What did you do today? 2016 version

[NW-Bound]

It is a permanent resident, so far. It still has to go get food and water every night. When I failed to trap it at the holes that it chewed in the garage ceiling to get down from the attic, I sealed them off. It chewed a new hole every day! Now it does not have to, so apparently found a new way up through the roof somehow. From the garage, to get out, it chewed through the bottom seal of the steel garage door, and also through the wire mesh of a vent hole in the garage block wall.

Roof rats are nocturnal. They need shelter during the day, and venture out to forage at night. That's why they are elusive.

[Ronstar]

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Originally Posted by twolfy Just did fertize my lawn plus repaired some burned out areas from the summer drought. What mapping software did you get? Would like something that helps plan out some trips here in the US. We did a biking vacation ( 2 families) in Ireland in 2006 and had a great time. Can't believe it's 10 yrs already! Western Illinois Area? I went to WIU myself many many yrs ago. Tom Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

DS went to WIU, SIL lives near Geneseo. Mapping software I use is Ortelius.
https://www.mapdiva.com/ortelius/
Here's a couple of planning maps I've done so far. I use the software in conjunction with online research through TripAdvisor and Google Maps. And then insert spreadsheet data.

[MRG]

Traded a Kimber 1911 in on a Colt 1911. Didn't want to get rid of the Super Match but I really can't justify another 1911. Had 3 in 45 ACP , two in 9mm, added a Colt 10mm by trading in a 45.

I wanted some bear spray with a lead taste to it so the 10mm was the best option. I did look at a Ruger Alaskan in 454 Casull(DW thought it was cute) but with all of a 2" barrel on it I didn't want to shoot it. DW is very comfortable with the 1911 platform and will have no problem with the 10mm.

[RobbieB]

Took Lucy the dog for her walk, did the laundry, then hopped on my bad motor scooter and rode out to a new dim sum place I found on the internet and ate a forty dollar lunch.

[FIREmenow]

Another day on the cube farm, thinking of Oct 2018.....

[Just_Steve]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG Traded a Kimber 1911 in on a Colt 1911. Didn't want to get rid of the Super Match but I really can't justify another 1911. Had 3 in 45 ACP , two in 9mm, added a Colt 10mm by trading in a 45. I wanted some bear spray with a lead taste to it so the 10mm was the best option. I did look at a Ruger Alaskan in 454 Casull(DW thought it was cute) but with all of a 2" barrel on it I didn't want to shoot it. DW is very comfortable with the 1911 platform and will have no problem with the 10mm.

Justification should never be used when buying firearms.

[traineeinvestor]

3.5 hour hike with a former colleague who FIRE'd at about the same time I did.

His wife will retire early next year and he's starting to worry about said wife providing "structure" to his days.

[misshathaway]

Yesterday I looked out of my window and there was a dead raccoon next to the fence in my back yard. It was curled up and looked like it was sleeping. So all day I kept peeking out of the window, in denial, thinking it would get up after its "nap" and walk away. All day it sat there in the heat.

This morning it was still there, but now it was covered with flies. So I was pretty sure it was dead. Then it started raining. So before things could get any worse I put on some disposable gloves and my big girl pants and bagged it up.

It was bigger and heavier than a cat. Took some maneuvering to get it onto the big snow shovel. From there, dumped it crosswise on to one unopened trash bag. Used that one as a sling to lift it and start it head first into another open trash bag.

Ew Ew Ew Ew Ew Ew ... 1000 more times

Good thing trash day is tomorrow. Next fun task, disinfecting my shovels. It was a two shovel operation.

[NW-Bound]

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Originally Posted by misshathaway I have rats and mice also entering through the garage. Had an exterminator come and plug up the holes. That worked for a couple of months. It is very frustrating. I have had every kind of trap, including snap. I set the snap off easily myself while baiting them (with gloves on so my smell supposedly does not get on the trap). The vermin either ignore them or take the food out. Tried just peanut butter and peanut butter crackers. All I get for results is droppings and crumbs. I wish you better luck.

Yes, we all need luck to deal with roof rats.

Roof rats are very good climbers. They will exploit any holes around your home, places like the soffit, around any vent, chimney, etc... Unlike mice, roof rats only use the home attic for shelter during the day, and leave the home at night to go get food and water. They usually do not enter your living space. Roof rats are mostly vegetarian, and thrive in neighborhoods where people have orange trees and leave the fruits hanging on the trees. My mother has a prolific orange tree in her backyard, and she is proud of it and won't get rid of it even after there's sign of infestation. Roof rats are also known as "fruit rats".

Anyway, using the WiFi surveillance camera, I have learned a lot about roof rats, knowledge I wish I do not need. I have observed how smart and suspicious they are of snap traps, and can gingerly pick the bait of the trap without setting it off. I have seen a smaller rat getting jolted violently from the electric zapper, and fortuitously did two backward somersaults to fling right out of the zapper. And on youtube, there are plenty of videos showing the same.

You may want to try the better rat trap called "Tomcat Rat Snap Trap". This plastic trap has jaws that look like those of an alligator, but most importantly the trigger is more sensitive and looks like a tongue inside the jaws. The rat has to step on the tongue to get to the bait. So you are not going to lose the bait without getting the rat.

Despite all that, the smart ones will avoid any trap and your ability to catch them is zilch. Pest control companies are not going to the extent I do, and most use strong poison baits that you cannot get yourself. That works, but you are faced with rotting and stinking rats in unknown and inaccessible corners of the attic.

Anyway, to my grief, I have found out that they can chew through metal wire mesh, just like they say on the Web. So, gypsum boards or plywood are like butter to their teeth. So, if your home gets reinfested after the effort from the pest control guy, it is not his fault. You will need a contractor to do a remodeling job to reinforce your home.

[misshathaway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Yes, we all need luck to deal with roof rats. Anyway, using the WiFi surveillance camera, I have learned a lot about roof rats, knowledge I wish I do not need.

I did that too, but I was using an old desktop for the camera and of course I had to leave the light on. All I captured was my cat eating. This did tempt me to simply leave the light on all the time in the basement, but I don't.

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Originally Posted by NW-Bound I have observed how smart and suspicious they are of snap traps, and can gingerly pick the bait of the trap without setting it off.

It is so infuriating. I did bait with blue cheese as you suggested and they loved the blue cheese but they just picked it out of the snap traps. These are the snap traps that the exterminator left. They ARE the Tomcats. They only work on me. Ouch.

I have come to the conclusion that trying to exterminate or self-trap is pointless. At most I'm going to decimate the surrounding area population for awhile. Then they will regenerate like they did after my first extermination. That's why they only give you a 6 month guarantee. My current plan is to clean enough out of the basement and the attic that all of the holes can be found and plugged by a pro. Root cause solution.

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Originally Posted by NW-Bound You will need a contractor to do a remodeling job to reinforce your home.

Yep.

[Moemg]

We are in the midst of a tropical storm that may turn into a hurricane . The winds are 65 mph . It has completely destroyed my patio umbrella and our whole street is flooded . Luckily I live in an elevated house so we are safe & dry .

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by misshathaway I did that too, but I was using an old desktop for the camera and of course I had to leave the light on. All I captured was my cat eating. This did tempt me to simply leave the light on all the time in the basement, but I don't.

The camera that I bought is the Amcrest ProHD 1080P. It's an indoor model, rather than outdoor, so has the ability for remotely panning and tilting by the viewer. I put it up in the attic and observed all kinds of antic by these cunning roof rats.

Before buying I researched on the Web, and some other brands are a bit cheaper, but have buggy software. The one I bought was rated a lot higher, and I have had no problem so far. I programmed it to only capture video when there's detected motion, and to store it on my network hard disk for my examination later. I can use my computer to access it through the home WiFi network and to see through the camera in real-time too. I have not used some of its capabilities like e-mailing, or viewing through a smart phone, or viewing from outside of the home network.

The camera is infrared, so no light is needed. However, the video then becomes black-and-white, and loses the sharpness of the daylight color mode. It is enough to see what the rats are up to, and how many of them are around. Rats do not have infrared vision, so it is amazing to see how they maneuver around using mostly their extremely sense of smell, and their whiskers for close sensing like a blind person using a cane.

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It is so infuriating. I did bait with blue cheese as you suggested and they loved the blue cheese but they just picked it out of the snap traps. These are the snap traps that the exterminator left. They ARE the Tomcats. They only work on me. Ouch.

I thought that the design was superior to the conventional snap trap. With the old trap, a smaller rat may mount the trap backwards, and the snap bar would just fly over its head. It is also perilous for the person setting the trap to avoid getting fingers smashed. This Tomcat trap is set by pressing a lever in the back. If you hold that lever down with one hand or a foot while baiting to keep the jaw opened, it should be safe. Also, the bait should be small and put deep in the well. That requires the rat to step on the tongue in order to reach in.

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I have come to the conclusion that trying to exterminate or self-trap is pointless. At most I'm going to decimate the surrounding area population for awhile. Then they will regenerate like they did after my first extermination. That's why they only give you a 6 month guarantee. My current plan is to clean enough out of the basement and the attic that all of the holes can be found and plugged by a pro. Root cause solution.

Well, you may have some neighbors like mine who have fruit trees, or leave out food for their cats or dogs. These roof rats can travel up to 300 ft from where they live to where they feed. The most we can do is to make sure they do not enter your attic or garage. This requires vigilance.

What is infuriating for me is that the roof of my 2-story home is too complex and has too many nooks and crannies. The tile roof also does not help, as the tiles have hollows and do not lay flat like shingles to make inspection easy.

If I end up giving up and calling in a pest control guy or a contractor, at least I know what I have done, and the guy must know to do more than that. It's part of self-education now.

[bbbamI]

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Originally Posted by Moemg We are in the midst of a tropical storm that may turn into a hurricane . The winds are 65 mph . It has completely destroyed my patio umbrella and our whole street is flooded . Luckily I live in an elevated house so we are safe & dry .

Yikes Moe...I just looked at the radar!

Hope y'all continue to stay safe!

[Walt34]

Actually, it was yesterday but... I scanned 87 photos of one of DW's nieces growing up from infancy to about age 19. Thank goodness for Photoshop's automated "crop and straighten photo" function. I could put three or four photos on the scanner, scan the whole page, and then keep doing that. Photoshop can then separate out the individual photos in the file and save each to a separate file. Then delete the original large file. Great time saver!

DW wants me to do a photo book with these photos. I did that with another niece and it was warmly received by her and family.

[Moemg]

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Originally Posted by bbbamI Yikes Moe...I just looked at the radar! Hope y'all continue to stay safe!

Thanks ! It has been a wild two days !

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg We are in the midst of a tropical storm that may turn into a hurricane . The winds are 65 mph . It has completely destroyed my patio umbrella and our whole street is flooded . Luckily I live in an elevated house so we are safe & dry .

Glad to read that you are safe and dry! Pretty scary. I hope you don't have any further damage. Take care.

[Bestwifeever]

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Originally Posted by Moemg We are in the midst of a tropical storm that may turn into a hurricane . The winds are 65 mph . It has completely destroyed my patio umbrella and our whole street is flooded . Luckily I live in an elevated house so we are safe & dry .

Hermine became an official hurricane just now--stay safe, Moe!!!

[MichaelB]

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Originally Posted by Bestwifeever Hermine became an official hurricane just now--stay safe, Moe!!!

Bummer. +1@ stay safe, and dry, Moe and everyone else in the path.

[Moemg]

Thanks everyone !

[misshathaway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Well, you may have some neighbors like mine who have fruit trees, or leave out food for their cats or dogs.

Worse. The neighbor on one side of me is a hoarder - like you see on TV. But I have known her all of my life and she is intellectually disabled, so there is nothing I want to do about it. Don't even suggest going in there to clean up. It is bad and the cleanup would not last.

You know a ton about your roof rats. I hope you defeat them.