Now that it is getting colder nights the pack rats are looking for their winter lodging. The will nest under the hood of a vehicle, under a deck, in your stacked firewood pile or any nook and cranny that they feel protected from. It is wise to keep the hood of your vehicle propped up and if there is room under your deck to keep it free of debris. Keep your firewood at least 60-80' away from your home.
They don't like open area's but prefer more closed or confined areas. These little rodents can destroy the wiring harness, hoses, or belts under the hood of your vehicle in a single night. They work tirelessly and once ate all the vacuum hoses one night when I forgot to prop the hood of our old Toyota up. They are cute but they can be seriously destructive and also carry several diseases. If they can get to your house wiring they can gnaw on the wiring insulation and start a fire.
As soon as you discover them either by smell or their skat they need to be trapped and removed from the area. They come equipped with an excellent GPS homing device and should be taken at least a mile 1/2 distant to be released if caught in a live trap. The site of release should be at least 1 1/2 miles from another house or structure or you are just taking your problem to someone else. If caught in a snap trap than anywhere is sufficient but a waste receptacle works. I generally leave them out in the open for the ravens to feast.
You must use your A game to protect yourself and your property. So far in the past two months I have either caught 24 pack rats in live traps or snap traps. Because we are a green oasis in the middle of a burn scar they seem to gravitate to our home. When they urinate or defecate on our deck that is where I set the trap as they have marked that as their territory. When you catch one there is generally a second one around too. Once removed others will come to that marked area to make it their own also so I set traps where they frequent.
They seem to love peanut butter and if you have them coming to our area like this year it will take a volume of peanut butter. As cute as they are they are very destructive. When I released they a mile or so away they simply returned in a few days. I used the green hair coloring on them that kids use for Halloween, and finally many years ago realized I was catching the same ones over and over. It turned out they liked the car ride and considered it a game. Having pack rats around is a serious matter.
1 comment:
Rats, yes, I know with their naked tails. Also, "pack rats" always referred to a human being with too much 'stuff' to bother with but thanks for the picture, for I've never seen a "pack" one. They ARE sorta cute with a bushy tail BUT I can't get over the word RATS. Did you know there are several times (X)far more rats in the world than there are humans?
Everyone says I'm me a pack rat. Yes and this will encourage real rats sometimes! Hmm, I need a passel of cats, I am thinking.
Post a Comment