Rats!!! (Page 1/3)
exc911ence DEC 22, 06:05 PM
Fiero was parked for a week unattended in my carport... I went out to take it for a drive and opened the engine lid to check the oil only to find what appeared to be a very cozy nest of dead oak tree leaves behind the driver's side strut tower. Now it's a cozy nest in my ShopVac. I went over the rest of the car but that was the only place I found anything out of place.

I sprinkled peppermint oil all over the engine compartment as recommended by the internet to keep pests away and now the car is crammed Tetris-like into my over-stuffed two car garage... learned a lesson about parking a car outside!

The upside is that my garage now smells like Christmas. Mmm, peppermint.

[This message has been edited by exc911ence (edited 12-24-2019).]

Patrick DEC 22, 07:55 PM

Pay for the BC Ferry ride and I'll lend you my cat. This semi-feral cat moved into my yard/life 1 1/2 years ago. She's a rodent eradicator. With no exaggeration, she's executed well over two dozen rodents in that time span. Most of them end up outside my back door as an "offering".

In this photo, I put some food in a bowl so she'd stay put beside her prey long enough for me to get a shot. The rat was 16 inches long from tip to tip (yes, I measured it)... and not a mark on it. This cat was well trained by her momma.

Phirewire DEC 22, 08:14 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:


Pay for the BC Ferry ride and I'll lend you my cat. This semi-feral cat moved into my yard/life 1 1/2 years ago. She's a rodent eradicator. With no exaggeration, she's executed well over two dozen rodents in that time span. Most of them end up outside my back door as an "offering".

In this photo, I put some food in a bowl so she'd stay put beside her prey long enough for me to get a shot. The rat was 16 inches long from tip to tip (yes, I measured it)... and not a mark on it. This cat was well trained by her momma.




Here I was thinking he was exaggerating with rat and it was just a little field mouse like we get here.


But damn, you guys got those along with all the snow. Poor cars.
Patrick DEC 22, 08:36 PM

quote
Originally posted by Phirewire:

Here I was thinking he was exaggerating with rat and it was just a little field mouse like we get here.



We've also got mice of course, but most any port city will have rats as well. Down at the docks here, where the trains with the grain cars from the prairies end up, the well fed rats are freakin' HUGE.
Quadfather DEC 22, 09:28 PM
A few years ago I needed to replace a hose on my mom's LeSabre. She was only driving a few days a week at that point. I found a nest under the engine cover. The car was always garaged.

[This message has been edited by Quadfather (edited 12-22-2019).]

Patrick DEC 22, 09:48 PM

quote
Originally posted by Quadfather:

I found a nest under the engine cover.



Would've been real cute if one of the little buggers was poking its head out of the valve cover opening.

exc911ence DEC 22, 11:57 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:


Pay for the BC Ferry ride and I'll lend you my cat. This semi-feral cat moved into my yard/life 1 1/2 years ago. She's a rodent eradicator. With no exaggeration, she's executed well over two dozen rodents in that time span. Most of them end up outside my back door as an "offering".

In this photo, I put some food in a bowl so she'd stay put beside her prey long enough for me to get a shot. The rat was 16 inches long from tip to tip (yes, I measured it)... and not a mark on it. This cat was well trained by her momma.




I'm surprised that we have rodents around since there are a large number of outdoor cats in our neighbourhood who regularly prowl by the house. And we have an indoor cat ourselves.

I have found one complete dead rat once in the backyard, and another day I found pieces of one scattered around the driveway but this is my first "live" example. Hoping it will be my last as I now have two large rat-poison traps by my house...

[This message has been edited by exc911ence (edited 12-24-2019).]

Patrick DEC 23, 12:48 AM

quote
Originally posted by exc911ence:

I'm surprised that we have rats around since there are a large number of outdoor cats in our neighbourhood who regularly prowl by the house. And we have an indoor cat ourselves.



Not all cats have the ability to hunt and kill effectively. Apparently it's not an innate skillset, it needs to be learned from the mother cat... and that's only if she was taught by her mom! Otherwise, they just end up "playing" with their prey.


quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

This cat was well trained by her momma.


jessesmith121 DEC 23, 10:19 AM
When I long term store a car, I put pellets inside little "cups" of aluminum foil in key areas and around the car on the ground. I will also spray a borax solution in the wheel wells and around the car as well to keep the ants out. Now I wouldn't have done that for a WEEK thats crazy fast fro them to settle in.

------------------
86 Fiero SE 5 Speed - Junkyard
84 Fiero SE 4 Speed- Sold
86 Fiero SE 6cyl 4 speed M19 - Sold
86 Fiero SE 6cyl 4 speed (25,000 miles) - Sold
87 Fiero SE 4cyl 5 Speed - Sold
86 Fiero GT 4 Speed- Sold
88 Formula 5 Speed T-top - Sold
87 Fiero SE 6cyl $ speed swapped - Sold
88 Fiero Formula 5-Speed - Sold
86 Fiero GT 4-speed - Sold
87 Fiero GT 5-Speed - Sold
Countless parts cars

sledcaddie DEC 23, 10:36 AM
What are the "pellets" made of, that you put in the foil cups? Rat/mouse poison? I've heard some people use mothballs (because of the odor they emit). I don't know if mothballs are effective or not.