I'm so disappointed - I need to pull out my huge and productive tomato plants.

[QED]

I found a rat feasting on the plants this morning. We've had an issue with mice and rats in the neighborhood although I've never seen them until today. I hate to do this but I can't let the rats proliferate.

[BoRaGard]

1. .

[MayReasonRule]

2. Put Out Live Traps... They Really Do Work...

[pansypoo53219]

8. oh yeah. roadwork scared themn out of the sewers + took residence in old chippy tunnels. also trappped a squirrel.

[SARose]

3. We had rats when we lived in the Houston area

Even in broad daylight! Ugh

Fair warning - could be triggering for some



Here’s what we did:

No more gas grill - they were inside the grill and feasting on grease.

No more bird food. They were running up and down the damn feeders.

They were eating dog food left out by neighbors.

They were also eating fruit in several neighbors yards. Fruit like bananas, strawberries, etc.

And, yes, we found they were nesting under a small deck. So we put rat bait there and watched our doxies carefully.

It took almost the whole street working together to get rid of them.

And then the Big Mama Possum moved it. Omg! My husband used a live trap and relocated 15 possums until he caught Big Mama, finally!

Ahh yes suburbia with the wildlife! Thank goodness it wasn’t skunks or coyotes.

Good luck!

[QED]

6. This is why I need to get on this....

Some of my neighbors are hoarders and I know there are rats in their stuff - I'm seen a large, feral cat stalking prey around their place. I don't want them here around my dogs. Of course, rats don't observe property lines.

[NJCher]

9. Wow

That’s an impressive offense.

[MagickMuffin]

12. You should reconsider relocating opossums

They will try and make their way back to that location they were removed from. Plus they eat ticks and other yucky things.

North Texas here, we have opossums, raccoons, possibly rodents but I never see them.

We also feed a cat colony and if they don’t eat all their food either the opossums will or the raccoons. We have a shelving unit we built where we feed the cats and can watch them from our kitchen window. It’s fun watching the wildlife come and enjoy the leftovers.

[Srkdqltr]

4. They got in our travel trailer and ate everything. It was ugly.

[Keepthesoulalive]

5. Live traps

Getting rid of tomato plants might work. We had to get rid of a car because they would get in the engine, chewed through the gas line on another. I’m trying to say they will just find something else. You have to get rid of the mice or they will find someplace else to eat or nest.

[rickford66]

7. I had mice ruin the clutch on my pickup twice.

They built nests in the bellhousing. So much grass and straw the pressure plate couldn't touch the clutch disc. About $1,000 each time. I was able to get about $500 out of my auto insurance by claiming comprehensive. It's a shame to miss out on the homegrown tomatoes.

[NJCher]

10. I'd try

Repel-it first. The stuff is damned amazing.

Besides, getting rid of the tomatoes isn’t going to get rid of the rats. They will love your sunflowers.

Your neighborhood needs a tuff guy cat like my Oliver. After Covid closed a restaurant up the hill, they came around and he knocked ‘em all off.

Not a one to be seen.

[QED]

11. All gone!

Given the neighborhood problem, I had my yard guy pull it all. His wife and I harvested as many tomatoes as we could before mass destruction ensued.

[Botany]

13. Put out bait .... you are not going to catch them a rehabilitate them

Tomcat rat and mouse bait. Glue the bait in the middle of 3 to 4” pvc pipe about 18 to 24” long.
This takes advantage of a rat’s natural instincts of crawling through holes. It will take a year or so
to get rid of the rats. Every time the bait gets eaten get them more. If you don’t see activity on
the bait move it to a new location. Rats like running along fences and homes so place the bait
where you have seen them running. This protects pets, birds, and other critters from getting to
the bait.

Get your neighbors in on using the bait. If you see a rat the hole to their nests is within
300 feet or so.