I had rats get into my shed out back and used a mixture of cornmeal and quikrete. It gives them a terminal case of constipation. I was worried that with poisons they might crawl out and die and then poison the dog.

I caught 2 mice in my garage the other day in one of those live release traps not sure why I went with that particular trap but I did. Well I was trying to figure out how to dispose of the mice and both of them escaped and ran back in the garage. The trap has been reset for a week and not one mouse has fallen for it... I wonder if they are that smart or did they get tired of being detained for several days and get the heck out of my area?

Rats are very smart and will carefully test any new food source before they just dig in.

+1 for Lane's suggestion to give them a free feeding a few times before you set the trap.

No Commercial here partner, just good sound advice to a fellow TFF'er. Poisons do not cause the animal to flee the premises looking for water to drink [Wives Tale]. By the way how many years do you have as a pest control professional? and...how many years do have as a shite pot stirrer?

Monte, they didn't leave. Change devices. go with snap traps and follow my advice in the previous post. You'll have them gone in no time. Make sure to inspect the home to determine where they are getting in and seal it off. Otherwise you'll be killin rats forever.

I use a 5 foot chicken snake, just leave hime in the garage, No mice or rat's I'm happy and so is he.

Thanks Lane.

I never said that One Bite would cause the critter to "flee" I said it would have to go outside to drink as there is no water in my garage. All I was trying to do was pass some firsthand experience I have had in a DIY thread. Turns out I am a Wives-tale spreader and s-pot stirrer. Thanks for setting me straight.

I can't believe you even tried to pass that off. Its common knowledge among the pros that the vermin had water fountains installed behind your sheet rock. geez the nerve of some people.

My uncle told us about Just One Bite a few years back...We've been using it since then and haven't had one rodent die in our garages or houses...However the bait is getting eaten...So if they are dying, it's not in our house...

As for 'secondary poisoning' not occurring from anything purchased over the counter, you might want to inform the makers of Just One Bite and the vets in Burleson about that...They have a difference of opinion...You are probably pretty good at your job, but I'll stick with the warnings on the package and those trained to treat animals that eat another animal that ate the poison...

I don't know where the old wives tale about going outside to drink water and die came from but it could be from people like me who've witnessed it first hand. Problem is, they don't always do it that way. Around 30 years ago, I had a really bad rat problem in my attic and put out about 20 packs up there of the just one bite in the yellow paper packets. The dogs water bowl was out in the back yard. Don't recall if it was the next morning or the day after, but there was dead rats lined up in a circle around that water bowl in about an 8-10' radius. There was around 8 or so dead rats in that first batch near the water bowl, and over the course of that episode, there was probably 8 or 10 more that I found out in the back yard. Lots of them near the water bowl but not all.

But there were a few who didn't go out there to die and they can make a fair stink in a wall or the attic. Over the years with various remodel projects in that house, I've found lots of dried out rat carcasses in the walls, under stuff in the garage, and up in the attic. The smell doesn't last all that long - 3 to 4 weeks or so from what I recall, and it's only real noticible if it happens in the summer. I've used lots and lots of batches of just one bite over the years. Some treatments result in a stinky dead rat in a wall or attic, but most of the time not. Apparently, a whole bunch of them either don't stink when they die inside, or they go outside before they die.

If you use poison, be prepared for possible smelly conditions that can occur once in a while but certainly not every time and more often not. The just one bite stuff sure gets rid of rats though. If your dog eats it and you get to the vet quick enough, they can be saved but get ready to spend a LOT of money - $700 to $800 sometimes by the time it's all said done. In all that time, I've had 2 get into it, and both survived. One just barely, but she finally made it and it sure cost a helluva lot to save her. The other one, I had the store room door open and she ran in and gobbled up a chunk of bait bar before I could stop her. I squirted a good dose of peroxide down her throat but she wouldn't puke. Of course as soon as I got her loaded in the car to go to the vet, we weren't even backed out of the drive way till she let go all over the back seat. She recovered pretty quick and didn't cost too much. Where the dogs can get to, you can take bailing wire and tie those hard bait bars up high to places the dogs can't reach, but you have to keep a check on them and take them down after a while so they don't fall loose.
In the attic, you can use the packets and you don't have to worry about it.

I've trapped quite a few rats, but never really had acceptable control without resorting to poison and just one bite is the best I've found that can be bought by homeowners.

I appreciate everyones opinions. I havent replied yet because it looks as though I inadvertently started a pissing match.

We were at Lowes and my wife saw some gizmo that you plug into the electrical outlet and it "keeps the rodents away". Well, sure enough just as I told her, i hasnt worked.

Also while at Lowes I bought 4 rat traps. All that I have done so far with the traps is feed the rodents peanut butter. They must like it because they keep comong back for more!

I am going to run down to TSC and buy some good traps that I know will work. The ones from Lowes are junk!

TSC is great...I could spend more money there than HD or Lowe's...

Set traps or poison for them in your garage too. They ate the wiring in my sister-in-law car twice. She was not driving very often and after the second $1,000 rewiring bill they sold her car.

Already spent about $400 on wiring for the car because of them...