I have trapped both. The mice are easy. Peanut butter on the trap where you find their poop. Works fast. I couldn't catch the rats and had them eat wires to my outdoor lighting and a wire inside the garage ceiling that made my A/C not work. I called a rat specialist out and he told me that he'd caught thousands of them and gave me pointers. First I had to catch the rat and then I had the entry point blocked off so no more would get in the same way.

He said you put out the trap with peanut butter for three days, but don't set it. The rat is smart and will check it out. He'll stay away at first because it's something new. Once it's not new he'll get closer. Finally he'll get comfortable and eat the peanut butter. By day four you can set the trap and you'll catch him. I did as he said and it worked. I didn't have any success before following his advice.

 

Rats!

 

Rats aren't common in my 'hood, Patty. At least I hope not. I've never had a mouse in the house, maybe that's because we always have had a cat.

We get mice in my place of employment. They are seeking warmth. I have a mouse trap under my desk with peanut butter for bait. I've had two or three mice meet their demise under my desk this season.

My office isn't exactly the Ritz.

To do at lunch today. Buy a couple of traps and share some of my peanut butter.

 

^I thought that might be the case but I wonder why you'd have mice but not rats.

 

Rats aren't often a pest unless you leave a lot of garbage out. We had a rat a few winters ago because of the amount of snow. He was dining on the fallen seeds from the bird feeder. I did several days on the Internet and discovered that not all animals are attracted to rat poison. I was worried about my chipmunks. So after many failed attempted to kill the rat with a trap, we poisoned him with rat pellets. Good luck!

 

Out East (at least in my area), rats are much more common near water, streams, creeks, etc. I did have one in the garage, found where it was getting in, soaked #4 steel wool with "Dave's Insanity" hot sauce, and stuffed it in the hole where it was coming in. Voila, rat exodus, never to be seen again!

Did have a bat in the house once, my tiny Persian "puff-ball" broke its wing and delivered it to our bedroom at 3 AM one morning. Bats make one heck of a racket.

 

Out East (at least in my area), rats are much more common near water, streams, creeks, etc. I did have one in the garage, found where it was getting in, soaked #4 steel wool with "Dave's Insanity" hot sauce, and stuffed it in the hole where it was coming in. Voila, rat exodus, never to be seen again!

Did have a bat in the house once, my tiny Persian "puff-ball" broke its wing and delivered it to our bedroom at 3 AM one morning. Bats make one heck of a racket.
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^
What Ken said. I've seen rats near waterfront areas, generally not in my residential area unless the house has lots of garbage or a ton of back yard junk where they may hide. There was rumor of a rat down the street from us. There is a house owned by a lady who is pretty much a hoarder. Yard sale of junk 24/7.

 

A must see 1 minute video on mouse hunting.

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed...51823097153841

 

glad i stumbled in here. thats great!

 

^^^
Levi