Sep 24, 2011 – A Thorny Problem
QUESTION:
Pack rats are living in a Century Plant. How do I rid rodents that are dwelling in cacti?
ANSWER:
Actually, pack rats commonly choose cactus of various kinds for their living places in regions where these prickly, dangerous plants are available. Living amongst all those spines and needles provides them with excellent protection from their own enemies, and once they create their huge jumble of sticks and other nesting materials they themselves are comfortably protected from the hazards of the cactus itself. Out in a really rural area these native rodents, also called wood rats, could be left alone. But, around homes they can be pretty damaging to many things, including getting into vehicles and chewing on hoses, wires, or cushions. They do like any other rodent does and they GNAW on anything and everything, damaging plants and equipment. Their feces may accumulate and create an unhealthy condition and like all rodents they do carry parasites that could move onto human hosts.
Control cries out for some overall IPM program that changes the environment in that area. The rats have chosen this plant not only for its protection, but also because it is central to their other needs of food and water. Eliminating as much of their food resources as possible will at least help to discourage them, and around a home this may be more possible than in more natural areas. Around a home it might be pet foods, garbage, or fallen fruits or vegetables in the yard. It could be seeds, so eliminating all weed growth is helpful. Removing or draining water sources where possible would help. The rats do have to leave their nest to find food, so they will be exposing themselves on a nightly basis.
The customer has to accept a lot of the work here, but if all you were to do is to physically remove that nest in the plant and even kill the current rodent residing there, the conditions on the property would remain the same, and invite another pack rat in to fill the void just created. This could go on forever, but if you are able to reduce the resources of the rat you help to discourage them for the longer period of time.
You also can work with toxic baits and traps, and of course either of these should be placed within a tamper resistant rodent station to keep them from contact by non-targeted animals. The wood rats can easily be attracted to baits using the same lures you do for domestic rats - peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit, bacon, etc. They generally have no fear of human objects and are happy to enter stations to investigate the odors. These stations can be placed close to the nest area to make it easier for the rats to find them. Since you generally have just a few pack rats on a property trapping would be the preferable method. In addition, with the new labeling on almost all of our rodenticides - for ONLY the House Mouse and Roof and Norway Rats - it is difficult to find baits labeled for other rodents such as the pack rat. And, with this rat's tendency to carry things back to its nest and store them there you run the risk of having a lot of the bait stored in the nest and not eaten, but now potentially avialable to other non-targeted animals.
I would suggest doing what is possible to alter the environment around this property to discourage the rats, and then trapping to remove the ones residing there.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
Pack rats are living in a Century Plant. How do I rid rodents that are dwelling in cacti?
ANSWER:
Actually, pack rats commonly choose cactus of various kinds for their living places in regions where these prickly, dangerous plants are available. Living amongst all those spines and needles provides them with excellent protection from their own enemies, and once they create their huge jumble of sticks and other nesting materials they themselves are comfortably protected from the hazards of the cactus itself. Out in a really rural area these native rodents, also called wood rats, could be left alone. But, around homes they can be pretty damaging to many things, including getting into vehicles and chewing on hoses, wires, or cushions. They do like any other rodent does and they GNAW on anything and everything, damaging plants and equipment. Their feces may accumulate and create an unhealthy condition and like all rodents they do carry parasites that could move onto human hosts.
Control cries out for some overall IPM program that changes the environment in that area. The rats have chosen this plant not only for its protection, but also because it is central to their other needs of food and water. Eliminating as much of their food resources as possible will at least help to discourage them, and around a home this may be more possible than in more natural areas. Around a home it might be pet foods, garbage, or fallen fruits or vegetables in the yard. It could be seeds, so eliminating all weed growth is helpful. Removing or draining water sources where possible would help. The rats do have to leave their nest to find food, so they will be exposing themselves on a nightly basis.
The customer has to accept a lot of the work here, but if all you were to do is to physically remove that nest in the plant and even kill the current rodent residing there, the conditions on the property would remain the same, and invite another pack rat in to fill the void just created. This could go on forever, but if you are able to reduce the resources of the rat you help to discourage them for the longer period of time.
You also can work with toxic baits and traps, and of course either of these should be placed within a tamper resistant rodent station to keep them from contact by non-targeted animals. The wood rats can easily be attracted to baits using the same lures you do for domestic rats - peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit, bacon, etc. They generally have no fear of human objects and are happy to enter stations to investigate the odors. These stations can be placed close to the nest area to make it easier for the rats to find them. Since you generally have just a few pack rats on a property trapping would be the preferable method. In addition, with the new labeling on almost all of our rodenticides - for ONLY the House Mouse and Roof and Norway Rats - it is difficult to find baits labeled for other rodents such as the pack rat. And, with this rat's tendency to carry things back to its nest and store them there you run the risk of having a lot of the bait stored in the nest and not eaten, but now potentially avialable to other non-targeted animals.
I would suggest doing what is possible to alter the environment around this property to discourage the rats, and then trapping to remove the ones residing there.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
