Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

Anybody out there know how to get rid of this unwanted and destructive pest?
I've tried traps, poison, sticky mats. I can hear him/her at night. I don't
really
know where he goes. That's part of the problem, because then, I could put
the traps at that location.
I have a sailboat and there is a space between the cabin and hull that pretty
much goes all around the boat.
What worries me is the possibility that it's chewing or going to chew on
the hoses for the head, wires, or other important and expensive things.

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

Get a cat. Or borrow a neighbors cat.

"MLapla4120" wrote in message
...
Anybody out there know how to get rid of this unwanted and destructive
pest?
I've tried traps, poison, sticky mats. I can hear him/her at night. I
don't
really
know where he goes. That's part of the problem, because then, I could put
the traps at that location.
I have a sailboat and there is a space between the cabin and hull that
pretty
much goes all around the boat.
What worries me is the possibility that it's chewing or going to chew on
the hoses for the head, wires, or other important and expensive things.

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

Have you seen any evidence left behind from you rat ? (DROPPINGS)
Has the bait or poison been eaten ?

Geoff

"MLapla4120" wrote in message
...
Anybody out there know how to get rid of this unwanted and destructive
pest?
I've tried traps, poison, sticky mats. I can hear him/her at night. I
don't
really
know where he goes. That's part of the problem, because then, I could put
the traps at that location.
I have a sailboat and there is a space between the cabin and hull that
pretty
much goes all around the boat.
What worries me is the possibility that it's chewing or going to chew on
the hoses for the head, wires, or other important and expensive things.

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

I would be careful with the poison. What if he takes it and dies somewhere
hard to get at. He could stinkup your boat for awhile.

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

"MLapla4120" wrote in message
...
Anybody out there know how to get rid of this unwanted and destructive
pest?
I've tried traps, poison, sticky mats.
................................

Sink the boat - they'll jump off! No seriously, a rat trap with peanut
butter is all you need. But wait! There's more!

I've actually watched a rat lick the peanut butter off a trap without
tripping it. The next time I set it, I made a point of smearing some on the
underside of the bait tab. When the little varmint returned, he again
licked it clean... amazing. But, he couldn't bring himself to leave without
finishing the job. When he positioned himself to lick the underside clean -
WHAM!

I jumped about 6" off the floor. The trap cartwheeled about 2' into the
air. Mortally wounded, he still crawled about 4' with the trap on his
back... and then he croaked.

Happy hunting,

Unc

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

Thought 1: Are you sure the noise is a rat? If you have much bottom
growth, gulls and some fish come by to snack off your hull and the sound
can be fairly disconcerting. Critters, whether onboard of not, usually
quit what they're doing when you make noise, so it can be hard to tell.

Thought2: Feed it - on traps of you like. Rats do like to eat, so if you
leave food around, and you have a rat, it should show signs of
interest. Leave the boat for a few hours after setting the food, so any
critters will venture out and take the bait. If it eats, start trying
out baits until it gets caught.

Thought3: Most domestic cats are the crock - they don't know/care squat
about rats and mice. Cats _can_ be total sure death to small critters
(at least up Jack rabbit size), but it takes an "outdoor" cat with an
appetite who was raised right by Mama. This is a rare combination these
days. Also, rats are not your typical rabbit. You may have some vet
bills or lose the cat to disease.

Speaking of which, if you _do_ have a rat, handle as little as possible
and disinfect afterwards.

Rufus

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

On Sat, 07 Aug 2004 01:46:30 GMT, "uncle k"
wrote:


"MLapla4120" wrote in message
...
Anybody out there know how to get rid of this unwanted and destructive
pest?
I've tried traps, poison, sticky mats.
...............................

Sink the boat - they'll jump off! No seriously, a rat trap with peanut
butter is all you need. But wait! There's more!

I've actually watched a rat lick the peanut butter off a trap without
tripping it. The next time I set it, I made a point of smearing some on the
underside of the bait tab. When the little varmint returned, he again
licked it clean... amazing. But, he couldn't bring himself to leave without
finishing the job. When he positioned himself to lick the underside clean -
WHAM!

If the rats are licking the trap clean....next time, put some peanut
butter on a cotton ball, and put that in the trap.

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

Take all the food off the boat and wait a few days. Rats won't hang
around long if there isn't any food. They will even jump overboard and
swim ashore.

Doug
s/v Callista

"MLapla4120" wrote in message
...
Anybody out there know how to get rid of this unwanted and destructive
pest?
I've tried traps, poison, sticky mats. I can hear him/her at night. I
don't
really
know where he goes. That's part of the problem, because then, I could put
the traps at that location.
I have a sailboat and there is a space between the cabin and hull that
pretty
much goes all around the boat.
What worries me is the possibility that it's chewing or going to chew on
the hoses for the head, wires, or other important and expensive things.

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

napisal(a):
Take all the food off the boat and wait a few days. Rats won't hang
around long if there isn't any food. They will even jump overboard and
swim ashore.

No kidding?
--
Samotnik
www.zagle.org.pl - rejsy morskie

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

I would get used to the fact and take it in as a pet. You can good beds at
http://www.squirrelstore.com/site/744999/product/sl01

A rat isn't alot more to feed.

"MLapla4120" wrote in message
...
Anybody out there know how to get rid of this unwanted and destructive
pest?
I've tried traps, poison, sticky mats. I can hear him/her at night. I
don't
really
know where he goes. That's part of the problem, because then, I could put
the traps at that location.
I have a sailboat and there is a space between the cabin and hull that
pretty
much goes all around the boat.
What worries me is the possibility that it's chewing or going to chew on
the hoses for the head, wires, or other important and expensive things.

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

Just so everyone knows, there are no droppings, no food is left out. All there
is 'as evidence' is the noise at night.
I put out poison in the form of small brick
and noticed they were chewed. So now
I guess I'm waiting for a hideous smell.
One thing may have happened because
I haven't heard it for a while, is that he may
have escaped. I figured that out. It may have wanted to leave but didn't have
a way out, so I made it easy and left the companionway open overnight. Since
then
I haven't heard anything. I can only hope for the best.

Help! I Have a Rat on My Boat....
 

"Samotnik" wrote in message
...
napisal(a):
Take all the food off the boat and wait a few days. Rats won't hang
around long if there isn't any food. They will even jump overboard and
swim ashore.

No kidding?

Rats are very good swimmers. When I had some as pets, in a breeding
experiment, we'd take them into the lake with us. Quite happy, no alarm on
their part.

However, the open companionway and absence is also a good sign.

And, finally, for what it's worth, the *best* rat I had I caught and tamed.
Very sweet disposition and a marvelous mother. She was what started the
breeding experiment, as she was a brown Norwegian, and my others were hooded
(not show quality - typical pet store snake-food grade, rescued). She was an
adolescent when caught, because she didn't get pregnant for a couple of
months.

However, just so you don't get the wrong idea, no animals will be welcome
aboard our boat unless they are already - or are in the process of becoming
(as in fish) - food :{))

L8R

Skip and Lydia


--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize
that you are quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to
you that in the general scheme of things you are merely an
insignificant speck on the surface of the ocean; and are not nearly
so important or as self-sufficient as you thought you were. Which is
an exceedingly wholesome thought, and one that may effect a
permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly appreciated
by your friends." - James S. Pitkin