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I use my Miata almost everyday but two days ago It wouldn't start. It would fire on one cylinder but wouldn't catch on any more. It was early morning dark out side and cold with snow on the ground so I thought it just flooded, no big deal I'll get it going after I get home and there is more light. Well it wouldn't start later that evening either, very unusual for this car it's been very reliable. I lifted the hood and there was a rats nest about the size of a cantaloupe built around the sparkplug wires. One was completely chewed into and two more were missing almost` all of their insulation. How they got all that crap built in one night is beyond me I washed detailed the engine bay not more than 4 days before. Looked weird with the engine bay spotless and then this pile of crap between the cams. Now I have to figure a way to make them dead before they start on it again.... Tedd
I found this stuff called Rat-X and it seemed to work very well on the rats that were raiding my garden. It is non-toxic to other wildlife, and also non-toxic to anything that eats the dead rats, which was a really big positive for me since we have lots of owls and hawks and I didn't want to harm any of them.
My research showed it is corn gluten meal, which is something rats can't digest. It coats their stomach and intestines so they can't absorb water, which leads to dehydration, lethargy, and eventually cardiac arrest.
Last edited by Fun71; January 25th, 2021 at 09:46 AM.
Honking big rat traps, and lots of them. Some mice ate some hood insulation years ago, so I did sticky traps, black clip traps, and the mouse hotel silver box traps. I like the last ones the best, because they can get more than one, and if they do, they duke it out thunderdome style and winner gets to eat the loser.
buddy used to work on a pig farm.they had an old p.o.s. pickup and the drivers seat cushion was wore clear to the springs.he was out moving pigs one day and left the door open,came back bout 30 mins later and the rats had took his stocking hat off the seat and stuck it in the cushion and had a nest built.
On a related pest-control note, I was getting overrun this past year by chipmunks. Three 5 gallon buckets, filled 1/3 full with some sunflower seeds in them, with a little trail of seeds on the woodpile next to the buckets, and 24 hours later, I had 8 drowned chipmunks.
I wouldn't try this with rats, they might be able to climb out. Plus, we've all seen movies with sewer rats, they look like good swimmers. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore... not so much.
Back in high school a friend of mine had rats living under the storage shed in the back yard. They would come out and steal food out of the dog bowl by the gate, then race back under the shed before the dog could nab them. He recruited four of us with pellet rifles to come over one Saturday. Put a smear of peanut butter on some paper plates, placed the plates near the edges of the shed, and we picked off rats as they came out to eat. The head count for a couple hours that one afternoon was 14 or so.
When I was working as a tech in Chicago the surrounding neighborhood was a lot of older homes probably built in the 20-30's many of them with detached garages set back in the yards (rats loved them) I will bet that at least 60% of our tune ups were from miss fires related to critters
chewing through the spark plug wires !! occasionally we would see the nest but not often, also used to remove a lot of air cleaners
with the snorkels filled with acorns and various other seeds.
When I was a young man I worked at a coal wash plant. There was an elderly fellow working there that would feed the rats every day. When I asked why he fed them he said to watch and learn. After the rats were used to being fed he quit feeding them for a couple of days and then brought in his concoction He mixed cement with grated Parmesan cheese and he even set out a water bowl for them. It wasn't long before every rat in the plant was dead.
On a related pest-control note, I was getting overrun this past year by chipmunks. Three 5 gallon buckets, filled 1/3 full with some sunflower seeds in them, with a little trail of seeds on the woodpile next to the buckets, and 24 hours later, I had 8 drowned chipmunks.
^^^^^^^^^
I've been doing this for years, and my sons have them at their houses too. We call it the "Chipper Dipper Tournament". I won this year with 39 drowned chipmunks.
Honking big rat traps, and lots of them. Some mice ate some hood insulation years ago, so I did sticky traps, black clip traps, and the mouse hotel silver box traps. I like the last ones the best, because they can get more than one, and if they do, they duke it out thunderdome style and winner gets to eat the loser.
On a related pest-control note, I was getting overrun this past year by chipmunks. Three 5 gallon buckets, filled 1/3 full with some sunflower seeds in them, with a little trail of seeds on the woodpile next to the buckets, and 24 hours later, I had 8 drowned chipmunks.
I wouldn't try this with rats, they might be able to climb out. Plus, we've all seen movies with sewer rats, they look like good swimmers. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore... not so much.
I must have smarter chipmunks because I've tried this type trap and haven't caught the first Alvin.
... I will bet that at least 60% of our tune ups were from miss fires related to critters
chewing through the spark plug wires !...
Over here, it's the weasels who chew through wires and even hoses. They're especially menacing, during the warmer months. If there wasn't an abundance of rats to feed on, there wouldn't be so many weasels around.
The reason as to why they chew through rubber is because the males would climb into the warm engine compartment and then leave their territorial markings. As soon as the vehicle gets parked in a different weasel's territory, the resident weasel attacks whatever is soft enough to bite through, thinking that he's fighting an intruding weasel.
An effective deterent is to spray urine derived from a male cayote or fox, since the weasels know from which animal it originated from and the tostesterone contained in the urine. This product is available, either through the internet or from a related shop
I must have smarter chipmunks because I've tried this type trap and haven't caught the first Alvin.
The trick is to put the bucket somewhere next to an area where the little buggers are climbing. They see the seeds floating and can't resist. I have placed buckets next to a big maple tree, woodpile, and corner of the garage (they like to climb up under that corner trim piece of siding).
I have found that an important part of the trap is to have a piece of a larger branch leading out over the bucket, so they can crawl out onto it, look at the seeds, and then make the jump down into the water to retrieve their prize o' death.
Go to Youtube and type in "Bucket trap for rats" you will get a host of ideas. I've been using a bucket trap for a couple of years and they work great. Only need about 6 inches of water in the bucket. I also add a little antifreeze to keep it liquid as my dog isn't around to worry about. I've caught a dozen or so mice and rats so far this year and they are great. I use peanut butter on the roller pipe. It lasts a long time because the little buggers fall in the drink before they eat much.
The trick is to put the bucket somewhere next to an area where the little buggers are climbing. They see the seeds floating and can't resist. I have placed buckets next to a big maple tree, woodpile, and corner of the garage (they like to climb up under that corner trim piece of siding).
I have found that an important part of the trap is to have a piece of a larger branch leading out over the bucket, so they can crawl out onto it, look at the seeds, and then make the jump down into the water to retrieve their prize o' death.
I use the ramp method. Sprinkle a few seeds up the ramp and a larger pile on the edge. Then a good amount floating on the water. I throw them over the stone wall and since there's no poison involved another critter comes along that night and eats them. Reminds me of a Harry Nilsson song.
There is some stuff available at TSC and other places that is insect poison. I can't remember what it's called. Anyway I was told about it years ago. You mix it with Coke. The story was you had to go to the TSC or other hardware store and ask for it but don't tell them what you want it for. It is extremely toxic and will kill your dog if it eats the killed critter. So the clerks at the store were told not to sell it or even talk about it being a rat or opossum or whatever killer. Probably a liability thing. I saw that a opossum was living in a parts car so I put a pan of the mixture in the trunk of the car. Next day I went out and critter was dead stiill inside the car. It kills them instantly.
There is some stuff available at TSC and other places that is insect poison. I can't remember what it's called. Anyway I was told about it years ago. You mix it with Coke. The story was you had to go to the TSC or other hardware store and ask for it but don't tell them what you want it for. It is extremely toxic and will kill your dog if it eats the killed critter. So the clerks at the store were told not to sell it or even talk about it being a rat or opossum or whatever killer. Probably a liability thing. I saw that a opossum was living in a parts car so I put a pan of the mixture in the trunk of the car. Next day I went out and critter was dead stiill inside the car. It kills them instantly.
That almost looks like a sign for an insect-serving fast food drive-through restaurant.
Don't you wish, your kids would go outside and do something useful, instead of laying on the couch all day playing with their "smart"phones?
There is some stuff available at TSC and other places that is insect poison. I can't remember what it's called. Anyway I was told about it years ago. You mix it with Coke...
It's bad enough, when you can't see if a restaurant cook spits or worse into your food. From now on, you'll have to worry about the drinks that they serve
There is some stuff available at TSC and other places that is insect poison. I can't remember what it's called. Anyway I was told about it years ago. You mix it with Coke. The story was you had to go to the TSC or other hardware store and ask for it but don't tell them what you want it for. It is extremely toxic and will kill your dog if it eats the killed critter. So the clerks at the store were told not to sell it or even talk about it being a rat or opossum or whatever killer. Probably a liability thing. I saw that a opossum was living in a parts car so I put a pan of the mixture in the trunk of the car. Next day I went out and critter was dead stiill inside the car. It kills them instantly.
Golden Malrin fly bait. I mix with peanut butter to kill squirrels in my attic
Last edited by Oldcoyote; February 3rd, 2021 at 09:26 PM.
Since I have dogs I have to be careful. But there is gated area behind my garage and I usually leave waffles and taco bell soaked in antifreeze for the skunks and racoons. I do peanut butter bread and the antifreeze bucket in the attic where the dogs never go and I also leave a small chunk of food for the mice mixed with poison in the back room of the basement. Don't have any of those problems anymor lol .
January 25th, 2021, 08:53 AM
