Rat problem

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gaidensensei

gaidensensei

Banned
May 31, 2003
2,851
2
81
I'm surprised no one has recommended the OP to get a cat.
YMMV, however in the past at places with rat infestations, getting a cat with a predator-like personality always absolved the problem.
 
DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
BUTCH1 said:
No, but it was a full grown adult rat. Just the thought of sitting down with your nut sack withing biting range still gives me the creeps to this day..
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You haven't seen a full grown adult norway rat, have you. You're not flushing one.

OP, if there is a food source anywhere in the area, you're going to have a problem with rats. Not necessarily a food source at your apartment - they will travel. i.e. if someone 3 or 4 houses away leaves their garbage out with a lot of yummy food for rats in it, and there are rats eating it, the rats are going to multiply at that place & then spread out into the surrounding area from there.

And an alternate explanation for a rat in a toilet - it was seeking water - may have been poisoned. Poisoned rats will often seek water & rats drown pretty easily.
 
El Guaraguao

El Guaraguao

Diamond Member
May 7, 2008
3,468
5
81
canadageek said:
you need to wipe away any trace of the markings that rat has left. to get rid of the smell, you're going to need something real strong. bleach alone won't be enough. mix 50% bleach and 50% ammonia in a bucket, and then wipe down your apartment with it.

hope this helps.

Mod edit: Mixing bleach and ammonia is VERY BAD. Do NOT do this, ever. Not sure if this post was a joke, or if he's an idiot. -DrPizza
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Posting a warning is fine and all, but leaving the comment behind is still a bad move. I recommend the complete termination of the post. I will not have any of my comrades (atot members) drown in their own liquids. This aint WWII ya know..
 
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tyler811

tyler811

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2002
5,385
0
71
RedSquirrel said:
It came out of the drain? I don't think they can swim underwater very well so that most likely rules out that it came from the sewers, but it's quite possible as it only has to go through a couple P traps other then that it's not water all the way to the top.

Another possibility is that it's getting through the vents on top of the roof. I would start by putting mesh over those to see if it helps.

I suppose a backflow valve would MAYBE help but don't think a rat would activate it.

If you have a sump pit go check to make sure it's clean, you might have a surprise in there. :eek:
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Between you and that other asshat suggesting cholorine bleach and ammonia DO NOT DO IT PEOPLE the two of you drop the collective IQ of Canada by 90 points. Rats can swim and do it very well.

Both Norway and roof rats may gain entry to structures by gnawing, climbing, jumping, or swimming through sewers and entering through the toilet or broken drains. While Norway rats are more powerful swimmers, roof rats are more agile and are better climbers.
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http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html


Swimming: Rats can swim 1/2 mile in open sea and tread water for 3 days. They can dive 100 feet underwater and hold their breath for as long as 15 minutes.​
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http://www.terrierman.com/aboutrats.htm
 
DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
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www.slatebrookfarm.com
I'm actually quite surprised to see that rats can swim well. On the couple of occasions when we had rat problems in our barn, I was constantly finding drowned rats in water buckets. They fall in & drown. If they could swim 1/2 a mile, I'd expect that occasionally I'd find a live one swimming around in a water bucket, but never - they're always dead & sunk to the bottom.
 
Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
DrPizza said:
I'm actually quite surprised to see that rats can swim well. On the couple of occasions when we had rat problems in our barn, I was constantly finding drowned rats in water buckets. They fall in & drown. If they could swim 1/2 a mile, I'd expect that occasionally I'd find a live one swimming around in a water bucket, but never - they're always dead & sunk to the bottom.
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50 percent of a statute mile is 2640 feet. What's the inside diameter of your rain barrel? Simple answer is easy assuming the rodent follows along the edge. ;)
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,260
14,689
146
Rubycon said:
CBP does not affect me because I never get off.

Wow that doesn't sound right - at all.
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Y'know...I'm certain that many of us would jump at the opportunity to help you with that problem...():)



I dislike riding in helicopters, but there was a time in my life when the "whop, whop, whop" of a Huey coming in over the valley was one of the sweetest sounds in the world...especially when we were deep in "indian country" and the "indians" were looking for us.
 
Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
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BoomerD said:
Y'know...I'm certain that many of us would jump at the opportunity to help you with that problem...():)



I dislike riding in helicopters, but there was a time in my life when the "whop, whop, whop" of a Huey coming in over the valley was one of the sweetest sounds in the world...especially when we were deep in "indian country" and the "indians" were looking for us.
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Perhaps if it was carrying a water gondola thing they cut loose and I was in the middle of a fire. ;)
 
DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
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www.slatebrookfarm.com
Brings a smile to my face knowing the little rodents who cause all sorts of damage around the barn get to swim for half an hour thinking "I am soooooooo screwed right now. Shit. Shit. Shit." But that does explain why I haven't found a single one since I switched to automatic waterers in 40 gallon buckets - the water level always stays within 1" of the top, which would allow escape. And, I'd much rather have them escape than having them drown & need to dump out 20 gallons of water. (Which means carrying 20 gallons of water out the door.)
 
Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
DrPizza said:
Brings a smile to my face knowing the little rodents who cause all sorts of damage around the barn get to swim for half an hour thinking "I am soooooooo screwed right now. Shit. Shit. Shit." But that does explain why I haven't found a single one since I switched to automatic waterers in 40 gallon buckets - the water level always stays within 1" of the top, which would allow escape. And, I'd much rather have them escape than having them drown & need to dump out 20 gallons of water. (Which means carrying 20 gallons of water out the door.)
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Shock them! It's not hard to rig up some microwave oven transformers. ;)
 
B

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
DrPizza said:
You haven't seen a full grown adult norway rat, have you. You're not flushing one.

OP, if there is a food source anywhere in the area, you're going to have a problem with rats. Not necessarily a food source at your apartment - they will travel. i.e. if someone 3 or 4 houses away leaves their garbage out with a lot of yummy food for rats in it, and there are rats eating it, the rats are going to multiply at that place & then spread out into the surrounding area from there.

And an alternate explanation for a rat in a toilet - it was seeking water - may have been poisoned. Poisoned rats will often seek water & rats drown pretty easily.
Click to expand...

Not in person, I've seen pic of one though, they're friggin huge. This was a typical Florida rat, no where near that size, it was it's location that freaked us out..
 
W

wwswimming

Banned
Jan 21, 2006
3,695
1
0
BUTCH1 said:
No, but it was a full grown adult rat. Just the thought of sitting down with your nut sack withing biting range still gives me the creeps to this day..
Click to expand...

it would normally only attack if it's a mother rat and you are threatening its babies with your nut sack.

i think it is a fair guess that you are not a member of the NAMRLA.

on the other hand ... instead of babies, it could have rabies.
 
A

Anonemous

Diamond Member
May 19, 2003
7,361
1
71
tontod said:
Its not the ghetto, I'm in Boston, specifically Brighton.
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Lol, there are rats everywhere in Boston. Get used to living in the city. I remember one time waiting for the T near Kenmore I saw huge rats scurrying by at night.
 
B

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
wwswimming said:
it would normally only attack if it's a mother rat and you are threatening its babies with your nut sack.

i think it is a fair guess that you are not a member of the NAMRLA.

on the other hand ... instead of babies, it could have rabies.
Click to expand...

It was swimming around the bowl trying to get out, if my roommate hadn't seen it before he sat down the rat would have grabbed at the first thing to get out of the water...
 
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