning, the thing was just about gone except for crumbs. While doing some cleanup, I discovered most of the loaf in pieces under the kitchen sink.)
So, why did I post this? Hopefully, not for everyone to judge me. We've had some issues keeping our house clutter free, but it's not like we leave rotting crap all over the place, or leave food out for rats to feast on.
My thought is:
1. In case anyone else goes through this crap, to give them guidance on my trial and error
2. To share the crazy crap going on in my house
3. In case anyone can provide ME tips and tricks that might work.
I suck at updates.
12 years ago
