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The title may lead you to believe that I know how to successfully deal with rats or mice invading your bird seed, but in reality, I don’t have a clue.
Let me share with you what I have done, and what hasn’t worked.
I keep my extra bird seed in these thick, “ant proof,”, hard plastic containers. Because I’ve noticed some seed on the ground around the containers that I knew I didn’t spill, I knew I had a visiting rat (you’ll see why in a moment). Since I normally don’t use poisons (because I don’t want the dogs to accidentally ingest this), I first tried glue traps. Didn’t work. Next, I bought one of those electronic zapping rat traps. Didn’t work. I bought a spring-loaded rat trap. Didn’t work. I bought one of those live trap things for rats or small mammals. Didn’t work. How do I know it hasn’t worked?
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Hungry Rat Eating Through Protected Food Storage
I know it’s not working because that stupid rat is walking right in between the glue traps, the live animal trap, and the electronic trap and is literally attempting to chew through the plastic container.
I’m trying one more thing. I bought one of those rat bait things that contain poison, but it is pet proof. Since the dogs will be protected from the poison, and hopefully the rat won’t be able to leave the garage (I don’t want to poison the raptors who eat rats), I’m hopeful this will work and I will soon find, or smell, a dead rat in my garage. I can tell you this. Although I am an animal lover, this rat will not receive a proper burial!
by texdr
Valerie Evanson - We have squirrels that chew threw heavy plastic to get to the bird seed. I keep our seed in the basement, which is a rat and squirrel free zone. Sometimes we get mice, but we have 3 cats to take care of that (and a few hidden glue traps). Perhaps a stone crock with a lid would work. My parents have some antique ones that are huge (maybe 25 gal or so), but the lids I think are wooden. My parents used them for making sauerkraut. Some crocks come with stone lids. I’ve seen 2 gal glass jars that have glass lids too. I think my parents use a small metal trash can for their bird seed.January 19, 2013 – 11:06 am
texdr - I may have to go the metal trashcan route as well. I wish I could catch this sucker, but apparently I’m not even closeJanuary 19, 2013 – 8:33 pm