RATS! (the sequel)....

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Oct 14, 2018 | 02:59 PM

#91

TooManyToys.

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From: Jersey Shore

There’s a house down the street that’s getting remodeled after foreclosure. In the one corner of the eve it had the soffit pulled down like a raccoon got in. There have been a few houses in the hood with that issue, including the next door a few years back.

So the dumpster also has insulation in it so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an eviction. Last week the house next to it had Critter Control there, installing cages over the roof venting. Probably time to go pro-active.

Oct 14, 2018 | 03:56 PM

#92

Yahiko

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From: Spanaway

Foam and mud are useless. The only thing that does work is hardware cloth 1/4 mesh and mortar.
Other things not to use are foil and window screen. Sheetrock is also a dud.

Oct 14, 2018 | 04:29 PM

#93

TooManyToys.

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From: Jersey Shore

At the farmhouse, they even chew through the wood siding.

Oct 14, 2018 | 05:44 PM

#94

diesel_dan

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From: Foothills, CA

Thanks for the help guys. Spent some wonderful time up in the attic today -- I've needed to go up there and check my flexible HVAC ducts as I was suspecting the insulation was coming off of them. Well good news on several fronts: ductwork is in great shape, and I could not find ANY sign of rats being up there -- we have mostly blown insulation (about 12" thick), which sticks to you like glue and at least this time I wore coveralls and a dust mask. Inspected the area I heard the noise and I'm wondering if we either have birds or bats nesting under the roof tiles? Everything dry and tight, but I still put an ultrasonic unit up there and zapper trap where I think they would come in - where the Freon lines to the 2 HVAC units go thru the wall - I've had them come in there before and blocked it off, but now there is a nice "hole" there...

Scott: Slab foundation, two stories, stucco (which I hear rats can climb), curved soffit with continuous metal soffit vent all around.

And now I have my tree hugging neighbors in a lather because I warned them of the rat problem and I was using non-second-kill bait... hooo boy, sometimes folks just need to go back to suburbia...

We'll see if I hear anything tonight...

Scott

Oct 14, 2018 | 06:22 PM

#95

04badford

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From: Manteca,Ca

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yahiko

Foam and mud are useless. The only thing that does work is hardware cloth 1/4 mesh and mortar.
Other things not to use are foil and window screen. Sheetrock is also a dud.

not with lath stucco wire , if those critters are dumb enough to eat mortar , they deserve to eat wire , as far as the foam it has wire Incased so there not getting through what I put in.i hope.

Quote:

Originally Posted by diesel_dan

O boy , I like hard pipe duct , witch reminds me a few years ago my neighbor called and said his Cat was meowing in the cold air return box from under the house , hmmm crawled under there and the whole ducting was the flex pipe , Bummer , some neighbors don’t need to know bases .good luck.

Last edited by 04badford; Oct 14, 2018 at 06:22 PM. Reason: checking the spell checker

Oct 14, 2018 | 06:46 PM

#96

diesel_dan

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From: Foothills, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by 04badford

not with lath stucco wire , if those critters are dumb enough to eat mortar , they deserve to eat wire , as far as the foam it has wire Incased so there not getting through what I put in.i hope.

O boy , I like hard pipe duct , witch reminds me a few years ago my neighbor called and said his Cat was meowing in the cold air return box from under the house , hmmm crawled under there and the whole ducting was the flex pipe , Bummer , some neighbors don’t need to know bases .good luck.

Having recently lived or owned several houses where EVERYTHING fell off the flex duct but the plastic duct itself, I was worried ours at almost 20 years old would be suffering the same. The flex stuff is ONLY to make it easy for the hvac guy to install it, dust his hands, and walk away. Hard pipe, well, is harder to install, and that's why the craft of sheetmetal worker has fallen to dismay... Wish I had nothin' but insulated sheet metal plenums and ducts...
Thanks,
Scott

Oct 16, 2018 | 11:49 AM

#97

F350 1990

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Joined: Feb 2007

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From: Mooresville, NC

Can't tell you the number of DEAD MICE I've pulled out of F-250, F-350 plenums, HEADLINERS (yes those little rodents luv climbing and nesting up there), door panels, the WORKS. (half the trucks on the road have dead rodents and the owners don't even realize it)....................the inspection cameras work great locating dead carcasses in the plenum. None of the so-called repellants (dryer sheets, peppermint, moth *****, etc) work so you're back to sealing up the cab --- you'd be surprised the number of openings in a typical F-Series regular, extended or crew cab...............I use combinations of seam sealers, expanding foams and have even placed screens inside the vents found between the cab body and the bed...................

At my farm I rely on the black snakes to keep things in check --- they don't get the #7-#9 loads the copperheads, cotton mouths, etc get............................

Oct 16, 2018 | 05:32 PM

#98

04badford

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From: Manteca,Ca

Quote:

Originally Posted by F350 1990

, we have our Routine crawlers over here, Gopher snakes and Kings , NO Rattlers Thank Gawed,
Scott what’s the good word on the Hvac fix , gettin cold———Er