My neighbor wasn't joking.

[Junebug]

Last weekend one of my across the fence neighbors told me she had disturbed 2 rat nests while tearing down her delapidated tool shed. She cautioned me to be on the look-out for her displaced rats and she wasn't joking.

Last night my dogs began barking like crazy and they just wouldn't stop. I checked on them to see what all the commotion was about and they're attention was fixated on the back porch. As I looked towards the porch I caught glimpse of small rodent crawling inside a milk jug containing bird seed.

I took the camera and cautiously pointed it inside the rodent's chewed-out access hole. The flash from the camera startled not one, but two young rats. They immediately jumped out and scurried away leaving yet another young rat behind. After the second flash he lept out and ran off. Afterwards I tossed the entire jug of seed into the compost pile a good distance away from the house.

Where's my yard snakes when I need them? Hopefully they're hanging out by the compost.

[marydaniellesantos]

That was a great story!! Kinda intense, but I appreciate it!! Thank you! (great photos nonetheless...)

[Call_Me_Bob]

gross, yet cute! great pics!

[Grandma M]

I hate rodents. I hope you catch them, or your dogs or snakes do.

Thanks for the pictures.

Marilyn

[marydaniellesantos]

I wouldn't let your dogs go after them... they carry an array of diseases. I hope you get them though! Gardener Snakes are my favorite... not one bit of venom.

[Junebug]

Thanks guys.

I respect and tolerate most critters but rats are on my S list. The bigger they are the creepier they get and they do a lot of damage too. My orange trees were laden with fruit and now only a few little oranges remain on the tree. It's not weevil damage this time cause there's no chew marks on the leaves and there's no evidence of fruit drop. The oranges simply disappeared. A new spike on my Sharry Baby is also missing. The neighbor's cat probably killed the yard snakes. Looks like my mini ecosystem is getting shot to hell. Guess it's time for me to take affirmative action.

[marydaniellesantos]

Geez, I would take matters into my own hands! Trap em, kill em, anything to get rid of them! Destruction and possible disease is means for termination!

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by marydaniellesantos

I wouldn't let your dogs go after them... they carry an array of diseases. I hope you get them though! Gardener Snakes are my favorite... not one bit of venom.

My dogs are Pembroke Corgis. They're excellent alert barkers but they don't have much talent for capturing things. My concern is that my dogs might get hold of a lifeless poisoned rat.

It's common to see rat snakes and black snakes in the yard, but this year they've been scarce...probably fallen victims to neighbors and cats.

I'm afraid that trapping is going to be my best option. Uck!

[marydaniellesantos]

Eww! Yeah, it does sound like the only way... But you can always ask someone to take them... animal control. lol.

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by marydaniellesantos

Eww! Yeah, it does sound like the only way... But you can always ask someone to take them... animal control. lol.

Thanks, but I suspect they'd laugh at my rat problem and suggest I trap them myself. Traps generally work best during darkness and our local animal control avoids night calls and doesn't take much interest in working unless fines are involved. They prefer to bust people for violations instead of assisting them with common pests.