Pack rats

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Marsha Cassada

Marsha Cassada

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Southwest Oklahoma
We have trapped 8 so far in the garden. I've stopped giving treats to the chicken. I've raked a wheel barrow load of trash out from under the chicken house, where I'm sure they were/are nesting. They are rather attractive and do not carry any disease, so I was told by the Dept of Ag, but they cannot be left to devour the garden or terrorize the chicken. Someone suggested they are coming for the water--it has been very dry here, but no drier than other years and we did not have this invasion. I go out in the morning to find my lettuce, kale and beets with only a stem and no leaves. I have replanted twice. Also, it is time for rattlesnakes to migrate to their dens and we don't want rodents attracting them. We've lived here over 20 years and have seen maybe 2 in all that time. Why is there an invasion now?
 
I don't know why, but you can fence them out. You are going to need the wire mesh with the tiny square holes though. And probably to bury them so they don't just dig under.
 
Marsha Cassada said:
We have trapped 8 so far in the garden. I've stopped giving treats to the chicken. I've raked a wheel barrow load of trash out from under the chicken house, where I'm sure they were/are nesting. They are rather attractive and do not carry any disease, so I was told by the Dept of Ag, but they cannot be left to devour the garden or terrorize the chicken. Someone suggested they are coming for the water--it has been very dry here, but no drier than other years and we did not have this invasion. I go out in the morning to find my lettuce, kale and beets with only a stem and no leaves. I have replanted twice. Also, it is time for rattlesnakes to migrate to their dens and we don't want rodents attracting them. We've lived here over 20 years and have seen maybe 2 in all that time. Why is there an invasion now?
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Sorry you dealing with rats! Grr. Did the Dept of Ag give any help on deterring or why they are so active this year? We have possums and raccoons, which aren't native to our area. How did they get here?:mad: Set a trap, caught a possum but the raccoon was to fall for it.
 
HersheyMint said:
Sorry you dealing with rats! Grr. Did the Dept of Ag give any help on deterring or why they are so active this year? We have possums and raccoons, which aren't native to our area. How did they get here?:mad: Set a trap, caught a possum but the raccoon was to fall for it.
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I'm surprised those two critters are not native to your area. I thought they were everywhere, except the Poles. We caught #9 today.
 

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@Marsha Cassada , I should change my thinking on possums and raccoons. They have been here long enough now that they probably are native here. Growing up here we never had them. Population has grown, climate has changed which probably has brought them. I was reliving the "good ole days" 🤣
 
#10 yesterday. He was in a drawer in a little cupboard I keep on the porch for my garden tools. He had harvested roses, lantana blossoms, elm branches and some mysterious thread (eek) in the drawer. Just overnight. What a busy guy! This one got away--for now. We set the trap for him but only caught a mouse.
The frogs in my little water features are piping. Likely that will bring the raccoons to the porch now. It's wild in the country.
 
Minimor said:
No possums in Manitoba, thank goodness. I could do without the raccoons too, but lately I am well supplied with those.
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Agreed!! I didn't think there were raccoons in Alberta, I've still never seen any. But my partner traps in the winter and he videoed a family of raccoons not far from our place. Indeed they are around!
 
Hopefully the last one. It was the smallest so far. I have a call in to the Dept of Wildlife; the specialist is looking into the packrat species. I want to know where they are coming from and why so many. She has had no other calls about packrats, so we'll see if she comes up with anything. She asked if there are any changes in the surrounding habitat, but I can't really think of anything.
 
13. Or maybe 14, I've sort of lost count. I am raking under the chicken house every other day, so I don't think they are living under there any more. They must be coming from the mountain rocks?? We have the trap set in the garden.
Since we have caught so many and keep the chicken house policed, the hen has been laying normal eggs. I think she had been so terrorized by the rats that her laying was upset. No more packrats allowed in the garden or chicken pen! Even though they are rather cute...
 
I usually leave the rats for my husband to deal with when he comes home. He drowns them. Yesterday I got tenderhearted and took the rat out behind our mountain on the other side of the property and released it. I should have put a dot of paint on him, to see if he ever came back! My husband was not happy about the release. I am raking under the chicken house every other day or so to make sure they don't set up their nests there any more. The house is raised off the ground a few inches--just high enough for stuff to blow under and critters to live, but not high enough for me to police except on my stomach.
 
They are cute but I’m speaking from a farm that doesn’t have any here. I hope your freed pack rat stays away!

Your idea of placing water by the mountain sounds interesting and logical!

I wonder if your area is having an irruption of pack rats? Five years ago, our area had an irruption of mice and it eventually ran its course. Our barn cats did an amazing job and every day they left proof of their labors. Towards the end of the overrun, I went out in the morning and the cats had 10 dead mice in a row against the stall wall. I couldn’t believe my eyes, but they sure had a lot of practice that Fall!
 
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