Oh No!!!!! Wolf Rat on the loose!

[MatthewsHomestead]

I guess "wolf" rat is just the local name. Cuz these suckers are pretty big. Had one get into my bantam coop and it tore open one of my 5mo old chicks wide open. Broke my heart. This is the first we've seen one in the house though.

 

[RNPAULIE69]

I think you mean wharf rat

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

They look like this but grey

 

[nminusyplusm]

View attachment 1276214
They look like this but grey

That's a brown rat aka Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), they range from brown to grey and some get a bit bigger than that too. I'm guessing based on the pink shovel that that rat's body is about 8" long which isn't unusual.

I had a favorite rat named Virgil whose body was 10" long, he was a big guy, friendly and smart, knew his name, would respond to it when called and used to snuggle in my hair.

 

[pennyJo1960]

these are crawling in his house not his pets

 

[nminusyplusm]

these are crawling in his house not his pets

Agree. I know and I'm not trying to diminish that but almost any animal can be a horrible pest depending on the context, mice, rats, dogs, cats, chickens, etc. still it's better to deal with the reality of the problem while not sensationalizing it.

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

The reality is that they can carry diseases, they are terrorizing my livestock which is my livelihood, they are in my home, eating my food, tearing up my insulation, duct work for our central, scaring our kids, and getting into our trash. Last night we actually physically saw one in our home. Listened to it scampering above our heads in the upstairs.... Thankfully our kids don't sleep up there. Most rewarding sight to see it killed by the trap this morning. No sightings or noises in the house today/night.... Put out four more traps in suspect spots, laid out poison and reinforced the babies in their brooders wth extra hardware cloth..... We shall see....

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

These are pests not pets. Their names are dead, deader, and deadest if they get into the cross hairs of my .22 and my hubby's 12guage

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

We are about to cowboy up on these suckers tomorrow night. Bait is soaking tonight..... Yeehaw!


Sorry, too much red bull....grew some wings I think

 

[nminusyplusm]

The reality is that they can carry diseases, they are terrorizing my livestock which is my livelihood, they are in my home, eating my food, tearing up my insulation, duct work for our central, scaring our kids, and getting into our trash. Last night we actually physically saw one in our home. Listened to it scampering above our heads in the upstairs.... Thankfully our kids don't sleep up there. Most rewarding sight to see it killed by the trap this morning. No sightings or noises in the house today/night.... Put out four more traps in suspect spots, laid out poison and reinforced the babies in their brooders wth extra hardware cloth..... We shall see....

I get it. I've had an old house with a rat problem too, in the cupboards, walls, attic, basement, gnawing wires, etc. and it took patience but we got rid of them.

But this is not some new giant monster species, humans have had to deal with this rat since the start of agriculture. IMO, @Howard E gave you a link to a really good thread and you do need to start by plugging any and all holes and gaps, clean up any food source and get rid of any hiding places or else traps, poison and everything else required will be money down the drain.