Why my rats go through so much food!

[Highline Reptiles South]

Well - looks like the rack on the back deck has flown below the radar for long enough. I'm gonna have to come up with another solution now! My haveahart trap is too small so I need to come up with another. I think animal control will let me borrow one i'll call tomorrow.

[babyknees]

hahahahaha those are big rats you've got there

[JLC]

You're going to close down the perfect 'coon buffet? Poor guys! There's at least three of them that I can spot...I imagine they go through a lot of food!

Will trapping these actually solve the problem though? If your racks are outdoors, won't more wildlife find their way to the feast?

[Highline Reptiles South]

unfortunately i have no alternative but to keep them on the deck. Momma's rules. I haven't had any other problems in 6 months or so and these 3 have found it just recently. As a result I'll try to trap them and see if it gets better. I'll keep the game camera on it so I know EXACTLY whats hitting it

[coldbloodaddict]

The female in the bottom pic is nursing...If you trap and relocate her the baby coons will die! That's not cool!

Also if animal control or another pest control company comes and traps them they will kill them....They do not relocate wild animals!

I'm assuming you're using dog food which is what's attracting them...If you switch to rodent block they won't eat that....Problem solved.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Aside from the food going down pretty fast having rats and food outside like this is the best way to attract wild rats, mice, possums and coons who can all carry and transmit parasites and diseases.

You can trap them and kill them but more will come, there is no doubt about that.

I would move the rats indoor and have a trap out there for a while maybe even permanently (you can get a trap from tractor supply http://www.tractorsupply.com/catch-a...k-of-2-5132129)

With Raccoon the worse that can also happen is that they could elect to start living in your house and that could be a disaster if a raccoon make your home his

[adamjeffery]

i wouldnt call animal control. never know who they will tell that you are breeding rats for bunch of snake food. never good to have a ton of people know what you have. fear makes people stupid.
as far as the coon, i have use an easier way to get rid of them, but thats just me
adam jeffery

[spitzu]

Those floating eyes in the second picture are spooky as hell.

i wouldnt call animal control. never know who they will tell that you are breeding rats for bunch of snake food. never good to have a ton of people know what you have. fear makes people stupid.

Agreed. No way would I ever let my neighbors know how many rats live across the street from them. I'd probably be concerned about it too if the roles were reversed.

[Highline Reptiles South]

Wow such a response.

A couple things.

Racoon breeding season is over here in GA. The bottom one has enlarged teats most likely from years of breeding just like a dog, not because it is currently nursing. In fact, racoons are very maternal and I would venture a guess that the other two are her offspring.

Please read the post carefully - I only mentioned getting loaner live traps from animal control. I don't feel like getting asked questions about the rat rack either. People are so very ignorant about rats and snakes. You can go down and pick up live traps for "nuisance animals". If they trap they kill - not my mission.

As I stated - moving the rack indoors is not an option for me. It's been out there for some time and has never been an issue. I just have a few problem animals.

It's my mission to relocate them very far from here not exterminate them. If that were the case I have .22 with a suppressor on it and would handle it tonight.

I don't feed dog food I use 6F. Racoons eat trash...they don't care what brand the food is

No more lectures via pm please...

[Jessica Loesch]

x3 on not calling animal control...

can you use some sort of repellent? Probably not but hey it's a shot...

i'd suggest switching feeds too if you havent tried!