[PJUCTH]

Has anyone successfully ridded their yard of Palm Rats? We hired a popular local company (Deans)that has set bait traps & snap traps . We continue to average about 2 very smelly dead rats a week. That's just in the traps. This has been going on for abou 8 months. My husband empties the traps but they are never very happy when they have to come rebait and reset them.
We also need a new company for basic lawn & yard fertilization & bugs Etc...just found out this same company we are using for the rats does not treat or fertilize trees or shrubs over 10 feet tall.
Needless to say we don't need this company anymore . Any suggestions for companies. We have read other posts & searched online and have tried all the home remedies suggested for getting rid of the rats.

[MoeVonB61]

Yes we have but the starving hawks and eagles are eating them....all their "vermin" territory being cleared by the Developers....if you are SMART....you will insist no poison is put around your property...an Owl, hawk or eagle could die from eating it and it's a fact that pesticides cause cancer.....

[maybe]

2 a week for 8 months and they keep coming? I am no authority on the subject, but my hunch is that you need to ask neighbors to join in the effort. Search the web for info. Here is one site I just found:
eRATication that works!

Good luck.

[Bonanza]

You are probably fighting a losing battle with the rats. They make their home in the palms, particularly in the Queen palm.
Get rid of the palms and you can rest assured most of the rats will be gone also, but we all know that everyone's palm is here to stay.

Just be happy they aren't in your attic!

[john1953]

I bought rat poison pellets off of amazon.No more rat problems.

[Lauren Sweeny]

Eww! I hate rats! I worked inner city schools in Cleveland, had them in my classroom on occasion. ( the classrooms were always next to lunchroom ) Believe this...rooms were chemically sprayed (into cracks and crevices and cupboards) while students were IN THE ROOM..
Just big city rats not the palm tree kind !

[Sandtrap328]

I have 3 citrus trees and 2 queen palms in my yard. I naturally pick up any citrus that may fall down. I keep the palms trimmed.

I have never noticed a rat of any kind in my yard.

[Villager Joyce]

In an earlier thread about lightning rods, a poster said to buy the rods and have them installed on a neighbors house. Using that logic here, pay to have your palm trees moved to a neighbors house. In both instances I would go about four or five houses away just in case.

[Bonnevie]

don't know how you could expect to control them outside:
Female rat litters can range from five to eight babies and they can give birth up to six times a year. Roof rats generally prefer vegetables, fruits and grain.
do you have bird feeders? or citrus trees? I had one coming to a low bird feeder...I stopped putting food in it and it hasn't come back.

[PJUCTH]

We have2 palms left . Neighbors have citrus fruit and Palms. But they don't live here. We pick up any fruit and citrus that drops.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by Sandtrap328

I have 3 citrus trees and 2 queen palms in my yard. I naturally pick up any citrus that may fall down. I keep the palms trimmed.

I have never noticed a rat of any kind in my yard.

You probably won't see them during the day.
They come out at night, mostly.
Keeping them trimmed doesn't matter; they nest in the crown at the very top.

[Serenoa]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

You probably won't see them during the day.
They come out at night, mostly.
Keeping them trimmed doesn't matter; they nest in the crown at the very top.

LOL

Seriously, ask anyone knowledgeable about palms & they will tell you: keep the dead fronds on a pinnate palm (e.g. queen, date) trimmed, & never let a skirt of dead fronds form on a palmate palm (e.g. sabal palmetto, washingtonia) & the rats won't have a place to nest & you won't have rat problem. Simple as that. Enjoy your beautiful palms.

[kgentile1010]

Originally Posted by PJUCTH

Has anyone successfully ridded their yard of Palm Rats? We hired a popular local company (Deans)that has set bait traps & snap traps . We continue to average about 2 very smelly dead rats a week. That's just in the traps. This has been going on for abou 8 months. My husband empties the traps but they are never very happy when they have to come rebait and reset them.
We also need a new company for basic lawn & yard fertilization & bugs Etc...just found out this same company we are using for the rats does not treat or fertilize trees or shrubs over 10 feet tall.
Needless to say we don't need this company anymore . Any suggestions for companies. We have read other posts & searched online and have tried all the home remedies suggested for getting rid of the rats.

Hi,

I use Massey to manage my rat problem. I was setting out traps and getting them out that way, but it was too sad. Massey set up one Big Bate thing outside and in 4 months I've only seen one little guy passed away on my Lanai.

I also use them for my bugs, and lawn maintenance. (except mowing)