This means war!!

I have been very "nice" so far about the rat problem in our backyard. They ate through most of Ella's pool toys. They like to smell up the place but I didn't feel like I could really do a whole lot about it...till now.

This time they crossed a line (you think that line would have been crossed when they chewed through Ella's stuff, but no...) They are eating my garden. MY GARDEN! All the time and work I have put in watering, tending to the plants (ok, not that much work... just bought the plants, put em pots and water them when they look peaky) But that's the point. Patio gardens don't have to be time consuming but they are supposed to be rewarding. This morning I went out to get some tomatoes for my breakfast (huevos rancheros) and I found this!



They must have stood here, reached up and ate to their little hearts content.

I found some suspicious dropping in the dirt... grrr.

For the last few weeks I have been noticing that all of my squash flowers seem to disappear overnight. So far the plants have barely grown 2 inches and they haven't started to grow any zucchini. I am realizing that it is the same rats. The flowers get chewed off.

See, small plants, no flowers.


My strawberries are getting the same treatment. So glad that I can provide the rat population with more food.



Not.




So, what to do? My first thought was chicken wire, but after doing some research it doesn't seem that it works well. People still have rats finding their way through. It seems to be the general consensus that if you charge the wire so it gives and electrical pulse when touched rats will steer clear. I am hesitant to try this method with Ella playing in the backyard. Another method is hanging mothballs from the plant. I will go get some today. This morning I also told Charles I was going to get a cat...he suggested that we talk to the owners first. I guess he is right.

As I have been looking on different message boards I've noticed that some people have a real aversion to the idea of others killing rats that are in their garden or house. I don't really understand this. They must not have ever had rats in their home. Rats chew through everything, pee everywhere and leave their droppings behind your walls. These types of rats carry serious diseases such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS),Eosinophillic Meningitis, and Typhus just to name a few. Some of these like HPS can be inhaled around areas where the rat has urinated or left droppings. Great, right?

Rats also breed like rabbits. The gestation period for a rat is only about 20 days. And they have 12 to 14 babies in each litter. So saying that they get pregnant every 40 days (just to be nice and give the mother time off between pregnancies) 365/40= 9.12 so about 9 litters per year. Multiply that by 12 for the number in each litter that's 108 babies per year. Wow. And that's only if she takes 20 days off between getting pregnant. You want all those babies living in your home and yard? I live in a city. It would not be very nice for me to catch the rat and turn it loose somewhere else. That would just give someone else the problem. Rats also do not live alone, so where there is one there are usually many more, so I would have to catch multiple rats and set them free elsewhere??? I don't think so.

So there you have it. I will be getting rid of these vermin, any way I can. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'll let you know how it goes. :)