I've got a RAT!!! (real) what do I do?

[Frank]

What he said. Rodents all tend to develop "rat runs" and stick to the same path, usually close to the walls.

And just to be humane as possible, do check the traps regularly. Often a trap will just maim the rodent and it's not nice to leave it there suffering if you can avoid it. Regrettably it then becomes your duty to drop a brick on the little bugger.

[JacksonRR]

There are special larger snap traps available for the bigger guys that will put them out better than the mouse sized ones. Definitely do not use a glue trap. I worked at a grocery during High School and walked in the back area one time to find 6 or 7 baby mice stuck to one and they were all alive. It was kind of depressing because you could see the progression. They get all four legs stuck and then try to push off with their face and get that stuck as well leaving them to starve to death or suffocate if they pressed their kisser into the adhesive. If I could turn back time I'd put a stamp on it and try to mail it as a post card from Disneyland.

[MrBump]

We had Mice in our old Kitchen once, put out some humane traps with peanut Butter in them, and they went for them the moment we turned off the light and closed the door! Peanut butter really seems to milk their Guernsey.

Peanut butter worked a treat on my squirrels.  Which are, apparently, just rats with better PR.

[Elliot]

When you have got to the level of hatred for rodents as I have glue traps baited with Reeses's peanut butter cup work a treat. When I used to be squeamish I used to put the glue traps in tissue boxes so I could chuck them away in the bin - but now, having got fed up with the lines of cr@p everywhere I dont really care and just chuck them in the bin squiggling away on the glue paper.

[Frank]

When you have got to the level of hatred for rodents as I have glue traps baited with Reeses's peanut butter cup work a treat. When I used to be squeamish I used to put the glue traps in tissue boxes so I could chuck them away in the bin - but now, having got fed up with the lines of cr@p everywhere I dont really care and just chuck them in the bin squiggling away on the glue paper.

That's disgustingly cruel. You should at least finish the animal off. Leaving it in a bin to starve to death is unforgivable.

[gwEm]

stomp on it?

[FELINEGUITARS]

When you have got to the level of hatred for rodents as I have glue traps baited with Reeses's peanut butter cup work a treat. When I used to be squeamish I used to put the glue traps in tissue boxes so I could chuck them away in the bin - but now, having got fed up with the lines of cr@p everywhere I dont really care and just chuck them in the bin squiggling away on the glue paper.

That's disgustingly cruel. You should at least finish the animal off. Leaving it in a bin to starve to death is unforgivable.

It's ok - there's already a cat in the bin as Mary Bale lives locally. http://youtu.be/MOuCjzVAO_w

[Philly Q]

When this thread started I never imagined the horrors that would be described.  PDT_044

If only the rat could read.... leave your computer open on this page and it'll frighten him off.

[Afghan Dave]

When this thread started I never imagined the horrors that would be described.  PDT_044

Didn't thread started by "Afghan Dave" and the responses that may tend to invite lend such an outcome an almost grim inevitability?  :?

[Alex]

While I advocate killing them, I strongly suggest doing it quickly, to make the suffering minimal.

But like I said - you still need to find the entry point. There is no such thing as "one rat", just like there is not one c--kroach. Because they get killed a lot they breed quickly.  Chances are there's a hole somewhere behind the furniture/stove/fridge or somewhere close to pipes. Rats are also good climbers so don't just look down all the time, in basements they like to climb on pipe close to the ceiling. They don't see very well, that's why they always stay in corners, where their whiskers can guide them.

[Frank]

While we're on the subject of annoying animals, any tips on how to make my parrot stop squawking?

[XxpapertigerxX]

While we're on the subject of annoying animals, any tips on how to make my parrot stop squawking?

Teach it to sing? I hear parrots have lovely singing voices

[Frank]

Sing? He's useless, he won't even say hello. All he does is squawk and poo everywhere. And he tries eating the knobs on my mixing desk if I leave him alone too long.

[XxpapertigerxX]

Sing? He's useless, he won't even say hello. All he does is squawk and poo everywhere. And he tries eating the knobs on my mixing desk if I leave him alone too long.

So he's the intellectual type then

[Frank]

Sing? He's useless, he won't even say hello. All he does is squawk and poo everywhere. And he tries eating the knobs on my mixing desk if I leave him alone too long.

So he's the intellectual type then

I suppose so, I've worked with sound engineers who probably eat the knobs on mixing desks if you leave them alone too long.