My dogs tend to tear up my garden so I normally keep them out. Last year I found a huge tunnel system under my tomato plants. Made the dogs sleep outside with the garden gate open. Next morning I find the biggest rat (dead) I've ever seen in my life sitting right outside the backdoor and a couple of dogs looking at me with some serious prideful looks. They got steak that night for dinner. They tore up a few kale plants but it was good trade.
I like that part of the morale of the story is that dug up kale plants are a fair trade for dead rats. I wonder what plant would have made that trade NOT so good *LOL*
Love you. The old plastic rat traps didn't always snap. The rats would eat the bait and run off. So these look better made, so I'll give them a try.. I just don't want them in my house, because gardens are so close to the house. Thanks for the demonstration.
Just saw at Amazon where they have Fruit netting to keep birds and small animals away from the garden. Wonder if it would work with squirrels. I’m thinking of getting the netting and spray the netting with cayenne pepper or some other hot pepper and then put it over the flower. I’m growing a mammoth giant sunflower.
I have a smaller version and put peanut butter (no sugar added) and the ants got all over it triggering it before the rats did. Any ideas for that? Where did you put them? Do you have ants get on them?
Got fenced in spots. I use mulch around fencing. N use coffee grounds from k cups. Save them all n all my scraps for compost making. Works for me the coffee as a natural rodent deterer
Here in the chaparral, by year two or three, every burrowing little monster in the county knows where you have built them an oasis, your garden. The ground squirrels are the worst, eating almost ripe stuff and the gophers will cut taproots and pull crops into the ground just like in old cartoons. Also, wood rats destroyed the wiring harness under a truck hood. (Otherwise, life is good.)
California Garden TV same people that think it’s inhuman, live in big cites and shop at their local Trader Joe’s and have no idea where food comes from and the things farmers have to deal with.... Don’t get me wrong theirs people with bad personalities that enjoy the stuff but most farmers I’ve talked to realize it’s not ideal but they’re there to supply their community and do what they need to.
There definitely are some very weird folks on this planet. Like people that have pet mice or pet rats. I see them in pet shops and cannot help but wonder who in the world.... A dead rodent is a good one, get some cats and don't over feed them.
Rodents carry Four Corner's Virus which is more deadly than Coronavirus. It's in their droppings and dried dropping dust breathed in can be deadly. Then there is the little manner of the bubonic plague, etc.
Wow! All along I thought it was squirrels or chipmunks and bunnies BUT I THINK ITS RATS! Ugh! The tunnels I’ve read about in the comments, YES… I was wondering about that but assumed the critters mentioned above {crying}! Now I don’t want to deal with any traps eeek and expletive… I don’t want to no thanks. I’m going to cover my tomato’s and get a fake snake. I had a king snake around but haven’t seen it in a month and now the big holes in the ground so again, netting and a fake snake and hopefully that works! What about apple trees, dwarf peach tree and pear trees? Have anything about that? I’m in Georgia.
Birds and tomatoes. Save (or buy) red Christmas ornaments. Dollar Tree bargain stores have them before Christmas and thrift stores such as Goodwill have them after the holidays. Then in the spring just as your tomato plants are about to start putting out fruit, hang your shiny red Christmas ornaments among the plants. The birds will think they have struck gold but when they peck, they won't get juice, just a beak full of ... nothing. Once they learn that there is no reward for their efforts, they will leave your real tomato fruit alone for the rest of the season.
Good for you for killing the rats! I often feel like doing the same thing with squirrels. It boils my blood when I see people leaving for out food for them.
Of all of the small rodent traps I have used, similar to the old style mouse traps, IS the black trap you showed!!! It is absolutely the best!!!! Really easy to use, easy to set without risk to your own fingers, and the "jaw" has "teeth" so not only does it catch the rodent but it hangs on to it if it doesn't instantly kill it, which it does 99% of the time, but should it not be instant it will hold on to until it dies, you find it to kill it, or you release it into a dumpster or feed it to your cat or dog!!!!! Oh and the sticky glue traps work really good, but the mouse starves to death or stresses out and then dies., but you can catch multiple and then I throw them in a bag to suffocate them and throw them in a dumpster. I like the bucket method as well, and I simply throw the deceased mice/rats in the dumpster! Mice and Rats especially and to an extent squirrels but not as bad, carry a multitude of diseases which they can pass on to you via their urine and/or feces. People don't realize if they are present, you can step on a urine patch or feces, but the hidden risk comes from the mice walking in their urine and feces, which they do constantly and then they track that contamination over every surface they walk on. So, you could place an apple and/or your hands on a counter that looks clean, but they walked across, so now your food is contaminated and so are your hands. If you put a finger in your mouth to lick something off, or you rub your eye with that contaminated finger...if that mouse was carrying any or all of those diseases you will be a very sick person and could potentially die!!! They can also cause damage to electrical wiring in one's home which could cause a fire which could cause loss of property but even worse could cause death as well!! So, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET RID OF RODENTS IN YOUR HOME AND/OR AROUND YOUR FOOD SOURCES, YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!!! AND MOVING THEM INSTEAD OF KILLING THEM PUTS OTHER PEOPLE AND/OR ANIMALS IN DANGER!!!
Michael Favier It’s the sheer fabric of a brides vail and can be a little more stiff if you buy the cheap stuff. Wrap that around itself a few times and it’s itchy. Little critter’s would never want to climb on it. Like a kitten’s claws on a sweater
I'm at the part where you tell people to stick it and I already love this video. I kill anything that destroys my hard work and I don't apologize for it. Right now I'm dealing with Javelina. I foresee bacon in the near future. Momma, Daddy, and babies are all fair game. I live in the middle of nowhere so I have Javelina, rabbits, birds, gophers, squirrels, rats, mice - Just last night I lost a huge amount of lettuce that was almost ready for harvest. I have a trail cam coming tomorrow so I can ID the offenders and setup a plan to exterminate them.
Wow, I had to look up what a Javelina is.....it looks like a rodent pig!! This would scare me if I saw that in my yard. I wish you success in getting rid of them.
Use to use rat traps on the squirrels. Horribly effective. Catch and release is cruel to the squirrel. They aren’t welcomed by other squirrel groups. I feed and water them. But still lose those tomatoes to nibblers. Grr.
@@martinphilip8998 I'm not sure how I would get one to stay on the trees to trap the squirrels. What did you use for bait? I have no problem just shooting them, in fact, I bought a pellet rifle specifically to shoot at intruders in my yard but would not mind traps while I'm at work. This week I caught a tiny mouse in a cage trap, he was eating my tiny bok choy and asparagus. I felt bad when I saw it trembling but I got over it!
@@deezlittlethingz they find their food on the ground, so they’ll find a trap baited with peanut butter. Nail two of them to a 4by4 and lay it on the ground. Some are not killed instantly and you don’t want them be found by a neighbor. I have a pellet pistol and rifle. Both are match grade. I needed a FOID card to buy the rifle. But I’m 66 and a lousy shot now. I once baited some peanut butter with ground up ambien. The next day I found a squirrel slowly chirping from a low limb. He was scolding me in slow motion. I’ve never tried a barrel of water with sticks and peanuts across the top. They would need a leaping off place near to it as I doubt they would just climb the sides. I have one squirrel that I’m befriending. I’d kill any other though. I call him Peter for the white tip on his tail. One winter I set up an obstacle course for them to get the nuts. “Walk the plank Bucko!” One Thanksgiving my daughter and I discovered that a hawk had killed a favorite squirrel of ours. I told my daughter we could bury it or let the hawk enjoy thanksgiving. Then he’ll just kill another squirrel. She said I don’t care about the other squirrels, this was mine. Lol. Happy hunting. Don’t totally destroy your karma though. ☯️
Never had a rat problem in our garden but rather a few field mice in my greenhouse at initial planting time each year so i have used the black traps (but mouse sized) with peanut butter as well. Works perfectly. There is no way for pets or birds to get into the greenhouse so they are protected. For squirrels we have walnut trees, maple trees, and other nut trees they can work on, away from the main garden. For our blueberries (1000 bushes), the birds can be a problem so i put a sign on a few of the bushes that are reserved for them (kidding). We get such a big harvest because we are fully no sprays, that the yield is at least 50% greater than those using sprays, and our loss from birds is minimal. Bears can be a problem but with our dog around and with our horse manure composting nearby, they stay away. We also have a pond, and a man-made creek and a natural creek that gives most of our 'pests' a natural home, and also attracts natural predators like owls, hawks, and eagles. BTW, we have bats to control the mosquitoes above the pond and koi and goldfish to control the larvae. Work with nature as much as possible.
@@julietteyork3721 Bats are great at controlling blood-sucking mosquitos. They do keep the night flying pests under control. We have a bathouse on our garage for them, but they prefer to roost behind the shutter of our upstairs window. I see them flitting around above our backyard at night, very acrobatic when chasing those nasty bugs.
@@julietteyork3721 Closest that one ever came was maybe 6 feet above me. And that was probably my fault for standing up from a sitting position. When my daughter was little, she had to research something that she was frightened of...so she studied bats and learned a great deal about them. They became a fascination instead of a fear. She likes the little fox faces and the whole sonar-hearing that they use to navigate.
I started feeding two cats on my front porch, a stray and a feral thinking they would keep mice away from my house and garden. My husband recently took a picture of them both sitting in the back yard beside my garden with a baby mouse sitting between them. They look to be baby sitting the baby mouse.
Thank you! My garden has been overrun by socks. My traps have been less than effective or uber messy to clean. I will employ some of these tactics to bring their population back down.
This is great. I had squirrels digging in my soil around my peppers. I put chicken wire flat on the soil around the peppers and that has seemed to do the trick.
Try fertilizing them with fish emulsion, the stink will help repel squirrels. Also ghost pepper sauce diluted with water to not kill the plant with the salt repels all mammals.
I use an electric pet fence, 3 strands high, keeps rats, mice, squirrels, opossums, raccoons out. I have a camera on the garden and have seen each of these touch the fence and take off. It’s awesome. These fences are inexpensive, I have about $30 invested.
My pesty squirrels live in my pecan tree so they're already in the yard. Or they come over the high fences from my neighbors - I don't think electrifying those would be a good idea!
I grow a lot of mint around the chicken pen and barn, because I read that mint replies mice. This might work for rats too. Mint is so easy and makes a great natural deodorizer. Thanks for an informative video.
The way I see it is, It's them or me! I have a dog that loves to catch and kill rats and mice. She has eliminated all of them from my backyard. We had quite a problem before we got her.
That trap looks great. I have had mice and have used sticky traps, this looks easier. Luckily, we don't have rodents now. Generally, pet cats are not good ratters, I've had dogs that were good ratters but to honest, I don't want my pets fighting with rats. Rats can be big. I once had a rat and at that time I also had 5 barn cats (don't judge me). I looked into the garage and the cats were all sitting in a circle watching the rat eat their food. At the time, I also had a Rottweiler, she rushed in, grabbed the rat, and shook it, which broke the rat's neck. It was not a good experience.
Yes, you don't want to expose your pets to the filthy rodent diseases. The black trap does work well with mice too, I bought one not knowing what was eating my eggplant and dead mice turned up in the trap, it's wide trigger is sensitive enough to get mice as well.
The wolf urine doesn't work for us. Banana's ...We cut off an entire batch from one of our trees (green) and put them on our screen porch to ripe. They chewed through the screen and ate them all. One was still eating when we woke up. None of the sound devices work. (Neighborhood dogs go crazy). I really don't know what to do with the squirrels.
@@rebeccazody1278 Same, peanut butter with the trap inside a box to keep my dog safe. Then a couple days later we tried sunflower seeds instead with a trail leading up to the trap. They ate the seed trail but left the seeds in the trap 🤦♀️😅
vickymae1 that’s pretty funny. Hope you made a bigger entrance for the rats sometimes they don’t fit in because of their size. They can look like a baby possum
I just wanted to thank you so much for posting this video and for your advice about the traps. We immediately went to ACE hardware and bought 4. we put peanut butter on them and put them about the raised bed and the compost. The next morning we had a rat. the next day we had another rat. and the third morning we had another one. three nights, three rats caught and no harm to our new garden that is just beginning. before these traps, rats were eating our tomato plant leaves. So a huge thank you to you!! Linda
My rats must be smarter. I too went to ACE and got traps. They somehow where able to trip the traps, eat the peanut butter, and ate more or my tomatoes.
I set up a cage and catch one. Alive. I then remove all of its limbs and surgically repair the wounds, being careful to keep the thing alive. I then drive a tomato stake into the ground and duct tape the quadriplegic little bastard to it. I feed him everyday so that he stays alive. I can’t really prove it, but it seems as though he DOES warn the others to stay away…
I used a motion detecting water sprinkler last year and it seemed to work. There are squirrels and raccoons that hang around my house. Dozens of stray cats also like to use my yard as a toilet. This year I bought two more sprinklers for greater coverage, so let’s see what happens.
You don't have to explain why you kill the rats. It's your house. If others want to live with rats in their garden, that's their choice. We leave in a free country. I have a rule. I don't visit the gator in my lake or the rats in their holes. If they stay out of my house and garden, they are free to live. If they don't..then I have to defend my family. Same with anyone that breaks into my house. That's why I have a shotgun. (And yes, if the gator comes into my house, I will shoot him too.
I have a friend who LOVES "ratties" as she calls them. I don't tell her I'm ok with punishing interlopers...and I put habanero sauce on the bird seed (birds can't taste it) and it totally works!
Cats don't kill Rats only the young ones because rats bite back hard it is rare for a cat to attack a rat. I got a cat that is like a machine killing mice, voles, shrews, chipmunks and even rabbits (I hate when he does that) but he won't kill a rat. I used to have Ginny roosters and hens they will kill Rats and snakes. Poison them they go back to there rat hole nest and die that is a grave under the ground itself you will rarely find one dead above ground and you won't smell them they are deep under somewhere. Make sure you put the poison under a low board or behind something that no other animal can get to it. Rats have a litter every 6 weeks and so do there young so at 6 weeks old the young ones have litters also they multiply fast and get out of control easy. I know people don't like to use poison but it is a sure way... Look I am a trapper been one since I was young and I tried every way trapping possible and it just doesn't keep up with them there are way too many. Your yard could be clean but they could be living at you neighbors. The only way to eradicate them is to poison them and keep up with it once you got a handle on it. trust me POISON THEM!
🐈 But yes, a simple trap baited with peanut butter has always worked for me. And never feel bad about it, a trap is a quick humane way of dispatching a critter that brings only filth and mayhem to your yard.
I have a squirrel trap and I usually take them to the park a few miles away, however, they are on to me! I have put out walnuts and they aren't biting......except for my plants that is!! How do you put the peanut butter on the trap? Do you just spread it?
The past 2 winters squirrels have been eating and damaging my kale, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and collard plants. There was no cut and come again or broccoli crowns and brussel sprouts to harvest. They destroy my sunflowers.
Have used plastic snakes for years in the garden..I move them around every so often (i also make spinners that move with the wind and have them at each end of the garden on those decorative pole)s. I also put something shiny that moves with the breeze throughout the garden. No problems. for many years. Like the advantage of having water around. Also like to feed birds off my deck. The squirrels like to hang out there to eat the seeds the birds drop and there is water there too. I grease the poles the feeders are hanging from with vaseline. Love to watch them try to climb the pole and slide back down then the have to go to away to clean their sticky paws🤨! Used tulle tied around each the fruits on the fruit trees buy that is too much work. Used tulle (netting)on top of my strawberries.
Rodents are afraid of OWL'S. Depending where you live if you live near a creek the rat population will be high, however if you can install 3 or four large Owl houses in tall trees this will definitely help.. I use baking soda and powdered plaster a box cake mix a bag of cornmeal I mix a little of each in the mix You could mix this with food scraps as well rats aren't too fussy generally. Then put this formula in small plastic containers best use some you bought something in like mushrooms containers or pie plastic containers put you're concuction in the flower beds away from pets rats will come out at night a enjoy their last supper, unfortunately if you live near a creek there might be thousands of them so you might like to make a small flyer to give your neighbors as they will need also to participate in reducing the numbers. These rodents can do $ thousands of dollars in damages to your home and PEX pipes if you have this in your home. I also dug up around my house about 2/12 feet down and bought a a gravel store the sharpest edged small rocks I could get and shovelled that all around my house to stop them from digging under my foundation and getting into my house. These critters are very Smart so you will have to always be on top of how to prevent them from destroying your property. Recently someone just invented a new special cover for 5 gallon buckets once you put this cover on the bucket you put peanut 🥜 butter at the end of it fill the bucket with water 3/4 full put a small piece of wood as a ladder so they could climb up to get the peanut butter they will tip the top and fall into the bucket and drown.. check the bucket daily and remove the dead vermin dump the water and refill.
Our dog (American Staffordshire) is an excellent ratter, when she can catch them. Unfortunately they're a lot more nimble than she is, but she's always up for the chase. She's awakened me during the wee hours of the morning more than once to go to work. I'm retired, so don't complain, but I think I'll give those traps a go - I'll use the shoebox trick too, to keep her away.
My family think I'm mean for killing rodents. They kill flies and cockroaches. Aren't they both living? These rodents take a bite and leave the rest of the fruit. Wasteful. I don't kill birds though and they also pick at my fruits. I leave water out for the birds so maybe my family is right
gotta say something about the mentality of some of these "oh you're so cruel" people. i got into an online discussion of "is it better to shot our own meat or have someone else do it?" of all the idiotic responses to me saying that "a responsible hunter was more humane to the animals than slaughter houses", my least favorite & stupidest response to that was "i get my meat from the store where no animals are killed or hurt." i guess she thought that it was man-made meat or something idk. just want to say that not all these people know what they are talking about, ya gotta kill bugs & beasts to have a garden or just quit eating, or maybe we can go to these magic stores that others go to? i am like you in that i don't wanna kill or even hurt any life on the planet but we must eat so we make our choices. those wanting to grow a garden for the critters should have at it but know that the stores sell product that is much less humanely produced than those of us who DIY are at our worst.
@@terrycurtis9757 you shop in those magic stores? the logic to those who have it is that it is his food that they are denying him, but you need a brain for that dude.
I’m retired from doing commercial pest control. The rats you are talking about are roof rats. I got rid of countless ones in my career. Snap traps were my weapon of choice. One type which I used had a small cup with in the trap. I used to carry smoked almonds and I would pound a couple of almonds in that cup with a small hammer or the back end of a heavy flashlight. The rat would have to work to get that out and pounded nuts would be effective. I also used to carry an essential oil where I used very little on a trap and that was very effective too. But for the average homeowner smoked almonds are great. A trap within a box is essential but overall use it like a runway. In other words don’t leave it in the open but against a wall or if there is not a wall create one with wood or rocks so they have a path to follow. More than just one and make sure little kids do not have access.
We use the "Jaws" mouse traps. They are much easier and cleaner. We don't however put any type of bait/food on them. Mice run along baseboards or in your case the base of your beds or your house. We put the "jaws" pointing toward the baseboards and the handle pointing away from the wall. When the mouse runs along it, snap one less mouse.
Oh my .. I set one of these and this thing caught the rat alright. By the tail. I was outside heard the screaming and the rat trying to run but got stuck because the trap was attached. Needless to say I panicked. Screamed for my son to come out and shoot it with the pellet gun as I waited in their house with my ears plugged.
First, I found your openness and honesty, in your thoughts and methods Refreshing!!! My problem is Squirrels. Mostly Red Squirrels, just eyeballing the garden all summer, but when tomato's start ripening, all bets are off❗❗ I actually sprinkled some cayenne pepper, healthy dose, directly on a tomato that had a small chunk chewed out of it. Next morning, the stem and a piece of skin was all that was left. Ever since then, the 410 came out. It's a bit noisy, but very effective. For those that say "There must be laws against that" NOPE, I live in a mostly rural area, I have a hunting license, and there's No Closed Season on Red Squirrels ❗👍❗ What do I do with them? There's a family of Owls that live out back, that appreciate the offerings I provide. OK, off to set some rat/mouse traps with some peanut butter, will see if I can't deter them a bit to save on ammo, and see how many traps go missing this year 😲. For those that still consider this cruel. When your mechanic calls you and informs you that the reason your car wouldn't start, is they found a nest in your engine compartment and a main wiring harness had been chewed through and needs to be replaced. Some harnesses are $500 and up. I am a retired mechanic, and those harnesses aren't any fun to replave. Betcha change your views on feeding the Squirrels when ya get that phone call❗❗❗ TYFS, Mark
This was so helpful today. I’ve literally cried over the tunnels the rats have built in our backyard. We have tried so many different things and maybe, just maybe we won’t be out $1200 for an exterminator. That was our next step. The October ice storm in OKC left huge piles of limbs and entire trees cut into pieces in our front yards. It was like putting out the welcome mat to vermin! The city didn’t pick ours up until the second week of January. By then the vermin have spread throughout our beautiful neighborhood. I’m glad you don’t let the naysayers keep you from telling the truth. Living with critters and a garden can be messy and unpleasant at times.
Cats are extremely great at rodent control. I’m allergic to cats too, but i got a barn/garden cat that lives outdoors. At first it was so skiddish I wondered if it’ll ever catch one, but after a few months of acclimation to its surroundings and me as it’s owner, my cat totally dominates them!
The traps work. They are relatively easy to bait. Finding the right bait can be a doozy. Also, if you have any raptors(hawks, owl, etc), most traps have a hole that you can use to stake them down. Otherwise, you might have traps flying away.
Rats are really a problem. They just killed my peach tree. The destroy everything. I'm in high desert Southern California. PLEASE leave link below for rat trap and squirrel spray. I have ground squirrels and wood rats and they even eat my cactus. Thank You
I am also in the high desert in SoCal...I have rabbits, ground squirrels, and desert rats. I have had lots of success with the Havahart traps...I use 4 of them for my garden and my row of fruit trees....I have caught about 20+ squirrels, 12 rabbits and 8-10 desert rats just this season alone... www.amazon.com/Havahart-Medium-Professional-One-Door-Squirrel/dp/B000BQPGQQ/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2LR6FA3EC8ZXH&dchild=1&keywords=havahart&qid=1593579605&s=industrial&sprefix=havaahar%2Cindustrial%2C221&sr=1-9-catcorr Once caught I drive them to an open area on the opposite side of the freeway, where there is no houses, just mining operations. I usually thin out my apples and keep them refridgerated and use as bait later on for the remainder of the season...and all 3 rodents like apples, although squirrels and rats go for nuts more readily. Or bait them with both apples and nuts if you have a rabbit problem as well.
I'm also in the high desert with roof rats, squirrels and too many rabbits. The havaheart traps mostly rabbits. For squirrels and rats the large snaptraps work effectively for me. Baited with only cheese I catch a multitude of annoying pests.
Yeticus Rex Thank you for the squirrel bait info. Harbor Freight sells that same style of trap cheaper than Amazon. Plus, you can use their 20% off coupon to get it even cheaper. Just do a search on your phone for “Harbor Freight coupon.” They’ll scan the coupon off your phone.
@@donnsunderland2684 Large snaptraps for Squirrels? I've seen the rat ones, and they are like the one in the video. Are there larger ones for squirrels or do the regular rat ones catch full grown squirrels, too? Plus, where did you get them? I'd appreciate your input.
People that will condemn you for killing rodents, pests, and critters that destroy your garden and carry dangerous parasites, viruses, and bacterias don't actually garden. You go ahead and kill the rats and horn worms. My nemeses are deer and rabbits, and yes, during hunting season they end up in my freezer.
I just planted my first garden in May and thankfully no mice so far; my neighbor has fruit trees that the squirrels fill up on all morning and afternoon 🦋 I used to see mouse droppings in my garage until I started filling shoe boxes with snuggle dryer sheets. They hate the smell (as do I) 🌷
Don't use peanuts to lure squirrels away from your plants! They will plant them all over your yard including in potted plants and then tear everything up later looking for them. They are the name of my gardening existence and I wish I could get rid of them. They're too smart for traps and laugh at my cats.
Be careful feeding birds and squirrels. A few years back we had a mouse problem and a squirrel issue getting into house and causing damage to my garage. The exterminator told us if you put out bird food you attract rodents. The only thing we've had since is a hummingbird feeder and no more rodents. Solving 1 problem will likely cause another bigger problem.
My rat and mouse problem is from the neighbor they throw peanuts all over there yard for the birds but the rats eat em there in my yard my garden and everything anytime I sow seeds outdoors they eat em it's getting worst by year just last night watch 4 mice meet up in my yard must be a family and they wernt fighting but we're squeaking at one and another
I have issues with squirrels and chipmunks uprooting my plants. I'm going to try chicken wire under the mulch. I'll let you know if it works :) Update: I also wrapped the tops of my pots and tucked around the inside edges of my grow bags. It's working great so far.
The neighbor feeds squirrels so they don't eat my fruit, they just dig in EVERY SINGLE POT and bury peanuts in the morning and afternoon. I will have to try this.
I just did the same (wrapped my fabric pots with chicken wire - going a few inches above the edge) and so far (1 week in) great success! My garden bed is a different story - I used a bit of chicken wire to create a border all along the bed (maybe just a couple of inches above the edge) and this worked for 2 days, but then I started seeing holes being dug all over again. Great idea to use the wire inside and lay it on top of the mulch as a deterrent from them even wanting to get in - they seem to really hate the stuff. Thanks for the idea!
An additional recommendation for using rat traps: Rats have a very acute sense of smell so, in addition to wearing gloves when you are setting a trap, if you are re-using a trap scrub it thoroughly between uses to eliminate any dead rat scent. The advantage of the traditional and inexpensive wood and wire traps is that you can throw the whole thing away. Traps, even the wood ones, can be scrubbed clean with a bleach and water solution.
No need to scrub them. They don't smell like death to rats but rather smell like their pals. I've had far more luck reusing traps that have caught a few rats than I do with brand-new ones.
Cats go for mice but won't do much for full grown rats. I have been leaving a "sacrificial tomato" which has worked. I probably shouldn't jinks myself since my larger tomatoes are just now blushing. I just haven't made piece with traps. The squirrels get black sunflower seeds and raw peanuts so they don't mess with my garden.
Squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, rabbits are a real problem for me. I had even stopped gardening for a few years because the &$**#@ pests were eating my tomatoes before I could harvest. I now plant a lot of herbs and marigolds among my vegetables. Creating a scent (chive and mint) barrier saved my hostas, which were getting eaten by deers. Hopefully the scent trick will also work for my tomatoes and peppers! I read that rodents don’t like their fur to pick up scent.
I have an issue with desert ground squirrels in my garden and have tried various methods of dissuading them. A pellet gun during the day (when they are most active) worked very well for the larger problem of their local population. One secret I discovered is when you insert a dead ground squirrel into one of their den entrance holes, not a single one will ever inhabit it again. Beyond that, I successfully use the standard Victor mouse/rat trap inside my fenced garden but I hammered 3-4 thin nails from the bottom up, protruding sharp tip up, around the bait tray. Huge success. Simply what works here.
The Rat Zappers have worked amazingly well for us, far more effective than any other method. We put Honey Nut Cheerios in them and the mice can’t resist it! Caught over 14 mice within a week in our garage.
Very timely topic. I have something eating parts of my tomatoes and several of my cucumber plants. I have seen several squirrels in my yard, so I am blaming them. I am going to try putting food in the other side of the yard and but the fountain back in operation. Thanks for all the great ideas.
I like that rat trap a lot. I will definitely invest in a few. We have a couple coyotes that patrol the property every morning. They seem to keep the rabbit, tree squirrel and rat population at bay pretty well. Ground squirrels are another issue. I do use a pellet rifle to keep them manageable and a Squirellenator trap if the population gets too large. If I hear a bunch of them chirping the trap comes out and it’s very effective. Ironically I use cut up tomatoes as bait and they can’t resist.
I use a trap that looks like a small rectangular cage. It has a door on one end that snaps close when the bait on the other end is moved, thus trapping the rat inside. It doesn't kill the rat but it's okay. My neighbor buys them and feed them to his pet snake. So I made sure they are alive. I also make sure to wash the cage before the next use.
I've had an all out war with ground squirrels this year. They ate 3 watermelon plants and stripped 5 tomato plants. I've killed 14 of them so far with my pellet gun and I have one left to get still. But I've also added rat traps and that has helped keep them away this week. I haven't caught any in the traps but they have set them off.
Try the Squirrelinator. It's a live trap but if you don't want to release them alive it sounds like you know how to dispatch them. It's very effective!
We live in the country side with lots of rodents, squirrels and other wildlife, our male dog that likes to protect his territory and he marks it lots, we trained him not to wiz on the veggies, but he does catch the odd squirrel. I’m with you dead rodents don’t come back.
I totally agree with YOU! More expensive, but I say for a regular trap, just throw it away...no clean up. Peanut butter really does the trick👍🏻! I think snap traps are not supposed to be used in my area (San Jose) but then why are they sold here?
I will for sure be getting some of those! I also heard (as more of a prevention) to use fabric tulle around the garden! Rodents hate getting their nails caught in it so they don't climb up! it's super cheap and lasts years :)
I tried the tulle for my fruit trees and bird feeders. The squirrels go right over it no problem. Have also tried the pepper spray they don't care about that as well. Had flying squirrels in our roof and tried many ways to get rid of them and tried the traps suggested and worked great. Baited them with peanut butter orange piece mix.
Squirrels, chipmunks and moles are a nightmare ... leaving holes throughout the yard and tearing up my hostas and flowers - I like the trap you mentioned and have seen it in other videos. I would like to know if using wolf & coyote urine .... "attracts" that species. Certainly dont want them coming close to the house. (We have a lot of coyotes in the open acreage behind us) Whats your thoughts on this urine hazard?
I’ve had luck with the rat zappers. I put a piece of bread in the back and only allow one way in the trap. I’ve only used it a few times but it worked each time. A man I follow on RUclips uses his urine to keep critters away but I haven’t tried that. My yard is too small and I don’t want to smell urine 😂
Fox urine is an ingredient in some garden store rodent repellents, don't ask me how they get the foxes to comply? Urine contains a lot of sodium chloride and too much in the same spot will eventually poison the soil. I was lucky to not have squirrels digging up my large pots with Tabasco and Cayenne pepper plants and thing the fish emulsion fertilizer my stink to bad it repels them. I also have some really hot, nasty "ghost pepper" hot sauce that can be diluted in water and poured as an animal repellent. I don't like the "ghost pepper" family, they are too hot and have a bitter flavor laking the fruitiness of habanero sauces. The ghost family of peppers are a good source of animal repellents though. I am going to pour some diluted sauce around my ripening honeydew melons. Hopefully the neighborhood possum will leave them alone, it doesn't seem to bother my garden the way mice do.
I thought I had a squirrel problem but now I’m wondering if it’s rats, have you found that they dig up the roots of your plants? Or do squirrels do that more often?
One year I had a seven layer pest control system that culminated in yes....my son being assigned the job to sleep outside occasionally with his friends and his air soft guns. The squirrels still got to them...but we had fun watching the boys be diligently on guard!
Do you have any suggestions for compost bins? I have a wooden one that I’m going to shift to a plastic type that is bottomless to allow earthworms and other beneficial bugs to digest my compost. But I’ve noticed a couple of mice/rats coming under my elevated wooden compost box. I want to make sure my new bin will be rodent proof, and I may continue to use my wooden compost box until it breaks down.
I fed the squirrels and they just kept coming back. That did not deter them. They destroyed my garden entirely, despite the fact that I fed them. They would eat it all and come into my garden for more. I discovered the pepper spray way too late, but I found that it does work.
Purchased 5 of these and sat them around my garden. Caught 3 city rats in one night and one the next day. Caught one the following weekend that one was hanging on to dear life so I had to toss the whole thing in the outside trash can. These traps are worth every penny (under five bucks for each). For those who think killing rats are cruel, I can mail them to you if you prefer free of charge! 🤣
In my experience, rats are smart and once they see one of them trapped they will avoid the trap. So make sure to empty the trap as soon as possible (preferably the same night before you go to bed) so that other rats don't see it.
Love your videos! Except this one. Last year we put a new HVAC unit on the house and some rats slipped into the crawlspace. I don't like the victor rat traps because of their hair triggers so I bought one of the Tom Cats to give it try. Those things are a piece of sh*t. It caught a rat by the muzzle, and I had to listen to it kicking around for hours as it refused to die. Eventually, at 4 AM I had to go down there and beat it to death with a clawed hammer. The arming bar does not travel far enough to hit with the velocity of a victor. The plastic teeth are cute but I suspect that they also soften the blow. After that I splurged and bought a hav-a-heart trap. Despite having a heart it has worked better than any trap I've ever used. I pulled seven rats out of that space and while it was a bit of a pain driving them off into the middle of nowhere to drop them off they haven't been back since.
I had a birdfeeder in the back of my old house that I really enjoyed. I had all sorts of birds coming. Then I discovered rats underneath it. I was horrified. I moved.
My dogs tend to tear up my garden so I normally keep them out. Last year I found a huge tunnel system under my tomato plants. Made the dogs sleep outside with the garden gate open. Next morning I find the biggest rat (dead) I've ever seen in my life sitting right outside the backdoor and a couple of dogs looking at me with some serious prideful looks. They got steak that night for dinner. They tore up a few kale plants but it was good trade.
I like that part of the morale of the story is that dug up kale plants are a fair trade for dead rats. I wonder what plant would have made that trade NOT so good *LOL*
@@LoveSoLost watermelon?
They brought you a present. Look Dad we got em.
Careful though, your dogs might get disease from those rats.
Thats a hilarious story! I loved it!
Love you. The old plastic rat traps didn't always snap. The rats would eat the bait and run off. So these look better made, so I'll give them a try.. I just don't want them in my house, because gardens are so close to the house. Thanks for the demonstration.
Just saw at Amazon where they have Fruit netting to keep birds and small animals away from the garden. Wonder if it would work with squirrels. I’m thinking of getting the netting and spray the netting with cayenne pepper or some other hot pepper and then put it over the flower. I’m growing a mammoth giant sunflower.
Did it work? If it did ill buy one. Lmk
The only problem with the netting is that birds will get caught in the netting... transparent crop covers work best
Roof rabbit with roasted tomatoes is exquisite!
Especially, on the grill.
I have a smaller version and put peanut butter (no sugar added) and the ants got all over it triggering it before the rats did. Any ideas for that? Where did you put them? Do you have ants get on them?
I watched a squirrel decimate the young fruit on my peach tree. Absolutely destroyed me for that day.
Got fenced in spots. I use mulch around fencing. N use coffee grounds from k cups. Save them all n all my scraps for compost making. Works for me the coffee as a natural rodent deterer
Here in the chaparral, by year two or three, every burrowing little monster in the county knows where you have built them an oasis, your garden. The ground squirrels are the worst, eating almost ripe stuff and the gophers will cut taproots and pull crops into the ground just like in old cartoons. Also, wood rats destroyed the wiring harness under a truck hood. (Otherwise, life is good.)
Right?
Great idea to put it in a cardboard box .. yes the rat traps do work bu I’ve caught some birds too soooo
I've had the traps out for 5 days now and no luck. The rats are out, but I think they're scared of the trap. How long does it normally take?
Where is the info on the rat trap and will it also catch mice?
Everyone is so sensitive now a days, it’s okay to get rid of rodents that are in your garden!!
I love this video, subscribing for sure!😄
Yep, and pesky rabbits and squirrels.
It seem ridiculous that anyone has to explain the sensibility of killing rodents.
Literally got another "you're mean" comment on my old video 5 minutes before uploading this one.🙄
@@NextLevelGardening The only good squirrel is a dead one.
California Garden TV same people that think it’s inhuman, live in big cites and shop at their local Trader Joe’s and have no idea where food comes from and the things farmers have to deal with....
Don’t get me wrong theirs people with bad personalities that enjoy the stuff but most farmers I’ve talked to realize it’s not ideal but they’re there to supply their community and do what they need to.
There definitely are some very weird folks on this planet.
Like people that have pet mice or pet rats. I see them in pet shops and cannot help but wonder who in the world....
A dead rodent is a good one, get some cats and don't over feed them.
Rodents carry Four Corner's Virus which is more deadly than Coronavirus. It's in their droppings and dried dropping dust breathed in can be deadly. Then there is the little manner of the bubonic plague, etc.
GOD BLESS YOU !! ANYONE SAYING ANYTHING NEGATIVE TO YOU HAS NEVER HAD A RAT PROBLEM !!
Wow! All along I thought it was squirrels or chipmunks and bunnies BUT I THINK ITS RATS! Ugh! The tunnels I’ve read about in the comments, YES… I was wondering about that but assumed the critters mentioned above {crying}! Now I don’t want to deal with any traps eeek and expletive… I don’t want to no thanks. I’m going to cover my tomato’s and get a fake snake. I had a king snake around but haven’t seen it in a month and now the big holes in the ground so again, netting and a fake snake and hopefully that works! What about apple trees, dwarf peach tree and pear trees? Have anything about that? I’m in Georgia.
Video starts at 6:21 for rats and 9:18 for squirrels
Thanks. Swiftly losing my patience. I need solutions, not apologies to people without actual problems.
Almost 10 mins before the solution is given? REALLY?
Also, you didnt explain how to use the urine, that would have been helpful.
LAME.
@@user-sw4qd2up2s "You" meaning the guy who did the video or the commenter you're replying to?
Birds and tomatoes.
Save (or buy) red Christmas ornaments. Dollar Tree bargain stores have them before Christmas and thrift stores such as Goodwill have them after the holidays.
Then in the spring just as your tomato plants are about to start putting out fruit, hang your shiny red Christmas ornaments among the plants. The birds will think they have struck gold but when they peck, they won't get juice, just a beak full of ... nothing. Once they learn that there is no reward for their efforts, they will leave your real tomato fruit alone for the rest of the season.
This is such an amazing idea. And your tomatoes are cute to boot.
birds only attack the tomatoes because they're thirsty. birds actually prefer the horn worms that eat the tomato leaves
Good for you for killing the rats! I often feel like doing the same thing with squirrels. It boils my blood when I see people leaving for out food for them.
They have eaten ALL but one bell pepper off my plants!!! So frustrating!! 🤬
Feed the tomato horn worms to your chickens!
Yup!
Or to the hungry cardinals!
Tomato horn worms are very poisonous because they sequester the poison in the leaves of tomatoes. (Humans can eat tomato leaves just fine.)
Chickens will avoid them
Of all of the small rodent traps I have used, similar to the old style mouse traps, IS the black trap you showed!!! It is absolutely the best!!!! Really easy to use, easy to set without risk to your own fingers, and the "jaw" has "teeth" so not only does it catch the rodent but it hangs on to it if it doesn't instantly kill it, which it does 99% of the time, but should it not be instant it will hold on to until it dies, you find it to kill it, or you release it into a dumpster or feed it to your cat or dog!!!!!
Oh and the sticky glue traps work really good, but the mouse starves to death or stresses out and then dies., but you can catch multiple and then I throw them in a bag to suffocate them and throw them in a dumpster.
I like the bucket method as well, and I simply throw the deceased mice/rats in the dumpster!
Mice and Rats especially and to an extent squirrels but not as bad, carry a multitude of diseases which they can pass on to you via their urine and/or feces. People don't realize if they are present, you can step on a urine patch or feces, but the hidden risk comes from the mice walking in their urine and feces, which they do constantly and then they track that contamination over every surface they walk on.
So, you could place an apple and/or your hands on a counter that looks clean, but they walked across, so now your food is contaminated and so are your hands. If you put a finger in your mouth to lick something off, or you rub your eye with that contaminated finger...if that mouse was carrying any or all of those diseases you will be a very sick person and could potentially die!!! They can also cause damage to electrical wiring in one's home which could cause a fire which could cause loss of property but even worse could cause death as well!!
So, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET RID OF RODENTS IN YOUR HOME AND/OR AROUND YOUR FOOD SOURCES, YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!!! AND MOVING THEM INSTEAD OF KILLING THEM PUTS OTHER PEOPLE AND/OR ANIMALS IN DANGER!!!
tulle is my number one sorce,,, wrap your fruits or plants with tulle,,, it gets caught in their nails and gets scared and dont came back
Oooh, I'm gonna try that!
Woah this is a great idea thank you. Especially the low hanging tomatoes
Sorry but what is Tulle?
Michael Favier It’s the sheer fabric of a brides vail and can be a little more stiff if you buy the cheap stuff. Wrap that around itself a few times and it’s itchy. Little critter’s would never want to climb on it. Like a kitten’s claws on a sweater
I covered mine with tulle bags and the rats made a hole in them and nibbled the tomatoes!😡
I'm at the part where you tell people to stick it and I already love this video. I kill anything that destroys my hard work and I don't apologize for it. Right now I'm dealing with Javelina. I foresee bacon in the near future. Momma, Daddy, and babies are all fair game. I live in the middle of nowhere so I have Javelina, rabbits, birds, gophers, squirrels, rats, mice - Just last night I lost a huge amount of lettuce that was almost ready for harvest. I have a trail cam coming tomorrow so I can ID the offenders and setup a plan to exterminate them.
Lol. Awesome
Wow, I had to look up what a Javelina is.....it looks like a rodent pig!! This would scare me if I saw that in my yard. I wish you success in getting rid of them.
Use to use rat traps on the squirrels. Horribly effective. Catch and release is cruel to the squirrel. They aren’t welcomed by other squirrel groups. I feed and water them. But still lose those tomatoes to nibblers. Grr.
@@martinphilip8998 I'm not sure how I would get one to stay on the trees to trap the squirrels. What did you use for bait? I have no problem just shooting them, in fact, I bought a pellet rifle specifically to shoot at intruders in my yard but would not mind traps while I'm at work.
This week I caught a tiny mouse in a cage trap, he was eating my tiny bok choy and asparagus. I felt bad when I saw it trembling but I got over it!
@@deezlittlethingz they find their food on the ground, so they’ll find a trap baited with peanut butter. Nail two of them to a 4by4 and lay it on the ground. Some are not killed instantly and you don’t want them be found by a neighbor. I have a pellet pistol and rifle. Both are match grade. I needed a FOID card to buy the rifle. But I’m 66 and a lousy shot now. I once baited some peanut butter with ground up ambien. The next day I found a squirrel slowly chirping from a low limb. He was scolding me in slow motion. I’ve never tried a barrel of water with sticks and peanuts across the top. They would need a leaping off place near to it as I doubt they would just climb the sides. I have one squirrel that I’m befriending. I’d kill any other though. I call him Peter for the white tip on his tail. One winter I set up an obstacle course for them to get the nuts. “Walk the plank Bucko!” One Thanksgiving my daughter and I discovered that a hawk had killed a favorite squirrel of ours. I told my daughter we could bury it or let the hawk enjoy thanksgiving. Then he’ll just kill another squirrel. She said I don’t care about the other squirrels, this was mine. Lol. Happy hunting. Don’t totally destroy your karma though. ☯️
Never had a rat problem in our garden but rather a few field mice in my greenhouse at initial planting time each year so i have used the black traps (but mouse sized) with peanut butter as well. Works perfectly. There is no way for pets or birds to get into the greenhouse so they are protected. For squirrels we have walnut trees, maple trees, and other nut trees they can work on, away from the main garden. For our blueberries (1000 bushes), the birds can be a problem so i put a sign on a few of the bushes that are reserved for them (kidding). We get such a big harvest because we are fully no sprays, that the yield is at least 50% greater than those using sprays, and our loss from birds is minimal. Bears can be a problem but with our dog around and with our horse manure composting nearby, they stay away. We also have a pond, and a man-made creek and a natural creek that gives most of our 'pests' a natural home, and also attracts natural predators like owls, hawks, and eagles. BTW, we have bats to control the mosquitoes above the pond and koi and goldfish to control the larvae. Work with nature as much as possible.
Sounds like paradise, except for the bats 😏
@@julietteyork3721 Bats are great at controlling blood-sucking mosquitos. They do keep the night flying pests under control. We have a bathouse on our garage for them, but they prefer to roost behind the shutter of our upstairs window. I see them flitting around above our backyard at night, very acrobatic when chasing those nasty bugs.
@@antiquegirl6505
Do they ever dive for your head? I could get used to them if not for that scenario!
@@julietteyork3721 Closest that one ever came was maybe 6 feet above me. And that was probably my fault for standing up from a sitting position. When my daughter was little, she had to research something that she was frightened of...so she studied bats and learned a great deal about them. They became a fascination instead of a fear. She likes the little fox faces and the whole sonar-hearing that they use to navigate.
@@antiquegirl6505
Standing up hardly seems like a “fault”!
I started feeding two cats on my front porch, a stray and a feral thinking they would keep mice away from my house and garden. My husband recently took a picture of them both sitting in the back yard beside my garden with a baby mouse sitting between them. They look to be baby sitting the baby mouse.
😂😂lol 🙃🙃😍
😂😂😂 feeding the cats makes them sleep on the job.
Plant Catnip in your yard to attract the cats, but don't feed them. They will hunt when they are hungry.
Thank you! My garden has been overrun by socks. My traps have been less than effective or uber messy to clean. I will employ some of these tactics to bring their population back down.
So THAT’S where my socks have gone!
This is great. I had squirrels
digging in my soil around my peppers. I put chicken wire flat on the soil around the peppers and that has seemed to do the trick.
Try fertilizing them with fish emulsion, the stink will help repel squirrels. Also ghost pepper sauce diluted with water to not kill the plant with the salt repels all mammals.
Rats ate most of my tomatoes last year. I will try electric fence this year as the traps don't get them all.
I got a wolf not a hybrid but a wolf. I’ll have him pee on everything 😀
Yew, not your food!
Chipmunks are the Bain of my existence
I use an electric pet fence, 3 strands high, keeps rats, mice, squirrels, opossums, raccoons out. I have a camera on the garden and have seen each of these touch the fence and take off. It’s awesome. These fences are inexpensive, I have about $30 invested.
Do you have a link you can share?
Where did you buy? Thanks
If I google "electric pet fence", everything that comes up is $150+ and wireless. I'd love to know what you bought.
My pesty squirrels live in my pecan tree so they're already in the yard. Or they come over the high fences from my neighbors - I don't think electrifying those would be a good idea!
Link please! 🌷
I'm with you. If it's in my veg garden, it's fair game!!
Thank you. Some people seem to care more about rats and rodents than other humans...if the rat has to go it has to go.
Yeah, probably the same people who say that their dogs are as valuable as their children. Ridiculous.
I grow a lot of mint around the chicken pen and barn, because I read that mint replies mice. This might work for rats too. Mint is so easy and makes a great natural deodorizer. Thanks for an informative video.
I have both a lot of mint growing in the yard (can be invasive) and rats eating vegetables. I wish mint worked for rats-it doesn’t.
I also tried mint and they absolutely could not care less.
I wonder if a spray of peppermint oil would work
Your so correct mint is a awesome deterrent 🫡
Also I use Carolina reaper pepper traps they keep everything furry out
I use critter repellent from Home Depot. It is organic and it works for me.
The way I see it is, It's them or me! I have a dog that loves to catch and kill rats and mice. She has eliminated all of them from my backyard. We had quite a problem before we got her.
That trap looks great. I have had mice and have used sticky traps, this looks easier. Luckily, we don't have rodents now.
Generally, pet cats are not good ratters, I've had dogs that were good ratters but to honest, I don't want my pets fighting with rats. Rats can be big. I once had a rat and at that time I also had 5 barn cats (don't judge me). I looked into the garage and the cats were all sitting in a circle watching the rat eat their food. At the time, I also had a Rottweiler, she rushed in, grabbed the rat, and shook it, which broke the rat's neck. It was not a good experience.
Yes, you don't want to expose your pets to the filthy rodent diseases. The black trap does work well with mice too, I bought one not knowing what was eating my eggplant and dead mice turned up in the trap, it's wide trigger is sensitive enough to get mice as well.
I had a pit bull mix who caught a rat in my living room (don't judge me) - OK, time to plug some holes in my 100+ year old house.
The wolf urine doesn't work for us. Banana's ...We cut off an entire batch from one of our trees (green) and put them on our screen porch to ripe. They chewed through the screen and ate them all. One was still eating when we woke up. None of the sound devices work. (Neighborhood dogs go crazy). I really don't know what to do with the squirrels.
I throw the whole trap away. I have never had one alive. I have a black trap like that and have good luck with it.
I've had the traps out for 5 days now and no luck. The rats are out, but I think they're scared of the trap. How long does it normally take?
Right away. What did you bait it with? I used peanut butter for mice.
@@rebeccazody1278 Same, peanut butter with the trap inside a box to keep my dog safe. Then a couple days later we tried sunflower seeds instead with a trail leading up to the trap. They ate the seed trail but left the seeds in the trap 🤦♀️😅
vickymae1 that’s pretty funny. Hope you made a bigger entrance for the rats sometimes they don’t fit in because of their size. They can look like a baby possum
@@vickymae1 put a chocolate raisin on it or some peanut butter
I just wanted to thank you so much for posting this video and for your advice about the traps. We immediately went to ACE hardware and bought 4. we put peanut butter on them and put them about the raised bed and the compost. The next morning we had a rat. the next day we had another rat. and the third morning we had another one. three nights, three rats caught and no harm to our new garden that is just beginning. before these traps, rats were eating our tomato plant leaves. So a huge thank you to you!! Linda
My rats must be smarter. I too went to ACE and got traps. They somehow where able to trip the traps, eat the peanut butter, and ate more or my tomatoes.
Do you live in a spread out rural area or a more built up area?
I set up a cage and catch one. Alive. I then remove all of its limbs and surgically repair the wounds, being careful to keep the thing alive. I then drive a tomato stake into the ground and duct tape the quadriplegic little bastard to it. I feed him everyday so that he stays alive.
I can’t really prove it, but it seems as though he DOES warn the others to stay away…
I used a motion detecting water sprinkler last year and it seemed to work. There are squirrels and raccoons that hang around my house. Dozens of stray cats also like to use my yard as a toilet. This year I bought two more sprinklers for greater coverage, so let’s see what happens.
You don't have to explain why you kill the rats. It's your house. If others want to live with rats in their garden, that's their choice. We leave in a free country. I have a rule. I don't visit the gator in my lake or the rats in their holes. If they stay out of my house and garden, they are free to live. If they don't..then I have to defend my family.
Same with anyone that breaks into my house. That's why I have a shotgun. (And yes, if the gator comes into my house, I will shoot him too.
I have a friend who LOVES "ratties" as she calls them. I don't tell her I'm ok with punishing interlopers...and I put habanero sauce on the bird seed (birds can't taste it) and it totally works!
Cayenne pepper works as well.
@@saprenna good to know! The habanero stuff made for bird seed is CAUSTIC! I wear rubber gloves to use it.
Cats don't kill Rats only the young ones because rats bite back hard it is rare for a cat to attack a rat. I got a cat that is like a machine killing mice, voles, shrews, chipmunks and even rabbits (I hate when he does that) but he won't kill a rat. I used to have Ginny roosters and hens they will kill Rats and snakes. Poison them they go back to there rat hole nest and die that is a grave under the ground itself you will rarely find one dead above ground and you won't smell them they are deep under somewhere. Make sure you put the poison under a low board or behind something that no other animal can get to it. Rats have a litter every 6 weeks and so do there young so at 6 weeks old the young ones have litters also they multiply fast and get out of control easy. I know people don't like to use poison but it is a sure way... Look I am a trapper been one since I was young and I tried every way trapping possible and it just doesn't keep up with them there are way too many. Your yard could be clean but they could be living at you neighbors. The only way to eradicate them is to poison them and keep up with it once you got a handle on it. trust me POISON THEM!
🐈
But yes, a simple trap baited with peanut butter has always worked for me. And never feel bad about it, a trap is a quick humane way of dispatching a critter that brings only filth and mayhem to your yard.
I have a squirrel trap and I usually take them to the park a few miles away, however, they are on to me! I have put out walnuts and they aren't biting......except for my plants that is!! How do you put the peanut butter on the trap? Do you just spread it?
@@trevalondon5580 Yep, just spread a glob on the trigger plate..you probably want to use smooth peanut butter, chunky is hard to spread ya know..
The past 2 winters squirrels have been eating and damaging my kale, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and collard plants. There was no cut and come again or broccoli crowns and brussel sprouts to harvest. They destroy my sunflowers.
Have used plastic snakes for years in the garden..I move them around every so often (i also make spinners that move with the wind and have them at each end of the garden on those decorative pole)s. I also put something shiny that moves with the breeze throughout the garden. No problems. for many years. Like the advantage of having water around. Also like to feed birds off my deck. The squirrels like to hang out there to eat the seeds the birds drop and there is water there too. I grease the poles the feeders are hanging from with vaseline. Love to watch them try to climb the pole and slide back down then the have to go to away to clean their sticky paws🤨! Used tulle tied around each the fruits on the fruit trees buy that is too much work. Used tulle (netting)on top of my strawberries.
Rodents are afraid of OWL'S. Depending where you live if you live near a creek the rat population will be high, however if you can install 3 or four large Owl houses in tall trees this will definitely help.. I use baking soda and powdered plaster a box cake mix a bag of cornmeal I mix a little of each in the mix
You could mix this with food scraps as well rats aren't too fussy generally. Then put this formula in small plastic containers best use some you bought something in like mushrooms containers or pie plastic containers put you're concuction in the flower beds away from pets rats will come out at night a enjoy their last supper, unfortunately if you live near a creek there might be thousands of them so you might like to make a small flyer to give your neighbors as they will need also to participate in reducing the numbers. These rodents can do $ thousands of dollars in damages to your home and PEX pipes if you have this in your home. I also dug up around my house about 2/12 feet down and bought a a gravel store the sharpest edged small rocks I could get and shovelled that all around my house to stop them from digging under my foundation and getting into my house. These critters are very Smart so you will have to always be on top of how to prevent them from destroying your property.
Recently someone just invented a new special cover for 5 gallon buckets once you put this cover on the bucket you put peanut 🥜 butter at the end of it fill the bucket with water 3/4 full put a small piece of wood as a ladder so they could climb up to get the peanut butter they will tip the top and fall into the bucket and drown.. check the bucket daily and remove the dead vermin dump the water and refill.
Our dog (American Staffordshire) is an excellent ratter, when she can catch them. Unfortunately they're a lot more nimble than she is, but she's always up for the chase. She's awakened me during the wee hours of the morning more than once to go to work. I'm retired, so don't complain, but I think I'll give those traps a go - I'll use the shoebox trick too, to keep her away.
American Staffordshire? Those dogs are dangerous! Just kidding.... I had one and she was the best dog EVER!!!!
My family think I'm mean for killing rodents. They kill flies and cockroaches. Aren't they both living? These rodents take a bite and leave the rest of the fruit. Wasteful. I don't kill birds though and they also pick at my fruits. I leave water out for the birds so maybe my family is right
gotta say something about the mentality of some of these "oh you're so cruel" people. i got into an online discussion of "is it better to shot our own meat or have someone else do it?" of all the idiotic responses to me saying that "a responsible hunter was more humane to the animals than slaughter houses", my least favorite & stupidest response to that was "i get my meat from the store where no animals are killed or hurt." i guess she thought that it was man-made meat or something idk. just want to say that not all these people know what they are talking about, ya gotta kill bugs & beasts to have a garden or just quit eating, or maybe we can go to these magic stores that others go to? i am like you in that i don't wanna kill or even hurt any life on the planet but we must eat so we make our choices. those wanting to grow a garden for the critters should have at it but know that the stores sell product that is much less humanely produced than those of us who DIY are at our worst.
👌
He's not using the rodents for food, so this is fault, straw-man logic. That's a whole different discussion.
@@terrycurtis9757 you shop in those magic stores? the logic to those who have it is that it is his food that they are denying him, but you need a brain for that dude.
$3.50 lb. Is more than incentive to KILL any rodent from My 1lb.+ Heirloom Tomatoes.
I’m retired from doing commercial pest control. The rats you are talking about are roof rats. I got rid of countless ones in my career. Snap traps were my weapon of choice. One type which I used had a small cup with in the trap. I used to carry smoked almonds and I would pound a couple of almonds in that cup with a small hammer or the back end of a heavy flashlight. The rat would have to work to get that out and pounded nuts would be effective. I also used to carry an essential oil where I used very little on a trap and that was very effective too. But for the average homeowner smoked almonds are great. A trap within a box is essential but overall use it like a runway. In other words don’t leave it in the open but against a wall or if there is not a wall create one with wood or rocks so they have a path to follow. More than just one and make sure little kids do not have access.
Thanks for the pro tips!
Thank you. What type of essential oil did you use?
@@logicalblueberry from wildlife control supplies the black walnut essential oil a little goes a long ways and it will last a long time
We use the "Jaws" mouse traps. They are much easier and cleaner. We don't however put any type of bait/food on them. Mice run along baseboards or in your case the base of your beds or your house. We put the "jaws" pointing toward the baseboards and the handle pointing away from the wall. When the mouse runs along it, snap one less mouse.
Oh my .. I set one of these and this thing caught the rat alright. By the tail. I was outside heard the screaming and the rat trying to run but got stuck because the trap was attached. Needless to say I panicked. Screamed for my son to come out and shoot it with the pellet gun as I waited in their house with my ears plugged.
First, I found your openness and honesty, in your thoughts and methods Refreshing!!!
My problem is Squirrels. Mostly Red Squirrels, just eyeballing the garden all summer, but when tomato's start ripening, all bets are off❗❗ I actually sprinkled some cayenne pepper, healthy dose,
directly on a tomato that had a small chunk chewed out of it. Next morning, the stem and a piece
of skin was all that was left. Ever since then, the 410 came out. It's a bit noisy, but very effective.
For those that say "There must be laws against that" NOPE, I live in a mostly rural area, I
have a hunting license, and there's No Closed Season on Red Squirrels ❗👍❗ What do I do with them? There's a family of Owls that live out back, that appreciate the offerings I provide. OK, off to set some rat/mouse traps with some peanut butter, will see if I can't deter them a bit to save on
ammo, and see how many traps go missing this year 😲.
For those that still consider this cruel. When your mechanic calls you and informs you that the
reason your car wouldn't start, is they found a nest in your engine compartment and a main
wiring harness had been chewed through and needs to be replaced. Some harnesses are $500
and up. I am a retired mechanic, and those harnesses aren't any fun to replave. Betcha change
your views on feeding the Squirrels when ya get that phone call❗❗❗
TYFS, Mark
This was so helpful today. I’ve literally cried over the tunnels the rats have built in our backyard. We have tried so many different things and maybe, just maybe we won’t be out $1200 for an exterminator. That was our next step. The October ice storm in OKC left huge piles of limbs and entire trees cut into pieces in our front yards. It was like putting out the welcome mat to vermin! The city didn’t pick ours up until the second week of January. By then the vermin have spread throughout our beautiful neighborhood. I’m glad you don’t let the naysayers keep you from telling the truth. Living with critters and a garden can be messy and unpleasant at times.
Rats are demon creatures! Destroyed my garden and even climbed my blueberries shrubs and ate them
Cats are extremely great at rodent control. I’m allergic to cats too, but i got a barn/garden cat that lives outdoors. At first it was so skiddish I wondered if it’ll ever catch one, but after a few months of acclimation to its surroundings and me as it’s owner, my cat totally dominates them!
The traps work. They are relatively easy to bait. Finding the right bait can be a doozy. Also, if you have any raptors(hawks, owl, etc), most traps have a hole that you can use to stake them down. Otherwise, you might have traps flying away.
Rats are really a problem. They just killed my peach tree. The destroy everything. I'm in high desert Southern California.
PLEASE leave link below for rat trap and squirrel spray. I have ground squirrels and wood rats and they even eat my cactus. Thank You
Try the squirrelinator trap. It worked for me trapping lots of ground squirrels.
I am also in the high desert in SoCal...I have rabbits, ground squirrels, and desert rats. I have had lots of success with the Havahart traps...I use 4 of them for my garden and my row of fruit trees....I have caught about 20+ squirrels, 12 rabbits and 8-10 desert rats just this season alone...
www.amazon.com/Havahart-Medium-Professional-One-Door-Squirrel/dp/B000BQPGQQ/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2LR6FA3EC8ZXH&dchild=1&keywords=havahart&qid=1593579605&s=industrial&sprefix=havaahar%2Cindustrial%2C221&sr=1-9-catcorr
Once caught I drive them to an open area on the opposite side of the freeway, where there is no houses, just mining operations.
I usually thin out my apples and keep them refridgerated and use as bait later on for the remainder of the season...and all 3 rodents like apples, although squirrels and rats go for nuts more readily. Or bait them with both apples and nuts if you have a rabbit problem as well.
I'm also in the high desert with roof rats, squirrels and too many rabbits. The havaheart traps mostly rabbits. For squirrels and rats the large snaptraps work effectively for me. Baited with only cheese I catch a multitude of annoying pests.
Yeticus Rex Thank you for the squirrel bait info. Harbor Freight sells that same style of trap cheaper than Amazon. Plus, you can use their 20% off coupon to get it even cheaper. Just do a search on your phone for “Harbor Freight coupon.” They’ll scan the coupon off your phone.
@@donnsunderland2684 Large snaptraps for Squirrels? I've seen the rat ones, and they are like the one in the video. Are there larger ones for squirrels or do the regular rat ones catch full grown squirrels, too? Plus, where did you get them? I'd appreciate your input.
People that will condemn you for killing rodents, pests, and critters that destroy your garden and carry dangerous parasites, viruses, and bacterias don't actually garden. You go ahead and kill the rats and horn worms. My nemeses are deer and rabbits, and yes, during hunting season they end up in my freezer.
Thank you! I have been fighting a losing battle against rats! Can't tell you how timely your video is, thanks again for the great advice!!
Rabbits Squirrels Birds + Tomatoes = Pain In Ass
I just planted my first garden in May and thankfully no mice so far; my neighbor has fruit trees that the squirrels fill up on all morning and afternoon 🦋 I used to see mouse droppings in my garage until I started filling shoe boxes with snuggle dryer sheets. They hate the smell (as do I) 🌷
Don't use peanuts to lure squirrels away from your plants! They will plant them all over your yard including in potted plants and then tear everything up later looking for them. They are the name of my gardening existence and I wish I could get rid of them. They're too smart for traps and laugh at my cats.
Bane, not name
Be careful feeding birds and squirrels. A few years back we had a mouse problem and a squirrel issue getting into house and causing damage to my garage. The exterminator told us if you put out bird food you attract rodents. The only thing we've had since is a hummingbird feeder and no more rodents. Solving 1 problem will likely cause another bigger problem.
My rat and mouse problem is from the neighbor they throw peanuts all over there yard for the birds but the rats eat em there in my yard my garden and everything anytime I sow seeds outdoors they eat em it's getting worst by year just last night watch 4 mice meet up in my yard must be a family and they wernt fighting but we're squeaking at one and another
Ugh me too!! :(
I have issues with squirrels and chipmunks uprooting my plants.
I'm going to try chicken wire under the mulch. I'll let you know if it works :)
Update: I also wrapped the tops of my pots and tucked around the inside edges of my grow bags. It's working great so far.
The neighbor feeds squirrels so they don't eat my fruit, they just dig in EVERY SINGLE POT and bury peanuts in the morning and afternoon. I will have to try this.
I just did the same (wrapped my fabric pots with chicken wire - going a few inches above the edge) and so far (1 week in) great success!
My garden bed is a different story - I used a bit of chicken wire to create a border all along the bed (maybe just a couple of inches above the edge) and this worked for 2 days, but then I started seeing holes being dug all over again. Great idea to use the wire inside and lay it on top of the mulch as a deterrent from them even wanting to get in - they seem to really hate the stuff.
Thanks for the idea!
Plant some mint plants all around- and you won't see any more mice.
An additional recommendation for using rat traps: Rats have a very acute sense of smell so, in addition to wearing gloves when you are setting a trap, if you are re-using a trap scrub it thoroughly between uses to eliminate any dead rat scent. The advantage of the traditional and inexpensive wood and wire traps is that you can throw the whole thing away. Traps, even the wood ones, can be scrubbed clean with a bleach and water solution.
No need to scrub them. They don't smell like death to rats but rather smell like their pals. I've had far more luck reusing traps that have caught a few rats than I do with brand-new ones.
The squirrels dig up my plants. 😡
Cats go for mice but won't do much for full grown rats. I have been leaving a "sacrificial tomato" which has worked. I probably shouldn't jinks myself since my larger tomatoes are just now blushing. I just haven't made piece with traps. The squirrels get black sunflower seeds and raw peanuts so they don't mess with my garden.
What you REALLY need is a pied piper 😂
Totally agree with, your never gonna please everyone, I do take your tips😊🙏
What a surprise to hear you describe the little nibbles in several tomatoes as rats, all the time me blaming squirrels. Thanks. And ewww!
Squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, rabbits are a real problem for me. I had even stopped gardening for a few years because the &$**#@ pests were eating my tomatoes before I could harvest. I now plant a lot of herbs and marigolds among my vegetables. Creating a scent (chive and mint) barrier saved my hostas, which were getting eaten by deers. Hopefully the scent trick will also work for my tomatoes and peppers! I read that rodents don’t like their fur to pick up scent.
I have an issue with desert ground squirrels in my garden and have tried various methods of dissuading them. A pellet gun during the day (when they are most active) worked very well for the larger problem of their local population. One secret I discovered is when you insert a dead ground squirrel into one of their den entrance holes, not a single one will ever inhabit it again. Beyond that, I successfully use the standard Victor mouse/rat trap inside my fenced garden but I hammered 3-4 thin nails from the bottom up, protruding sharp tip up, around the bait tray. Huge success. Simply what works here.
The Rat Zappers have worked amazingly well for us, far more effective than any other method. We put Honey Nut Cheerios in them and the mice can’t resist it! Caught over 14 mice within a week in our garage.
My cat was a ratter. He was the best to keep the garden free of Vermin. He died last October unfortunately.
Very timely topic. I have something eating parts of my tomatoes and several of my cucumber plants. I have seen several squirrels in my yard, so I am blaming them. I am going to try putting food in the other side of the yard and but the fountain back in operation. Thanks for all the great ideas.
I like that rat trap a lot. I will definitely invest in a few. We have a couple coyotes that patrol the property every morning. They seem to keep the rabbit, tree squirrel and rat population at bay pretty well. Ground squirrels are another issue. I do use a pellet rifle to keep them manageable and a Squirellenator trap if the population gets too large. If I hear a bunch of them chirping the trap comes out and it’s very effective. Ironically I use cut up tomatoes as bait and they can’t resist.
I loved having foxes under my shed then some neighbor or other called animal control and this year I'm fighting all the squirrels and rabbits again
So sorry to hear that.
Love seeing the foxes under sheds
I use a trap that looks like a small rectangular cage. It has a door on one end that snaps close when the bait on the other end is moved, thus trapping the rat inside. It doesn't kill the rat but it's okay. My neighbor buys them and feed them to his pet snake. So I made sure they are alive. I also make sure to wash the cage before the next use.
I've had an all out war with ground squirrels this year. They ate 3 watermelon plants and stripped 5 tomato plants. I've killed 14 of them so far with my pellet gun and I have one left to get still. But I've also added rat traps and that has helped keep them away this week. I haven't caught any in the traps but they have set them off.
They get into my attic...furry rats!
Frozen Fish YES! The squirrel population has seemed to explode at our house this year!👎🏻🤨
Peanut butter with apple core
Try the Squirrelinator. It's a live trap but if you don't want to release them alive it sounds like you know how to dispatch them. It's very effective!
I had no idea rats carried so many diseases, good to know since I have a visiting rat that comes once in a while to feed on bird seed. 😏
I use Victor rat traps baited with bits of apple for the chimunks and woodrats that were tearing up my garden. WERE. It works pretty well for me.
Are you saying that trap will kill squirrels?
We live in the country side with lots of rodents, squirrels and other wildlife, our male dog that likes to protect his territory and he marks it lots, we trained him not to wiz on the veggies, but he does catch the odd squirrel. I’m with you dead rodents don’t come back.
I totally agree with YOU! More expensive, but I say for a regular trap, just throw it away...no clean up. Peanut butter really does the trick👍🏻! I think snap traps are not supposed to be used in my area (San Jose) but then why are they sold here?
I I been hanging blank CD around the garden and it has greatly reduce squirrels in my garden.
I will for sure be getting some of those! I also heard (as more of a prevention) to use fabric tulle around the garden! Rodents hate getting their nails caught in it so they don't climb up! it's super cheap and lasts years :)
Also steel wool.
I tried the tulle for my fruit trees and bird feeders. The squirrels go right over it no problem. Have also tried the pepper spray they don't care about that as well. Had flying squirrels in our roof and tried many ways to get rid of them and tried the traps suggested and worked great. Baited them with peanut butter orange piece mix.
Squirrels, chipmunks and moles are a nightmare ... leaving holes throughout the yard and tearing up my hostas and flowers - I like the trap you mentioned and have seen it in other videos. I would like to know if using wolf & coyote urine .... "attracts" that species. Certainly dont want them coming close to the house. (We have a lot of coyotes in the open acreage behind us)
Whats your thoughts on this urine hazard?
I’ve had luck with the rat zappers. I put a piece of bread in the back and only allow one way in the trap. I’ve only used it a few times but it worked each time.
A man I follow on RUclips uses his urine to keep critters away but I haven’t tried that. My yard is too small and I don’t want to smell urine 😂
It doesn't take much but do it only if you take NO pharmaceutical or OTC drugs.
Fox urine is an ingredient in some garden store rodent repellents, don't ask me how they get the foxes to comply? Urine contains a lot of sodium chloride and too much in the same spot will eventually poison the soil. I was lucky to not have squirrels digging up my large pots with Tabasco and Cayenne pepper plants and thing the fish emulsion fertilizer my stink to bad it repels them. I also have some really hot, nasty "ghost pepper" hot sauce that can be diluted in water and poured as an animal repellent. I don't like the "ghost pepper" family, they are too hot and have a bitter flavor laking the fruitiness of habanero sauces. The ghost family of peppers are a good source of animal repellents though. I am going to pour some diluted sauce around my ripening honeydew melons. Hopefully the neighborhood possum will leave them alone, it doesn't seem to bother my garden the way mice do.
I thought I had a squirrel problem but now I’m wondering if it’s rats, have you found that they dig up the roots of your plants? Or do squirrels do that more often?
One year I had a seven layer pest control system that culminated in yes....my son being assigned the job to sleep outside occasionally with his friends and his air soft guns. The squirrels still got to them...but we had fun watching the boys be diligently on guard!
Our local owl family was poisoned by secondary rat poisoning... three great horned owls. 😢
Do you have any suggestions for compost bins? I have a wooden one that I’m going to shift to a plastic type that is bottomless to allow earthworms and other beneficial bugs to digest my compost. But I’ve noticed a couple of mice/rats coming under my elevated wooden compost box. I want to make sure my new bin will be rodent proof, and I may continue to use my wooden compost box until it breaks down.
Bottomless will not only help get the beneficial things in your compost, but it will help deter the rodents 🙂
Some people just like to feel superior and feel they need to tell the rest of us how we should act and live to their crazy way of thinking.
I fed the squirrels and they just kept coming back. That did not deter them. They destroyed my garden entirely, despite the fact that I fed them. They would eat it all and come into my garden for more. I discovered the pepper spray way too late, but I found that it does work.
Purchased 5 of these and sat them around my garden. Caught 3 city rats in one night and one the next day. Caught one the following weekend that one was hanging on to dear life so I had to toss the whole thing in the outside trash can. These traps are worth every penny (under five bucks for each). For those who think killing rats are cruel, I can mail them to you if you prefer free of charge! 🤣
In my experience, rats are smart and once they see one of them trapped they will avoid the trap. So make sure to empty the trap as soon as possible (preferably the same night before you go to bed) so that other rats don't see it.
Love your videos!
Except this one.
Last year we put a new HVAC unit on the house and some rats slipped into the crawlspace. I don't like the victor rat traps because of their hair triggers so I bought one of the Tom Cats to give it try.
Those things are a piece of sh*t.
It caught a rat by the muzzle, and I had to listen to it kicking around for hours as it refused to die. Eventually, at 4 AM I had to go down there and beat it to death with a clawed hammer. The arming bar does not travel far enough to hit with the velocity of a victor. The plastic teeth are cute but I suspect that they also soften the blow.
After that I splurged and bought a hav-a-heart trap. Despite having a heart it has worked better than any trap I've ever used. I pulled seven rats out of that space and while it was a bit of a pain driving them off into the middle of nowhere to drop them off they haven't been back since.
I had a birdfeeder in the back of my old house that I really enjoyed. I had all sorts of birds coming. Then I discovered rats underneath it. I was horrified. I moved.