Community Forums

Pogo · 09-01-2015, 05:30 PM

We are in southern middle Tennessee at a beautiful campground. But, about 5 days ago, we apparently found that we have a rat or something. The droppings are too big for a mouse. We put out 4 large sticky boards, (for rats), and twice it has got off of it inside our coach. We saw gray fur on it one time, and another time we saw a nice footprint. We put out 2 rat traps on top of the generator, because we saw droppings there. But, it didn't touch them. And, our mouse traps there were snapped, but empty.
We put poison pellets in the cup holder drawer, it ate some, and left some droppings. I ran the generator and the engine to see it it would go away, but it didn't.
We hear it above the ceiling sometimes. It comes down at night. We think it comes from under the dashboard area, but not sure.
Tonight, we plan to have the 2 rat snap traps in the area where we removed a drawer in the middle of the dash area, because it has been there. And, we were loaned a wire trap to catch it. I was very surprised that it got free of the Tom Cat sticky boards twice.
Any suggestions? I will keep you posted.

McKTX · 09-01-2015, 06:03 PM

They say peanut butter with a pecan on top is irresistable to rats, as bait for the snap traps.

I know that rats are a yuck, but I still think a quick death is a kinder way to treat them, after all they are just doing what they think they need to do to make a living.

cimplexsound · 09-01-2015, 09:16 PM

As long as you don't have pets, a box of Tom Cat rat poisoning (the green pellets) will wipe out any rats and mice in a few days. Place under sink or other places where rodents love to hide. We have had multiple problems with mice in my home. Ever since we started using Tom Cat poison, the mice have quiet literally disappeared and not been seen since.

1979 Dodge Tioga Class C 24 foot. 1987 Fleetwood Bounder 34 Foot.

Mich F · 09-01-2015, 09:46 PM

Although poisons will work, the rat might die somewhere that you don't have access to without ripping your RV apart. You're probably better off buying a rat trap and baiting it with peanut butter, or buying those pricey zappers.

gruelens · 09-01-2015, 10:19 PM

Bait the rat trap with .......

chunky peanut butter with a few chunks jammed into the loop of metal on the bait treadle

or, bacon tied to the bait treadle with sewing thread

milasman · 09-01-2015, 10:26 PM

They sell electronic rat traps powered by c cell batteries at Lowe's, just add peanut butter, rat goes in and gets zapped as capacitors empty. Dead rat, dump trap and reset. Killed at least 50 rats with ours, works great.

JohnBoyToo · 09-01-2015, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mich F

Although poisons will work, the rat might die somewhere that you don't have access to without ripping your RV apart. You're probably better off buying a rat trap and baiting it with peanut butter, or buying those pricey zappers.

Ask my Sis and Bro-in-law about that !!! they brought a Hilton Head water rat home and they couldn't use their rv for months !!!

Rat was big enough to drag the sticky stuff under the dash or something and oh my what a smell !!!

Ending up getting 4 cadaver bags to hang in the rv....

Dennis_K · 09-02-2015, 09:39 AM

The electronic traps are the only thing I use now. I have tried all the other types of traps with hit and miss results. The electronic trap always gets the rat and no mess.
The best one I have found so far is the Rat Zapper http://www.amazon.com/Rat-Zapper-Ult...ords=ratzapper

mel s · 09-02-2015, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McKTX

They say peanut butter with a pecan on top is irresistable to rats, as bait for the snap traps.

I know that rats are a yuck, but I still think a quick death is a kinder way to treat them, after all they are just doing what they think they need to do to make a living.

McKTX
By all means find a kind way to treat vermin.

Mel
'96 Safari

Dog Folks · 09-02-2015, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mel s

McKTX
By all means find a kind way to treat vermin.

Mel
'96 Safari

Snap traps ARE a quick death.

Most always instantaneous.

Kinder than being ripped apart by a raptor.

Pogo: Don't be surprised if the animal is now "trap shy."

If it had a bad experience with the mouse traps, it will often learn to avoid all snap traps.

davendeb · 09-02-2015, 10:43 AM

Sounds like you have a opossum.

Mich F · 09-02-2015, 11:05 AM

I just re-read the OP and realized in looking at my previous post, my reading comprehension could be improved.

I'm advising the OPer to get rat traps which he already has.

I do think the reason for not using poison is still valid.
This also reminds me how much I dislike the fact that we are time limited on editing our posts on this site.

Cypressloser · 09-02-2015, 11:14 AM

Luckily we don't have rats here, at least not the four legged kind, but I know the electronic traps work as advertised on other rodents.
FYI, rats are known to carry fleas and diseases that wiped out more than half the population of Europe and China centuries ago and these diseases, one of them the black plague, is starting to make a reappearance in some parts of the world.

markcrouch · 09-02-2015, 11:55 AM

If your RV is going to be parked for a little while, mothballs will do the trick. They will not kill the mouse/rat but will make them move somewhere else. I get a couple of small empty and dry water bottles and put several mothballs in each one. Put these in various places like cabinets and drawers throughout the RV with the lids off. The mothball odor drives them out. The odor does not have to be very strong to work. When you are ready to use the RV just put the lids back on the bottles and the odor instantly vanishes. No mess. No smell. No need to remove the mothballs. Remove the lids again for protection when not using the RV.