Do not read if you are a squirrel or rat lover

[Redbug]

I chuckled after reading Soundguy's Possum Control Thread. I mostly use a 12 guage on varmints. But many folks can't. Here's a couple passive poison control measures I also ploy, especially around pets. One of my dogs accidently got into the basement one day and ate the rat poison. The vet saved him. I learned the hard way...and got creative.

For squirrels, I take a poison rat block...drill the oblong hole in the block a little larger...then thread a long deck screw and washer thru the rat block hole...and screw the block as high as you can reach onto your squirrel's favorite tree trunk. You can make up several for many trees, for your squirrel's culinary enjoyment. I have noticed the squirrels seem to more readily eat the green blocks over the light brown brand. That is what my scientific experiments showed.

For rats and mice, I make a PVC T, which is open at 2 ends, and an end cap in the middle. The poison block is threaded on a wire...which is connected to the end cap at the T. A wire nut is screwed on the other end of the wire, which keeps the block from being carried off. The varmint enters from either end to eat the rat block. Your pets then cannot get at the rat blocks contained in the PVC T.

Then sit back and SMILE!

See the pics to make a better understanding...

 

[tallyho8]

I have lived here for 5 years now and have never seen a ripe persimmon on my tree and all the pears have disappeared from my tree before they ripened and this year we had 2 squirrels at a time sitting on our porch railing eating our tomatoes. Maybe it's time I tried using your methods.....
(and we used to love squirrels)

 

[AMP762]

Oh I do love squirrels,with gravy.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

One of my favorites was my grandmother's squirrel pot pie!

 

[roxynoodle]

BTW, hydrogen peroxide will cause immediate vomiting if your dog eats decon or other forms of mouse/rat poison. I learned this when my dog was a puppy, at the vet for shots. While I was writing the check the receptionists let her run around in their cubicle and she ate rat poison there. They grabbed her up, ran her back to the vet and that is what he gave her. She threw it all up in seconds. I used the same technique when another of my dogs got some decon here in my house. Dog #1 is 12.5 now and dog #2 lived to be 13 so it seems to work well without lasting problems. Keep hydrogen peroxide in your house. As I learned, even if I thought the dogs couldn't get the decon, I was wrong. It is also great for getting splinters to bubble up to the surface where you can get them out.

 

[dillo99]

My dog is part beagle/part spanial...very good nose. She is constantly hunting vermin in and around the barn. For me this is either chipmunks, squirrels or mice (lots of mice). Anyway, about 2 weeks ago she was circling the tractor in the barn and sniffing all over the place....basically telling me that something had made a home in there. Thanks to all this rain, the tractor has not seen its normal use for the past few weeks so it probably looks like a nice safe, dry place to live. So I started it up and sure enough 10 seconds later a mouse scurried out from somewhere behind the dashboard. (great - that's all I need are some chewed wires). Well the dog missed the mouse but I immediately started setting simple mouse traps out there and I pretty much get one everyday. I don't think they are coming out of the tractor anymore, but I'll just keep doing it until I have cleared as much of the area as I can - they are prolific little buggers. Now I know why my grandfather always had a slew of barn cats. That would probably be a great remedy except my three daughters would surely make them house cats!

 

[Redbug]

That's very interesting about the peroxide Roxy. I did not know that. How do they get the dog to ingest the peroxide? Did they just pour it down their upraised muzzle while rubbing the throat...or use a syringe with tubing or what? Inquiring minds need to know...

 

[dullpain]

No longer have a dog to patrol the place anymore. Had a horrible time with squirrels this year in my garden and trapped only this one!! Will go to the poison next year.

 

[Jagmandave]

Are you at all worried that one of your dogs will find a poisoned squirrel or mouse and eat it, ingesting the poison too?

My 2 minature poodles are always scrounging in the back yard - you'd think we never fed them! I'd worry that they would eat one of the dead mice or squirrels, anyone have any experience with this? Also, do the birds leave the poison alone in the trees? I'd hate to kill the little songsters too...........

Otherwise, I'm ready to reduce the squirrel population in my area! Rats with big tails is how I view them.............one year they dug thru the cedar shingles on my roof and got into the attic - did about $5k damage to my house before I got them all out and the roof repaired.

 

[roxynoodle]

That's very interesting about the peroxide Roxy. I did not know that. How do they get the dog to ingest the peroxide? Did they just pour it down their upraised muzzle while rubbing the throat...or use a syringe with tubing or what? Inquiring minds need to know...

Honestly, if you just pour it down their throat, they will swallow. That's how the vet did it, and that's how I did it. You don't have to give them half the bottle, a few good swigs will do. I don't think you will get a dog to drink it voluntarily (even though they will voluntarily eat rat poison)