All of sudden, RATS? (Phoenix: houses, neighborhood, school) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

5thgenzoner · 12-09-2015, 07:03 PM

I live in the top half of an old farmhouse, been here 6 years without a problem....all of a sudden there are RATS in here...and i dont mean cute little ones.....my cats have killed two in the house at night.....I am so freaked out by this.

I have lived in the valley my whole life and aside from roof rats on the local news have never even seen anything like this.

Today my kids told me they saw a couple dead ones a ways up the street on the way to school, so now i am wondering if it is the whole neighborhood, not just my house.

Any advice on this would be really welcome....part of me just wants to pack up and leave, of course its not that simple.

Also can these things hurt my pets? I always thought they started out small but apparently that isnt the case. I also thought rodent droppings would be in evidence, but i have not seen any at all.
Please help!

Arizona Mike · 12-09-2015, 09:34 PM

You, too?

Found one in the house a couple of weeks ago and I had to dispatch it with a stick. Then one outside on the driveway (a big freakin' one, looked like a New York Subway Rat,). I tried to chase it down the street with my rat-stick but it just ran in circles around my ankles. I realized that rats have no concept of streets or lanes or linear movement. I will probably show up in some kid's YouTube video ("Crazy Old Man Chases Rat With Stick").

I called the exterminator, he said the cooler weather is driving rats to seek shelter. There is also a lot of fruit on the trees, which also attracts rats.

Contact your exterminator, they will install some rat traps. These are about the size of a shoebox with a hole that rats cat get into but not pets. There is a little L-shaped maze with a bait bag that rats will take back to their nest and kill all the other rats.

Try not to watch Pixar's "Ratatouille" before making the decision to do so.

I feel morally conflicted, like Charlie in this scene from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIWss-_5HGM

pbenjamin · 12-09-2015, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

You, too?

Found one in the house a couple of weeks ago and I had to dispatch it with a stick. Then one outside on the driveway (a big freakin' one, looked like a New York Subway Rat,). I tried to chase it down the street with my rat-stick but it just ran in circles around my ankles. I realized that rats have no concept of streets or lanes or linear movement. I will probably show up in some kid's YouTube video ("Crazy Old Man Chases Rat With Stick").

I called the exterminator, he said the cooler weather is driving rats to seek shelter. There is also a lot of fruit on the trees, which also attracts rats.

Contact your exterminator, they will install some rat traps. These are about the size of a shoebox with a hole that rats cat get into but not pets. There is a little L-shaped maze with a bait bag that rats will take back to their nest and kill all the other rats.

Doesn't that make for dead rats in your walls or attic?

wit-nit · 12-09-2015, 10:28 PM

Roof rats are traveling through the valley...
Roof rats move into new areas of the Valley - ABC15 Arizona

5thgenzoner · 12-10-2015, 02:13 AM

I thank you one and all for the feedback, glad it is not just me and my old house....as messed up as that sounds. I live in the the uptown area (melrose) and these critters have not been a problem prior to this, in fact i had never seen one live until now. I will call the pest guy in the morning, these things have got to GO AWAY, although in a house this age (1934) I am not sure you can block every entrance. I sure intend to try though. Its hard to take that my cats are not mighty enough hunters to make them flee in terror, Guess I too shall have to get a rat-stick, ala Arizona Mike. My kids say there is nothing funnier than me chasing our two small dogs when they escape, the rat killing promises to be picturesque.

I cant believe this is happening to me, oh the indignity! And I truly like it around here too much to leave without trying to fix it.

Anyone have any other advice on ridding the place of sudden large and bold rats around the place?

ScottsdaleMark · 12-10-2015, 08:03 AM

Rats are no fun. I remember many moons ago I was living with a cousin and there was an odd smell that kept getting stronger until finally I had to find it no matter what and eventually I found a dead rat laying behind the dryer. They're so big that it just seems to be a different level of creepy to deal with than various bugs. I guess the good news is that rats are big enough that you're going to see them...mice are so tiny that I believe it's a lot harder to track them down, so to speak.

cayennev8 · 12-10-2015, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5thgenzoner

I thank you one and all for the feedback, glad it is not just me and my old house....as messed up as that sounds. I live in the the uptown area (melrose) and these critters have not been a problem prior to this, in fact i had never seen one live until now. I will call the pest guy in the morning, these things have got to GO AWAY, although in a house this age (1934) I am not sure you can block every entrance. I sure intend to try though. Its hard to take that my cats are not mighty enough hunters to make them flee in terror, Guess I too shall have to get a rat-stick, ala Arizona Mike. My kids say there is nothing funnier than me chasing our two small dogs when they escape, the rat killing promises to be picturesque.

I cant believe this is happening to me, oh the indignity! And I truly like it around here too much to leave without trying to fix it.

Anyone have any other advice on ridding the place of sudden large and bold rats around the place?

We had an infestation too when we lived in PHX. We lived in the tuke in a very nice modern home however we also created a perfect habitat for the little guys (rats). We had many dwarf fruit trees and tons of vines growing on the walls and sides of the house. Having no knowledge of how to rid them we put out bait which was HORRIBLE. Firstly, it thins their blood so much that they bleed internally and it is not a quick death. Not to mention that the birds, lizards, neighborhood kitties etc. will eat it too and die. Our dogs got into it as well and before we knew ate a whole bag.....$750 dollars later having their stomaches pumped and forced charcoal and then a month more of giving them vitamin K....just awful, please don't; use any poison, it's not worth it. In the end we put out the tried and true latchy thingy with some peanut butter. Quick and clean death and that was the end of our problem.

Arizona Mike · 12-10-2015, 08:26 AM

I know the Phoenix Zoo uses the same rat bait traps and their veterinarians signed off on them as not dangerous to the animals within the zoo.

The sad thing is we have two cats who always seem to be elsewhere when a rat is around. I'm pretty sure rat-killing is supposed to be in their primary job description.

Arizona Mike · 12-10-2015, 08:30 AM

It also helps to cover any vents in your house and roof with chicken-wire fencing. Rats can squeeze through an area about the size of a quarter. Also don't leave your garage door open too long.

I probably shouldn't mention this as it will up the paranoia factor on this thread, but rats are able to enter houses through the sewer line and travel up through the toilet, so keep your toilet bowl lid down.

Wally Sconce · 12-10-2015, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

It also helps to cover any vents in your house and roof with chicken-wire fencing. Rats can squeeze through an area about the size of a quarter. Also don't leave your garage door open too long.

I probably shouldn't mention this as it will up the paranoia factor on this thread, but rats are able to enter houses through the sewer line and travel up through the toilet, so keep your toilet bowl lid down.

I'm sure a 3 lb rat can easily push a toilet lid up...should have said "put a brick on it"..lol