WWYD - Rat!

MommyAndHerLatte

A few weeks ago, DS woke up super early from his nap so I carried him downstairs.  Right when we came downstairs, I saw a huge rat run across the middle of our backyard and then back again.  We have cement in our backyard, and a lot of DS' toys (cars, shovel, etc.) were lying around in the rat's path.  It freaked me out and we have never been outside since.  DH has decontaminated everything with industrial strength cleaner, but I'm still so grossed out.  I also convinced our landlord to take care of this issue and she let us hire an exterminator. 

The exterminator told me that he would put black bait boxes around the perimeter of our fence, and he would come by every month to restock the bait boxes.  This concerns me for a variety of reasons:  (1) I don't like the idea of poison in our backyard; (2) what if the bait boxes end up attracting more rats; (3) what if the rats drop poison in the middle of our backyard and DS picks it up, etc.  Plus, it's such a pain to set aside time every month for the exterminator.  But I'm also freaked out that we may be vulnerable to having rats inside our house if we don't do something.  

Has anyone had to deal with rats?  Do you think the rat in our backyard was a complete coincidence and we don't have a rat problem at all?  Or do you think we need to take care of the problem before it becomes a bigger issue?  For what it's worth, we live in a suburb in socal, and I really haven't seen rodents around before that one fortuitous day...  Ugh, I just want to move before baby #2 comes...so gross.

ETA:  Oh, and I apologize in advance if this post offends anyone.  I know people have rats as pets.  It's really my own issue -- I'm terrified of rats and mice. 

SummerLove21

Hmmm...that's a toughie. You may not have a rat problem at all, but it's hard to say. Could you do the bait boxes for a month, see if you catch anything, and keep you DS out of the yard in the meantime? I know that's probably a pain...

tamarar5

We picked up a pack rat when taking a car into a dicey mechanic (it was a recall and we *had* to take it to the manufacturer mechanic, and that place brought a whole new meaning to dive.). We put our cats out with the vehicle, thinking we just had mice after seeing some chewed wires, and out cats refused to go out — it was as big as they were! We did bate traps and didn't use the car, or garage, until we were certain it was dead.

Again, I know people keep them as pets, but that just wasn't us, and this wasn't a healthy, safe pet.

Puck1182

Haha, I am so no help with this. I'm one of those people who always has at least one or two rodents as a pet and rats are a favorite of mine. So I would not be inclined to worry about seeing one rodent outside. Granted, despite living in the suburbs, I am in a place where black bears are not entirely infrequent visitors, so even "wild" rats feel like the least of my potential pest problems.

MommyAndHerLatte

Thanks ladies.  Yeah, the part about the bait potentially hurting neighborhood dogs and cats is what makes me hesitant (that, and the fact that I don't want poison near DS).  When I used to live in NY and Boston, seeing rats on the streets was a regular thing.  Once, I almost rolled over a dead rat with my stroller, which was so disturbing.  I just didn't expect to see a rat in my backyard in the suburbs.  I think I may just ask the exterminator to inspect the outside of our house to make sure it's rat-proof...and hopefully we won't have any more run-ins. 

@Sterling13, apparently rats can chew through electrical wires, causing house fires...which make them a little more dangerous than the average pigeon.  There was a news article once about a man who couldn't start his car because a rat chewed through his engine! 

@tamarar5, whoa, that's crazy that a rat came home with your car! 

Puck1182

MommyAndHerLatte said:

Thanks ladies.  Yeah, the part about the bait potentially hurting neighborhood dogs and cats is what makes me hesitant (that, and the fact that I don't want poison near DS).  When I used to live in NY and Boston, seeing rats on the streets was a regular thing.  Once, I almost rolled over a dead rat with my stroller, which was so disturbing.  I just didn't expect to see a rat in my backyard in the suburbs.  I think I may just ask the exterminator to inspect the outside of our house to make sure it's rat-proof...and hopefully we won't have any more run-ins. 

@Sterling13, apparently rats can chew through electrical wires, causing house fires...which make them a little more dangerous than the average pigeon.  There was a news article once about a man who couldn't start his car because a rat chewed through his engine! 

@tamarar5, whoa, that's crazy that a rat came home with your car! 

Isn't that true of squirrels though, too?  I thought squirrels cheweing through electrical wires is actually a pretty common thing.  Or am I just making that up? 

wifeofadam

I wouldn't do the bait in my yard, either, but I'm crazy about chemicals and stuff.

We had a chipmunk problem two years ago at our old house and we trapped them in the cages and then released them at the park.  We caught ten in less than a week and it solved our problem (they were burrowing in our garden).

You could always try that with the rats.  Although, I'd have a hard time reaching my hand down to touch the cage with the rat in it.  It was hard enough with the chipmunk and worrying it was going to run toward me when it was released.

Puck1182

@wifeofadam I am having trouble imagining chipmunks as a problem, they are so stinking cute! I mean, obviously if they are digging in your garden that IS a problem, but I'd mostly want to pick them up and snuggle them.

I would also like to add that this thread made me miss my previous rodent pets, especially my hedgehog. The degus are old men now (7 years old, average lifespan in captivity is 5-8 years) and while they appear to be healthy, I'm kind of bracing myself for the worst. :-/

MommyAndHerLatte

Puck1182 said:

Isn't that true of squirrels though, too?  I thought squirrels cheweing through electrical wires is actually a pretty common thing.  Or am I just making that up? 

Oh, is it?  I haven't heard of that before.  The exterminator just told us that rats like to climb up to the attic and chew the electrical wires, and that house fires are common that way.  Didn't know that about squirrels! 

And btw, @Puck1182, I love the fact that you had so many interesting pets!  I bet you have some great stories!

Puck1182

MommyAndHerLatte said:

Puck1182 said:

Isn't that true of squirrels though, too?  I thought squirrels cheweing through electrical wires is actually a pretty common thing.  Or am I just making that up? 

Oh, is it?  I haven't heard of that before.  The exterminator just told us that rats like to climb up to the attic and chew the electrical wires, and that house fires are common that way.  Didn't know that about squirrels! 

And btw, @Puck1182, I love the fact that you had so many interesting pets!  I bet you have some great stories!


Well like I said, it's a very real possibility that I just made that but. But I'm pretty sure I've heard that it's a thing that happens.

And yes, definitely lots of neat stories. My senior year of college we successfully hid a hedgehog, a rabbit, a bird, and two sets of baby squirrels in our on-campus apartment. The rabbit's name was Humperdinck and he was pretty much the devil. He'd run up to us, bite us, and then scamper away. One set of squirrels was named Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and appropriately enough I don't think we ever officially decided which one was which. They were adorable and sweet and wonderful and did not bite anyone.

My rats were always the best though. So incredibly intelligent and friendly! They climbed the side of the cage to greet me and beg for belly rubs when I got home from work, sit on my shoulder and groom me, and hang out on my lap while I petted them and they'd brux and boggle their eyes (a weird sight, but a sign of an extremely happy ratty!).