HELP!! What's an economical humane way to get a rat outta my garage?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

I have a table in my garage where I fold my laundry and am finding rat droppings (or a mouse with a really big ass) on my folded clothes. I don't want rodents but I also don't want to walk out and find a dead rodent in a trap. I'd rather either put a device that chases it out or one that catches it and I can release it elsewhere.

I also would LIKE to do it for under 50$

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Get a cat.

...those devices that 'chase rodents' don't work. The only way to break the pattern is to kill one or two or get a cat. I sympathize. I had mice in an apartment I lived in years back and I had to move out because I couldn't stand it.

Plus if you just release it into the yard, it will come right back.

[candy]

2. Have-A- Hart trap(sp?) ---we used one for a squirrel.No kill!

Rented one but it was a while ago so don't know the price.

[lpbk2713]

3. Whatever you do, don't put out poison.

It will eat the poison and go somewhere where you can't get to it and die and your whole house will stink to high heaven for two weeks. See if you can borrow someone's cat for a few days.

[Sabriel]

4. Call your local GOP group and ask if they'll come get it n/t

[Lorien]

5. Get a havaheart trap

I've caught and released about six this way, and my attic is now rodent free! :-)

They cost under $30 at Lowes or smaller ma and pa hardware stores (call first for availabilty-many stores only carry the raccoon/ cat sized traps).

[Coyote_Bandit]

6. Box Traps

Something similar to these:

http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/info/rodents/live.htm

[Midlodemocrat]

7. Yeah, I used those

...but I have to tell you the animal suffers in there and it was horrible to hear. If you get a cat, even for a few days, the rodent will leave and not come back. It is looking for a place to nest for the winter.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

18. I have cats but my cats are house cats..the garage is a separate

structure and if the cat catches the rat, I'd have to deal with rat guts... NSMA doesn't do rat guts

[Midlodemocrat]

20. When I had mice in my apartment

my three brothers suggested 1: flame thrower, 2: owl, 3: snake. How is that for helpful?

[Coyote_Bandit]

19. Well They Do Trap Live Animals

and they should not be kept without food and water for any extended period of time or they will suffer. Rats and mice are mostly nocturnal creatures. We would set the traps at night and I would take whatever we caught to work the next morning and release it into a field behind the office building that offered water from a drainage ditch and shelter in assorted bushes and undergrowth. They probably didn't spend more than 4 to 6 hours in the cage when we trapped. Just be responsible. An animal can suffer from any method of capture or deterrent. And those kitties can be lethal. :9

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

23. so they do work for rats, yes?

[Coyote_Bandit]

26. Rats, Squirrel, Chipmunk n/t

[Midlodemocrat]

28. What you don't like the flame thrower idea? Sigh.

[Itascapark]

8. Burn the garage down

and collect on the insurance money? Don't mind me...coming off graveyard shift...Oy!

[Maddy McCall]

9. Get to your county co-op or ag store now.

They have traps that you can use to live-catch all kinds of small critters. Just bait it, and the door slams shut when the animal steps in to eat. Costs about $40

Then you can take it and release it wherever you want, preferably at you local Republican HQ.

[LiberalFighter]

38. Better place would be the nice home of their party chair.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

10. Do as shrub does.... say there is a terrorist in there and call in an

airstrike.... ya can't beat free. If anyone argues with you and says the rat was just defending his turf... tell them you understand how they feel but that it doesn't matter to you... you are on a crusade.

A rat in the hand is worth two in your garage btw....

[ispeculate]

11. forget about your garage...

how do we get the rats out of our government?

[ispeculate]

12. If you catch it maybe you should ask Bev Harris for...

her recipe for Rat A'la orange. She had a picture of the scrumptous entree on her web site last week.

[democracyindanger]

13. Call Acme

They have a little robot that's dressed up like a girl rat. Once you wind it up, the robot will seek out the rat and wiggle its hips. The rat will be so smitten that it will follow the robot out the door where, once outside, the robot will lean over for a kiss from the rat and then--BOOM! The robot explodes. The rat will either be launched skyward, or will be left on the ground, covered in soot. Slight chance of rat seeking revenge. $49.95 delivered.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

16. As taught here?

[democracyindanger]

21. hee

[Mojambo]

14. Tell him there are multiple openings in Bush's cabinet n/t

[Gothic Sponge]

15. Play loud music?

[JanMichael]

17. Why don't you call the local Repuke headquarters

and just tell them that one of theirs has gotten loose, and could they be so good as to come get him?

Seriously, if it were me, I would get a wooden box, a long piece of string and some cheese, a bottle of jack and a flashlight....but, probably you will want to follow the above poster who said to use the Havahart trap. The Humane Society "rents" them for free in NC-

Stephanie

[Mizmoon]

22. she'll have to say she thinks he's rich

or they won't care.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

25. They blocked my number after I called and asked for

My Pet Goat

[MotownLew]

24. Why is Karl Rove in your garage? Fixing something? n/t

[yellowdogintexas]

27. Rats should not be treated humanely, there is a reason they are called ver

vermin, sorry.

I would lend you my rat killers if you lived near me.

You definitely want to kill that sucker and be prepared for more, usually if there is one rat or mouse there are several and since they may have bred a family, there may be a second cycle of them.

My cats love to bring the bodies in to prove that they have done the deed.

[bones_7672]

29. Pile gouda by the street? n/t

[leftofthedial]

30. give him the car keys and tell him to leave.

buh-dum-ching.

they do make cage-type traps that small so you can catch them live.

Generally with rodents, if there is one, there are many.

Mouse turds are about the size of plump little chocolate sprinkles. Mmmmm. If they're bigger than that, they're likely a rat.

Where would you release it if you caught one? Generally the rodent niche is filled everywhere and releasing it into a strange environment where it does not know the predators and other dangers is a death sentence anyway.

Personally, I'd suggest a lethal trap. Do not use poison.

But then why take advice from me? I've been living with skunks in my yard for three years because I'm too big a wuss to kill them.

I have eliminated dozens of mice with extreme prejudice though.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

31. LOL. Truth be told, the humane thing is less about being humane than it is

about me being squeamish about dead rodents.

[Midlodemocrat]

32. That's why I say use the flame thrower!!! No guts to clean up.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

35. OK OK I'll use a friggen flame thrower!

I gotta go get mine...I left it in GD :D

[leftofthedial]

34. Try watching _Ben_

maybe that'll give you some ideas

Good luck!

[Zomby Woof]

33. with one of those humane traps

Use a gum drop as bait. They work far better than cheese.

[HEyHEY]

36. Make it feel unwanted

[bvar22]

37. Try this guy. Excellent references!

[catzies]

39. Ask it for a commitment.

If it's a guy rat he'll leave on his own.
:P

[FuzzySlippers]

40. Isn't there some kind of electronic device you can get

that emits a high pitched sound which is supposed to drive away vermin? I have no idea how much they cost or how well they work.