Bugging You From San Juan Island

My brother and I have been swapping rat stories over the past few weeks. The rat that lives in our attic I’ve named Dora the Explorer. Perhaps you’ve seen me post photos of her previously. She comes and goes and I believe she was actually in our attic last winter. Well, Dora was making a lot of noise up in our attic the other night. We can hear her since she’s usually right above our couch. In fact, there’s a little circular hole in the ceiling that I’m not exactly certain has a reason for being there. It’s quite likely Dora is peeking through that hole watching us watch TV. She also probably doesn’t dare come into our house since she can probably SMELL Nimbus and Evie, our two, very bored, always looking for something to get into, indoor cats.

Dora is smart, but she should have known we would hear her making all that racket up above. Well, my husband decided Dora was having a party or something and might have invited her friends. We might be OK if it was just Dora living in the upstairs attic room, but her friends aren’t welcome. He got out the traps. Don’t ask. You really don’t want to know.

I had to toast a pecan. Just one for each trap. My husband says toasted pecans are irresistible to rats. How the heck he knows this is beyond me. I thought they liked peanut butter. Well, the traps (I believe there were two) went up into the attic. The next morning, he asked me if I heard anything. Nope. Not a thing. No rat racket and no SNAP. Next night, nothing. Not a sound. Hubby went up to check the trap. Pecans still there. No sign of anything. No more noise. Dora is smart. She did this exact same thing last year. We are on season two. Dora decided to move out. So, I suppose the traps do work – just not like we expected.

I’m sure you’re wondering about my brother’s rat saga. Well, he definitely has a BIGGER problem. His rat isn’t in the attic. It is LIVING INSIDE HIS HOUSE. That’s right. It is hiding in drawers, sleeping in coat sleeves, and running down the hall after being discovered by Sassy the dog. If you ask me, that’s part of his problem. He has a DOG. Everyone knows that cats are much better at guarding you from the things that count – like invading mice and rats! Cats are stealthy. They also don’t yap all night and keep you awake when a rat is raiding your cupboards.

My brother says he has live traps set all over the house. He also has those ultrasonic noise maker things that humans aren’t supposed to hear, but I SURE CAN hear them! My parents have one in their attic and whenever I go visit, I have to ask them to turn it off. They can’t hear it, but the noise it emits is worse than having a giant rat party going on if you ask me. Maybe this is why the rat in my brother’s house is afraid of going into the traps he has out. It’s afraid of being stuck inside that house forever – subjected to the never-ending din of the ultrasonic repellers.

I offered a few tips to my brother to help him catch the rat. Have you tried opening a window? “Nope, and the rat just runs out of the room under the interior door.” Hmmm, have you tried using the inside cardboard tube from a roll of wrapping paper with a sock over the end to catch it? “Nah, don’t got any of those around.” Have you got one of those lever lids that you put on a 5 -gallon bucket that work with a ramp and catch the rat? “Made a homemade version and the rat took the food and managed to climb down the ramp without going setting off the lever.”

Well, what about buying a very nice rat enclosure and setting up food, water, a hammock, and some sort of a hide, and inviting your rat to stay? He sure seems awfully smart. My brother agrees with this. He says anything as smart as this rat sure deserves to live. Maybe not in his house, but he isn’t going to put out the traps like we did.

I drew a photo to text to my brother today, and suggested a name for his rat buddy.

Meet Einstein!

The End (or perhaps only the beginning)…

P.S. If you are living in the Austin/Georgetown/Round Rock area and are in need of automotive dentless paint repair (he does airplanes too), give my brother a ring. He can fix you up! https://www.stephenspdr.com/contact