"Judy Cosler" wrote in message
...
i have RATS! ugh!

Hi Judy, Did pest control tell you what type of rats you had? Their habits
are a bit different and it might help you to know that. Where do the rats
live? Where do they get their food? Where do they get their *water*? Rats
generally won't travel more than 150 feet from where they live to get food
and water. Empty the dogs' water bowls every evening and be extra careful
with food too. Is there any other water source available to them? Think
sump pumps, ponds, kiddie pools, etc...you may not be able to eliminate the
water source but if you identify it, you can trap on the path to it.

i also have 2 dogs whom i would not endanger in any way!
my vet has told me that, despite what the pest control firms tell you,
the bait used to kill rats CAN be gotten by the dogs & that the rats
CAN be secondarily poisonous to the dogs. she said to put down NO
poison! she says she sees too many pets who have been poisoned in
thse ways. so, I will do exactly that -- put down NO poison.

Your vet is correct. Chunks of poison bait can wind up on the floor around
the bait stations, or the dog could ingest a poisoned rat. Besides, when
the sick rat goes to hide in the ceiling or walls to die you will have
another nasty surprise. Maggots and then huge flies from the decaying body,
smells bad too. Pest control told us the bodies dry up and it wouldn't
happen, it was not so when we bought a house with a mouse problem a few
years ago and used the poison baits.

I would use traps. Use several along their path of travel. Look for
droppings, smudges at the baseboards. Rats are creatures of habit and tend
to travel the same path every day, but they are also *way* smarter than
mice. Once they find out what the traps do, they will steer clear. I would
consider putting the traps down unset and let them get used to them, they
will be cautious at first. Later, bait them with a barely visible smear of
peanut butter and set the springs.

so, with the wonders of the internet, I have found Shake-Away which is
a fox/coyote urine blend in crystal or powder form.
http://www.critter-repellent.com/rat...ource=GoogleAW
As predator urine, it supposedly keeps the rats away. Has anybody
tried this approach or this product & with what results? i'm at my
wits end!!

I doubt it will work. I once tried it to keep rabbits from munching on my
plants. Somehow they determined "that fox don't hunt" and kept on munching
away. I can just picture these catherized, muzzled foxes with urine
drainage bags strapped to their bellies....eewwww

Judy with her dogs & her unwanted RATS! :

Rat terrier? Rat snakes? Barn cat? Maybe you can borrow one of these from
someone?
Try posting at alt.consumers.pest-control. They've been helpful to me
several times. Lately I have flying squirrels, very cute, but I want them
outta my attic!

jo
Does anyone know why my Bressingham African Lily leaf ends turned white
overnight after planting?