This is an interesting dilemma. Rats eating at a car harness. Perhaps it may be wise to enlist the help of a professional exterminator to get rid of the rats, then use a cat or whatever it takes.

As for immunity to warfarin, no such thing. Warfarin was developed by Dupont labs years ago. It was first used to kill rats and mice. The warfarin actually causes the rats to bleed internally, hence, die from the inside out.

We use warfarin in modern medicine today, the brand name is Coumadin. Yes, people actually take "rat poison" for medical reasons. The action of warfarin (Coumadin) is to decrease the bloods ability to clot by interfering with vitamin K synthesis. Vitamin K is one of the essential elements needed for blood to clot. The main side effect of course is internal bleeding.

Back to the rat. When a rat consumes warfarin that is a considerably greater dose for its body weight, it is readily prone to bleeding. Now, if you have ever seen how a rat runs and bangs into walls and such, the banging causes the rat to bleed internally resulting in death. Ok, lesson done.

Good luck with your rat problem.

 

We are Rat free in Alberta. I have never seen one. How much larger is a Rat in comparison to a common Mouse ?

 

Like a Humvee compared to a Vespa.

 

Good analogy. In saying that has a Rat ever attacked a Cat ?

 

Check your air filter, too. I get mice going in my snorkel in all the vehicles and chowing down on the elements. Really great when they get into the throttle body.

 

Go to a pet store, buy some apple bitter (bitter apple? Whatever it was it kept my ferrets from eating the new baby ferrets). Spray the living hell out of your wires.

 

This sounds like it's worth trying.
I've heard of some contractors who use electrical wiring treated with something to make it really spicy and this keeps the rats from chewing the wires.
But yeah, the cat would work for sure if you didn't mind owning one.

 

Thanks for all the advice. The cat idea would be great if I wasn't extremely allergic to them.

As for sealing the garage, I'm not sure I could ever succeed at that. There are so many vents, holes, spaces under the door, etc that I can't imagine ever getting them out that way. Back East my homes were sealed much better than they are out here.

As for tools I am using:
Rat Zapper 2000 (http://www.pestproducts.com/rat_zapper.htm)
- this seemed to work well last time. No kills yet this time, but it seems to take a little patience. I have oatmeal in the trap and they have started nibbling

Lentek X-Contro (http://www.grfrequencies3.com/items/pest/x-control.htm)
- no idea if this thing works. I just got it...

I'll look into the bitter apple spray idea.

Thanks!

 

look at their eyes
they are so modivated to their duty!!!

 

i don't get it. why would rats even want to eat wires? is there some nutritional value in chewing on electrical wires? maybe the little bastards are just honda haters...