I spotted a roof rat about 50 ft outside burrow.

[JohnnyB65]

It was climbing on top of my Lady Banks Roses bordering my property. I’m used to it full of small birds and was surprised by the way my dogs were carrying on. At first I thought it was a squirrel which I have seen under a shed out back, but then I noticed droppings on the block wall.

Anyway I just happened to have 3 electronic traps so put 2 in each corner of the yard and 1 inside the entrance of my tortoises borrow who is hibernating. Today I caught a rat next to my garden shed that was huge. I immediately checked my tortoise and it was clean, but it’s still armed and ready to kill.

The last time about 10 years ago I killed 6 rats in my yard and I don’t know how many the neighbors killed but together we annihilated them all.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Bwaha!

 

[teresaf]

I've heard of somebody on this forum whose tortoise got eaten by rats while hibernating... sad

 

[Bambam1989]

We have problems with rats here. There is a steady supply coming from a "horse ranch" on the property next to ours. My dogs kill at least one a week... Then they hide the bodies. And when it starts getting smelly they roll on it.
Then I get to go on a scavenger hunt and they get a bath... At least once a week.

 

[JohnnyB65]

We have problems with rats here. There is a steady supply coming from a "horse ranch" on the property next to ours. My dogs kill at least one a week... Then they hide the bodies. And when it starts getting smelly they roll on it.
Then I get to go on a scavenger hunt and they get a bath... At least once a week.

One of my dogs killed a rat 10 yrs ago and I should have suspected something because the dogs dug a huge hole under my shed. The last time when we had them I moved everything off the ground so the dogs would have full acces to the yard and all the hiding places. I read that these rats like to nest in trees and palm trees so moving everything above ground didn't help.

 

[JohnnyB65]

I've heard of somebody on this forum whose tortoise got eaten by rats while hibernating... sad

This is one of my main concerns, but I think the electronic trap will work well were i have it. I ordered 2 more trap that's supposed to delivered next Tuesday.

 

[JohnnyB65]

Its kind of funny that i have a rat because I've always hated them. When my daughter was a teen she hid a caged pet rat in her room so I wouldn't find out, but I had to fix something in her room and that dam rat scared the heck out of me.

 

[Tom]

Seems to be the year of the rodent in SoCal. We are having major rat and mouse problems right now. Don't know what is any different from previous years.

I lost a baby to a rat that chewed through the wall in my reptile room. I've been there 22 years and that has never happened before.

We've put out traps all over the ranch and been catching 12 mice a day and about 3 rats a week.

 

[Big Charlie]

We found a dead rat on our fence. We've put out traps and haven't caught anything.

 

[JohnnyB65]

Seems to be the year of the rodent in SoCal. We are having major rat and mouse problems right now. Don't know what is any different from previous years.

I lost a baby to a rat that chewed through the wall in my reptile room. I've been there 22 years and that has never happened before.

We've put out traps all over the ranch and been catching 12 mice a day and about 3 rats a week.

Wow! I haven't seen any mice yet and I hope I don't have many rats I can rid the place of them. We used to have a hawk nesting nearby, but they vanished last year and now I'm wondering if the rats didn't eat the eggs.

I forgot about them chewing through things although my tortoise burrow is pretty well protected except for the entrance. I put an electronic trap inside the entrance and I also have white flour spread out to show any foot prints. After I know for sure that I don’t have any rats in the burrow, I’m going to fill it in with dirt so they don’t get in.

 

[JohnnyB65]

We found a dead rat on our fence. We've put out traps and haven't caught anything.

I haven't caught any more since the one big fat one. Today I'm going to move the traps around to see if that helps. I can't wait for the extra 2 traps I ordered to come in.

 

[TammyJ]

Can't the hibernating tortoises be kept in "cages" while hibernating so the rats cannot get to them?

 

[JohnnyB65]

Can't the hibernating tortoises be kept in "cages" while hibernating so the rats cannot get to them?

Yes but I just don't have the room to do it and I'm glad for the hibernation because he takes to much time. When I first got my tortoise about 10 years ago, I used to put him in the garage and it was kind of a hassle trying not to disturb him. I now have turned my garage into a complete work shop and I have to heat it enable to work.

 

[Tom]

Yes but I just don't have the room to do it and I'm glad for the hibernation because he takes to much time. When I first got my tortoise about 10 years ago, I used to put him in the garage and it was kind of a hassle trying not to disturb him. I now have turned my garage into a complete work shop and I have to heat it enable to work.

Best to use a fridge. Much safer, and much more stable hibernation conditions.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Here, rats use the power lines as a highway and go from fruit tree to fruit tree at night. Some are quite large.
They also get into my tortoise enclosure and my fish pond area but I've never noticed any rat damage to anything. I think it's because they are already so well fed.
I do set out traps and catch a few from time to time because my wife is afraid of them. Peanut butter smeared on a little piece of cloth and them crimped onto the bait area of the trap. They can't resist tugging on the cloth when they would otherwise just lick off the peanut butter....It's deadly.
I no longer set out traps near my Redfoot pen, because in the past the traps have either fallen into or been carried into the pens by rats and my tortoises have eaten the rat in a big, bloody mess. Sometimes they've even eaten part of the wooden trap.

 

[JohnnyB65]

Best to use a fridge. Much safer, and much more stable hibernation conditions.

WOW! You mean on the shelf next to the Thanksgiving turkey? LOL

 

[JohnnyB65]

Here, rats use the power lines as a highway and go from fruit tree to fruit tree at night. Some are quite large.
They also get into my tortoise enclosure and my fish pond area but I've never noticed any rat damage to anything. I think it's because they are already so well fed.
I do set out traps and catch a few from time to time because my wife is afraid of them. Peanut butter smeared on a little piece of cloth and them crimped onto the bait area of the trap. They can't resist tugging on the cloth when they would otherwise just lick off the peanut butter....It's deadly.
I no longer set out traps near my Redfoot pen, because in the past the traps have either fallen into or been carried into the pens by rats and my tortoises have eaten the rat in a big, bloody mess. Sometimes they've even eaten part of the wooden trap.

I originally bought the regular spring traps, but they were too messy. I really like these new electronic traps because you just pick up the trap and dump the rat in the garbage with no blood or guts. I did have some around my pond the last time I had this problem years ago and that’s when I had no doubt that I had a problem. I just removed the pond last month and I got rid of all my fruit trees when this problem first showed up years ago. My main concern is the tortoise and from the looks of things, I think he’s OK.



My only problem with the traps is my dogs. I have to hide the traps so they don’t get into them so I don’t have a clear view of the traps. They flash when something set it off and I have move stuff just to see them.

 

[Tom]

WOW! You mean on the shelf next to the Thanksgiving turkey? LOL

Well if thats how you wanna roll, you can…

Personally, I use a fridge dedicated to the tortoises and set the temps accordingly.

 

[JohnnyB65]

Well if thats how you wanna roll, you can…

Personally, I use a fridge dedicated to the tortoises and set the temps accordingly.

Sorry, I was just having fun. I figured you would have something like that

 

[TammyJ]

Sorry, I was just having fun. I figured you would have something like that

A lot of us wish we could have our own "tortoise fridge" too, I am sure!