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chrisjbell
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Loc: Sierra Foothills, Northern California
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Something in the attic...
01/15/07 09:56 PM
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I was up in the attic today running a new cable and found something that I didn't expect. One of the issues I have at my house is that it is wood siding and we have woodpeckers. I have yet to find a way to get rid of them, but that is another story.
The woodpeckers put acorns through the siding (mostly under the eaves) and so I have a large supply of acorns up in the attic. I don't know why they do it since they can't get them out, but again, another story...
Today I was pulling aside the insulation to run my wire and found a stash of acorns. This is pretty much in the middle of the attic, so it ain't the #$)*! birds (there aren't any holes big enough for them to get in - I stay that far ahead of them). I didn't see any droppings so I'm thinking not rats or mice.
I'm tempted to lay out some kind of bait, although I don't know if I want whatever it is to rot up there. I do know that I don't whatever it is up there, period, though.
Any thoughts?
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Bird
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Loc: Corinth, TX, USA
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: chrisjbell]
01/16/07 07:24 AM
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My experience would lead me to believe you have either rats, mice, or squirrels. And I'd be inclined to first suspect the former. If you don't want to put out poison bait, then I guess the alternative is a trap.
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jimmy1
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Loc: Ontario. Canada
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: Bird]
01/19/07 10:32 AM
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Warfarin bait is supposed to dry the rodents out rather than the normal rotting process. Other than that traps are likely the only other way.
Jim
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JazzDad
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: jimmy1]
01/19/07 01:00 PM
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As I understand it, Warfarin is an anticoagulant. When used as a pesticide, mammals will (internally) bleed to death. Perhaps not the method I would choose to dispatch my own, or another's demise, and not nearly as quick as using a trap.
All kids are gifted; some just open their packages earlier than others.-Michael Carr
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chrisjbell
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: JazzDad]
01/20/07 08:52 PM
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Well, thanks for the replys folks. I was chatting with one of my neighbors today and he told me that they've been having real problems with rats in the attic lately. He strongly recommended traps - he's had to go searching for dead ones that he poisoned because of the smell of the carcasses. He also suggested that I weigh or nail them down - he's had a couple of the sticky traps get dragged off.
Sigh. Oh, well, time to set some traps...I'll let you know what I catch in them  . Thanks again for the suggestions.
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Bird
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: chrisjbell]
01/20/07 09:47 PM
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I've used the sticky traps or glue traps and they do work for mice anyway; not sure about rats. In fact, I guess I've tried just about everything there is at one time or another, but I've had the best luck with the old fashioned wooden spring loaded traps baited with a small piece of raw bacon tied on with thread.
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NSbound
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: Bird]
01/21/07 08:47 AM
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'I've had the best luck with the old fashioned wooden spring loaded traps baited with a small piece of raw bacon tied on with thread."
I've never tried bacon, and I've never had rats (thank goodness!), but peanut butter has always worked great for mice, on the trigger of a standard mouse trap......
Ian M.
Transferred to Nova Scotia, making plans to retire as soon as the economy lets me!
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Bird
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: NSbound]
01/21/07 02:05 PM
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Yep, peanut butter is my second choice. It usually works well, but I've actually seen instances when small mice were able to lick it all off without triggering the trap. Mice and rats seem to like bacon even more than peanut butter and they aren't going to steal it without tripping the trap.
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Pat
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: Bird]
01/24/07 02:21 PM
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Bird, A dollop of peanut butter on one of the sticky tray traps will get the smallest mice. They can't take the peanut butter with them so they stand there and lick at it while they sink down into the sticky gel coating. I have seen those sticky traps used a lot and have never ever seen or heard of the peanut butter being taken and the mouse getting away.
Pat 
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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DUMBDOG
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: Pat]
01/24/07 05:24 PM
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That has been my problem with peanut butter. Saw a mouse in the shed, set two traps with peanut butter, next day had one mouse and the other trap was without bait and still set. Almost certain it was the same mouse as the unusual lighter color, most of the mice that I have seen outside are the usual dark brown.
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Michael
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: chrisjbell]
01/25/07 08:26 AM
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You think you have problems in your attic, look at this... link
You ARE a redneck if... you knew someone whose last words were "Hey y'all, watch this!"
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JazzDad
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: Michael]
01/26/07 08:15 AM
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Too weird.
All kids are gifted; some just open their packages earlier than others.-Michael Carr
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chrisjbell
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Loc: Sierra Foothills, Northern California
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: Bird]
01/28/07 07:45 PM
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Fortunately, it wasn't anything too awfully creepy.
You were right, Bird, it was rat(s). I put one of the traditional wooden snap-traps up there (baited it with cheese, BTW) and got me a rat. I've disposed of that one and am "hunting" for another one, figuring that there's likely more than that one.
I'll keep on trapping until the traps stay empty. I've got this one baited with bacon...
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Bird
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: chrisjbell]
01/29/07 07:09 AM
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Chris, in 1972 we bought a new house and very shortly thereafter could hear something in the evenings; sounded like it was in the wall by th fireplace. So I bought one of the wooden mouse traps and set it in the garage. Two days in a row, it was tripped, the bait was gone, but nothing caught. So I bought a bigger rat trap and that night caught the rascal. Like you, I would have expected more than one, but that one was it.
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tank
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: Bird]
02/08/07 03:57 PM
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Sure sounds like chipmunks to me.
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chrisjbell
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Loc: Sierra Foothills, Northern California
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: tank]
02/19/07 05:30 PM
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In reply to:
Sure sounds like chipmunks to me.
Sure looked like a dead rat to me when I pulled the trap out  ...
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: chrisjbell]
02/19/07 08:41 PM
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A suggestion for the woodpecker problem:
Ligtly tack a small (12-18" ) rubber snake(s) to the eave or siding with a finish nail, leaving enough nail so you can pull it easily(small diameter so no big holes in siding)
Move the snake to a new location frequently(every/every other day)
Worked like a charm for us.
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Re: Something in the attic...
[re: 66gladiator]
07/13/07 04:43 PM
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I have a plastic owl replica that seems to keep away various critters around my cabin.
Wrightwood, CA. 
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