What Did You See In Your Yard Today?

[johnyrotten]

I walked over and took a better picture of these guys. There's 3-4 groups of adults and a bunch of juveniles. 

[TonyK]

Still see the rat in our backyard and I've spotted 1 or 2 small ones now too. Don't know how to get rid of them. They ignore the Tomcat container with poison in it, they run right past the traps with peanut butter in them..... Trying to figure out what else I can stick in the bushes where they run in and out of. Guess another trip to the store to see what I can buy.

As I'm writing this I saw one of the little ones accidently run into the trap and knocked it down the rock wall. <sigh>

[Brutalform]

The deer family is constantly stopping by since my wife put her bird feeders out. 

[Rodent]

2 hours ago, TonyK said:

Still see the rat in our backyard and I've spotted 1 or 2 small ones now too. Don't know how to get rid of them. They ignore the Tomcat container with poison in it, they run right past the traps with peanut butter in them..... Trying to figure out what else I can stick in the bushes where they run in and out of. Guess another trip to the store to see what I can buy.

As I'm writing this I saw one of the little ones accidently run into the trap and knocked it down the rock wall. <sigh>

I can't believe that I am giving you advice on how to kill my relatives, but.....

They (she) got in my shed and started chewing stuff. There were two shredded paper cups that baffled me. They matched the Smart & Final ones we use, but I have no idea where they came from. She made a mockery of the old snap trap, managing to remove a piece of chicken that I had sewn to the trigger with stainless steel wire and did not trip the trap. I got one of these from Homer D. Poe and caught her with peanut butter within 1/2 hour of setting the trap. Takes a bit of work to lap the peanut butter out of the cup and about the weight of a cockroach to trigger the trap. So far, she has been the only one and I don't see any more evidence.

I live in a riparian area with lots of owls, hawks, vultures, coyotes, and a fairly recent multigenerational group of bald eagles, so I won't use the poison method and I think glue traps are inhumane for any creature. We have all gluetrapped ourselves building models, I can't fathom what it would be like to accidentally glue myself to the workbench.

Edited June 21 by Rodent

[Calb56]

2 hours ago, Rodent said:

I can't believe that I am giving you advice on how to kill my relatives, but.....

They (she) got in my shed and started chewing stuff. There were two shredded paper cups that baffled me. They matched the Smart & Final ones we use, but I have no idea where they came from. She made a mockery of the old snap trap, managing to remove a piece of chicken that I had sewn to the trigger with stainless steel wire and did not trip the trap. I got one of these from Homer D. Poe and caught her with peanut butter within 1/2 hour of setting the trap. Takes a bit of work to lap the peanut butter out of the cup and about the weight of a cockroach to trigger the trap. So far, she has been the only one and I don't see any more evidence.

I live in a riparian area with lots of owls, hawks, vultures, coyotes, and a fairly recent multigenerational group of bald eagles, so I won't use the poison method and I think glue traps are inhumane for any creature. We have all gluetrapped ourselves building models, I can't fathom what it would be like to accidentally glue myself to the workbench.

Always hope for possums. When we had possums living in our back yard, we never saw a rat. Unfortunately, they haven't been here for a few years. Will need to look for that trap. We don't like using poisons either.

 

[bobss396]

23 hours ago, johnyrotten said:

I walked over and took a better picture of these guys. There's 3-4 groups of adults and a bunch of juveniles. 

I worked my night machine shop gig by a sump. By dark, all of the geese with the little ones marched back to the sump, at least 30 some evenings, right through the parking lot.

My wife's day job was close by and she had to make a post office run one morning. This is in an industrial area, back-ish roads.

She gets close by, traffic is all backed up. Someone was impatient and plowed through the geese. I read an account in the paper, something like 12 geese mowed down including little ones.

I always liked to see the little ones go from yellow and fuzzy to full grown in a few months time.

[johnyrotten]

42 minutes ago, bobss396 said:

I worked my night machine shop gig by a sump. By dark, all of the geese with the little ones marched back to the sump, at least 30 some evenings, right through the parking lot.

My wife's day job was close by and she had to make a post office run one morning. This is in an industrial area, back-ish roads.

She gets close by, traffic is all backed up. Someone was impatient and plowed through the geese. I read an account in the paper, something like 12 geese mowed down including little ones.

I always liked to see the little ones go from yellow and fuzzy to full grown in a few months time.

This is by a riverfront preserve,part of the Erie canal is actually under the road in my picture from the other day. And that giant white building is the one that's been in the news from time to time,albany's eyesore.

The geese pretty much own the place. This group is one of the largest I've seen in a while, I've heard they're a semi protected species something with the migratory bird act. I've been calling this group the Canadian first airborne division. My wife gets a laugh out of that.

[TonyK]

Going to the farm store this morning to look for a different trap. The ones I have have worked well with mice and peanut butter has always been a sure thing for baiting them but the rats don't seem to want it. Strange. Guess I need to try different bait such as a little chicken?

Poison is not what I wanted to use but you start to try anything to get them. Don't like poison and don't like having a critter wander off and die.....somewhere. A trap kills them right there and you can toss them in the garbage.

The sticky thing might not work outdoors? I can see using it in a basement or garage but I still think a trap is best if it works.

I have the issue with lots of squirrels in my yard so that is where I need to be careful. The rats run in and out of some thick ground cover so I've put the traps and poison trap in there and the squirrels don't seem to go into that area.

[espo]

On 6/20/2025 at 5:51 AM, johnyrotten said:

I walked over and took a better picture of these guys. There's 3-4 groups of adults and a bunch of juveniles. 

These birds can destroy a nice lawn in a matter of days and leave slippery excrement on walks and driveways. Why they are a protected species is inexplicable. 

[johnyrotten]

9 minutes ago, espo said:

These birds can destroy a nice lawn in a matter of days

Funny you mentioned this, a dispensary just opened up across the street from where the photos were taken about a month ago, I saw the whole flock grazing on the fresh hydro-seeding. Bare spots everywhere now.

Edited Saturday at 09:46 PM by johnyrotten
Spelling

[Calb56]

9 hours ago, TonyK said:

Going to the farm store this morning to look for a different trap. The ones I have have worked well with mice and peanut butter has always been a sure thing for baiting them but the rats don't seem to want it. Strange. Guess I need to try different bait such as a little chicken?

Poison is not what I wanted to use but you start to try anything to get them. Don't like poison and don't like having a critter wander off and die.....somewhere. A trap kills them right there and you can toss them in the garbage.

The sticky thing might not work outdoors? I can see using it in a basement or garage but I still think a trap is best if it works.

I have the issue with lots of squirrels in my yard so that is where I need to be careful. The rats run in and out of some thick ground cover so I've put the traps and poison trap in there and the squirrels don't seem to go into that area.

Ordered the Victor traps, going to give them a shot. Several of the reviews mentioned how they're great for rats and squirrels. I know squirrels are just rats with fuzzy tails and effective pr but I don't want to kill them, so the traps will go out at night and I'll bring them in each morning before work.

As for the rats, my wife swears there's one particular one that stands upright and flips her off when she takes the pug out...

[espo]

Just now, johnyrotten said:

Funny you mentioned this, a dispensary just opened up across the street from where the photos were taken about a month ago, I saw the whole flock grazing on the fresh hydo-seeding. Bare spots everywhere now.

We downsized a couple of years ago and had lived on a small body of water for 20+ years. I had to do battle with these things every day and night. They would float around on the lake, and it sounded like barking dogs were in the back yard. A Lazer pointer would work wonders to shoo them to the other side of the lake and became a nightly ritual before going to bed at night. The high point was during winter months when the lake would freeze and the Bald Eagle population would come hunting. These birds are so lazy that the only way there would be any open water was because the Ducks would swim around and keep some open water while the Geese would often get a foot or two frozen on the lake surface because they wouldn't even bother to move their feet around. When they did move around on the ice it would become the color of their droppings.  

[johnyrotten]

38 minutes ago, espo said:

We downsized a couple of years ago and had lived on a small body of water for 20+ years. I had to do battle with these things every day and night. They would float around on the lake, and it sounded like barking dogs were in the back yard. A Lazer pointer would work wonders to shoo them to the other side of the lake and became a nightly ritual before going to bed at night. The high point was during winter months when the lake would freeze and the Bald Eagle population would come hunting. These birds are so lazy that the only way there would be any open water was because the Ducks would swim around and keep some open water while the Geese would often get a foot or two frozen on the lake surface because they wouldn't even bother to move their feet around. When they did move around on the ice it would become the color of their droppings.  

I have a constant battle,not with geese,but the deer and squirrels/chipmunks. Constantly into the bird feeders, and eating plants. I've put a lot of work into my property, it was in BAD shape when I got the place. The critters were here before me, I just try and keep them from getting into the gardens and feeders. New this year is a nest of chipmunks under my front steps (hollow concrete), my one dog tries to chase them. Gotta figure out how to get them to move on without any crazy measures.

[JollySipper]

1 hour ago, johnyrotten said:

Gotta figure out how to get them to move on without any crazy measures.

You might could try some mothballs under your steps........ It would at least keep snakes away if it didn't move the critters.....

[johnyrotten]

1 minute ago, JollySipper said:

You might could try some mothballs under your steps........ It would at least keep snakes away if it didn't move the critters.....

I'm up to try anything, I don't want the dog getting a hold of them, or them getting in the house. They dug themselves a small hole on either side and come running out almost every morning. 

[bobss396]

22 hours ago, TonyK said:

Going to the farm store this morning to look for a different trap. The ones I have have worked well with mice and peanut butter has always been a sure thing for baiting them but the rats don't seem to want it. Strange. Guess I need to try different bait such as a little chicken?

Poison is not what I wanted to use but you start to try anything to get them. Don't like poison and don't like having a critter wander off and die.....somewhere. A trap kills them right there and you can toss them in the garbage.

The sticky thing might not work outdoors? I can see using it in a basement or garage but I still think a trap is best if it works.

I have the issue with lots of squirrels in my yard so that is where I need to be careful. The rats run in and out of some thick ground cover so I've put the traps and poison trap in there and the squirrels don't seem to go into that area.

A few years back I had baby RATS in my yard, about 4 of they playing out front. 

I picked up some black plastic Victor traps that were excellent. I used some crackers for bait. I caught 2 right away, then found a Robin in one... Oops...

From then on I placed an old cat litter container over the traps, with the side cut out. With the cap off, it had space for the little rats to get in. No birds or squirrels. I used a brick to hold it down.

[Calb56]

On 6/21/2025 at 2:53 PM, Calb56 said:

Ordered the Victor traps, going to give them a shot. Several of the reviews mentioned how they're great for rats and squirrels. I know squirrels are just rats with fuzzy tails and effective pr but I don't want to kill them, so the traps will go out at night and I'll bring them in each morning before work.

As for the rats, my wife swears there's one particular one that stands upright and flips her off when she takes the pug out...

Well... I know our rats like peanut butter and so far smarter than Victor.

[TonyK]

I've tried peanut butter, dry dog food, and chicken with no results. Today I put a bit of canned dog food in a trap. Real frustrating when the rats aren't drawn to any of these things. I don't get it. They're rats. Thought they would eat anything.

[slusher]

Live traps work but sop all exits but the one to the trap..

[bobss396]

The corn and celery are doing well. The cukes are climbing. I have a few Roma tomatoes.

With the heat, I have to stay on top with the watering.

[Calb56]

On 6/23/2025 at 9:50 AM, Calb56 said:

Well... I know our rats like peanut butter and so far smarter than Victor.

Well... one rat wasn't smarter than Victor. 

[Calb56]

10 hours ago, bobss396 said:

The corn and celery are doing well. The cukes are climbing. I have a few Roma tomatoes.

With the heat, I have to stay on top with the watering.

My wife has tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries,blueberries,cantaloupe, basil, cucumbers and squash... I have more drip irrigation to do now that I got the main one set up. 

 

Edited Tuesday at 09:22 PM by Calb56

[bobss396]

13 hours ago, Calb56 said:

My wife has tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries,blueberries,cantaloupe, basil, cucumbers and squash... I have more drip irrigation to do now that I got the main one set up. 

 

This is very nice! I cut down on the hot peppers thus year. I have a bunch vacuum sealed in the freezer from last year.

I want to eventually work in some raised beds. My lawn sprinklers do a good job of watering my main plots. I have to stagger out shortly and do the patio pots.

[johnyrotten]

This girl hanging out in the yard, she's still around, bad leg and all. And yes I need to mow the lawn. Between the monsoons and heat wave I haven't had a chance. 

[slusher]

1 hour ago, johnyrotten said:

This girl hanging out in the yard, she's still around, bad leg and all. And yes I need to mow the lawn. Between the monsoons and heat wave I haven't had a chance. 

She may have been hit by a car..