looking for a non-chemical, 100% dog safe rat control method
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Anonymous
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I have no idea what forum to post this in, but someone's got to have ideas, right?
We live in a townhouse neighborhood with some crappy neighbors who don't get basic sanitation... this means the rest of us are constantly fighting off rodent infestations. We have a <1 year old and two small dogs (and tiny fenced backyard). For several years we have had great success with the fake rocks that hold rat poison blocks inside them... eliminated or at least minimized the problems, while preventing our dogs from eating the stuff. Well, that all went out the window yesterday when we realized that some enterprising little rat or squirrel nibbled the blocks away from the station and hauled them outside (of the fake rock), leaving bits all over the place that one of our dogs decided to eat. Crap. Now we have yet another vet bill, plus a pending disaster because we are terrified to put the bait stations out again. There's really no sanitation/prevention measures to take - our property is clean and not terribly attractive to the wildlife, but they swarm all over the neighborhood and we want to prevent them from living under our deck. Does anyone have any experience with non-chemical means? What about those ultrasonic things that are supposed to scare them away? Repellant? Traps? YUCK but probably better than my doggies peeing blood  Any suggestions would be appreciated!
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Anonymous
| mouse traps. |
Anonymous
| There are electric ones that have openings too small for dogs to get in. Once the rat is in the trap, it's electrocuted. The downside is having to empty the traps. They're $50-60 but are supposed to be very effective. |
Anonymous
| I used the rat poison stations effectively with a rat trap instead baited with bacon. |
Anonymous
We've had good luck with these. The good thing is that they die right there in the trap, not later on in your wall. |
Anonymous
| Call your county or city. If the guys next to you are that bad, they will write tickets and make them clean up. |
Anonymous
OP here, thanks all for the recommendations. I think we are likely to try the electric traps baited with something nontoxic (like bacon). But then I will have a hard time preventing my husband from being shocked 
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Anonymous
| Not OP here but interested in whether anyone has a brand recommendation for the electric traps. TIA. |
Anonymous
Rat Zapper - and we just used the bait that came with the trap. So no husbands were harmed. 
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Anonymous
| Get a rat terrier or some cats. |
Anonymous
You've clearly never seen a rat. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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LOL
OP here, yeah I'm sure a rat terrier or cats would work great. But with two neurotic (one now pissing blood due to rat poison) small dogs and a baby (not to mention the DH) in a teeny tiny 2 br townhouse (like 800 sf), the addition of one more living thing - even if it is a goldfish - means I would probably be driven stark raving mad. Yeah, I know people raise 4 kids in smaller apartments in NYC, but they are clearly better people than me and DH. We both need our space 
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Anonymous
| Get a cat. You don't even have to buy one - just go trap a few feral cats and put them in your backyard for a few weeks. |
Anonymous
When we lived in Capitol Hill, there were several feral cats in the alley behind our rowhouse. We never saw a rat! I'm not sure how you'd import feral cats to your townhouse area, but if you could, it would work. |