I may add a few things: In addition to using store brand rat baits, you can make some of your own. There are various formulas that I have tried. Basically you have a BASE ingredient. I choose corn meal and creamy peanutbutter. Then mix it with combination of the following: --sugar -*- baking powder/ -*- ground pure aspirin -+- plaster of paris also, provide some water for them. All [-*- ]items will cause digestion problem. Aspirin, may cause internal bleeding. As long as you get them eat your bait you are on the right track. Keep it on. Do not expect them drop dead right away. You want them to get sick and die.That is best you can do. For those of you with dogs/cats. As suggested, take a big metal coffee can and cut an entrance for rats. You can do this with a metal shearer. Now invert that can over the bait dish. Put a brick or stone on the can so cats/dogs/wind cannot tople it. So this is cat/dog proof, wind proof, rain proof, bird proof, squirrel proof,... You can use the same idea for rat traps but the cover has to be big enough to accomodate the trap to snap without any obsticle.

Rats certainly climb. In California, where I have friends and family, rats are a real problem because of all the fruit trees everywhere. Oranges etc. dropping everywhere for a rats' feast. They call them fruit rats but they are just plain old disgusting rats. They are also called roof rats because they climb and then move into your attic crawl space. When you live in California, you have to have an "exclusion specialist" who comes and seals up every tiny hole and crack into your house. It's a standard part of life out there. Otherwise, the rats move right in with you. GROSS!! I have to say that's why I never put kitchen scraps in my compost--just leaves, grass clippings, weeds and so on. I think (hope) it is too countrified here for rats but we have many other animals I don't want to encourage by feeding. I don't even feed the birds anymore. Seed and suet attract too many uninvited guests.

Thanks everyone! I've been stuck at work for a few days and haven't had a chance to respond. To ease any concern (that I may be an unreasonable live & let live extremists), we do have poison in the house and should I ever find Any activity there, the culprits will be killed without hesitation (if the poison doesn't get them first). As for the outside pests, I have a hard time viewing them as pests, flat out, across the board. Like Dawn, I see rodents as just another part of the cycle. Of course, I don't want them growing in numbers near the house either, but within reason I'd rather just catch and relocate like I did the other day. (Don't worry Dawn, I wore gloves and actually held my breath for the bedding removal) I appreciate all animals, and know quite a bit about handling them. I knew rodents carry disease, parasites with disease, etc. What I don't anything about is pathogens. Reading Hantavirus is airborne was news to me. I thought one had to be bitten, or ingest excrement to become infected. I also wanted to know the "shelf life" of the virus since that rat possibly has been making "Hanta-pellets" in my compost or "plague deposits" for that matter. :) I know we have predatory birds, but I haven't seen any snakes yet (although they would be very welcome! I love reptiles!). Getting a cat is not an option at the moment. My 5 bulldogs wouldn't have it, I'm afraid :) But Tree, I'd love to rescue a few once I have an acreage with a barn. I actually did rescue fulltime for a few years, but mainly giant breed dogs. There are a ton of great cats out there too! Since I won't be able to move the compost, I've done the best I can with preventative measures. I filled the space between the house and the bin with a foot of rock, and packed it in around the sides, after filling in any openings/pathways under the bin. Wbonesteel, I completely agree! That is what started the mouse hunt in the first place. My hubby set some boxes out for me and a few pallets two weeks ago, but I hadn't gotten to them yet so I decided to get out there and get them up and away from the house. Once I finished that I tackled the compost bin :) No sense in griping about rodents if you built them a hotel, right? Mia, thanks for the link. And, yes, I have been called crazy many times for all the things I've caught just to identify and learn about. The rat is definitely not the craziest thing I've put in an aquarium so I could Google it lol When I was 9, I brought home a 20lb alligator snapping turtle rigged in a sling made of shoe laces and sticks.. my mom just about lost it! Lol I had no idea that thing could've probably bit through my arm let alone all my fingers! It sure was cool though, plus I learned a ton about turtles that week :) Helen, my next property will have all the compost far far away from the house lol My main compost is actually on the back fence line, but when we arrived here I thought the old banged up flower bed would make a fine little kitchen scrap bin. Clearly, I am very new at gardening/composting :) Oh, and I'm sorry about Puff, losing a pet is terrible. Miraje, I almost hate to admit this because I'm sure almost everyone will think I'm insane or a complete idiot, but.. that picture was taken inside my house! Now remember, I caught this thing in a box so I didn't actually know what it was until I emptied the box into a big aquarium I have. However, that all occurred outside so I knew exactly what I was bringing in, when I carried it into the house :) Here's why.. I wanted to watch it, Identify it, read about it, learn more about rodents, protect it from -5° tempts since I was holding it hostage, take a picture then relocate it. Crazy or not, it's a life, a beautiful fat, healthy rat. The prettiest rat I've ever seen actually. It looks like an obese mouse. I realize that all may sound strange to most, but animals are IT for me. Learning about the creatures around me, in depth, has been and will always be a hobby per se. Just by catching this one rat, I have increased my knowledge on rats, mice, voles, and mole exponentially. Not to mention, all I have learned on pathogens (who knew the CDC website was so interesting?) Oh, and I've learned more about composting! Long story short, I love nature and all that comes with it. I've been catching creatures and learning about them since I could outcrawl a sowbug :) Of course, I've grown out of putting any of my new "finds" in my mouth, but other than that not much has changed lol Crazy or not, I caught the little buggers, learned a ton, then let them go miles and miles from my house! :)

If my dogs or cat had fleas I don't think I'd even want them in the bed with me anyway since fleas really creep me out. I also dont like my dogs licking my face and when they do it I turn my head downwards so they end up licking the top of my nose or forehead and then I wash my face afterwards, I couldnt stand being licked around the mouth since I have a fair idea where those furry little mouths have been! I adore my dogs but I have no intention of sharing fleas or saliva with them LOL so I think Im pretty safe. I remember watching an episode of the osbournes where ozzie would let the dogs lick him all over his mouth, it was so ickky to watch. If he was my husband I wouldnt get anywhere near that mouth LOL