"Critters" in the neighborhood...

[Christy Cooper Teague]

I was just wondering if anyone was having trouble with "critters" in their basements? I heard something last night and am afraid it sounds like those huge rats that were present back in the summer! Thoughts on extracting them would be great! Thanks and Happy New Year!

[Steve and Kim Blevins]

Had a racoon seeking shelter from the weather under my back porch this week....again.  Lots of them in the neighborhood.  We have had opossums find their way into our attic in years past. Do you have an earthen basement like many of the homes in the neighborhood?  Almost perfectly round holes/tunnels with piled dirt indicates a "rats nest".  'Extraction' is unlikely due to multiple entrances.  Mize Farm and Garden sells a rodent poison bar that resembles peanut brittle that works very well.  We had big problems with rats tunneling our fence and garage foundation because the neighboring apartments would not clean up around their garbage cans or keep them covered.  This was the only product we found successful. 

[Christy Cooper Teague]

Steve and Kim-

I have lived here for 5 1/2 years with only trouble last summer. My basement has been cemented (a huge brick bar is down there from the frat days..) and my Dad had some work done in that area. I do not know exactly what but the part that is still dirt has been covered with new black plastic and a new door installed to that area. I put some plain rat poison down there and haven't heard them again. (My college age son said he heard them over Thanksgiving but "forgot" to tell me!) I will go to Mize and purchase said bar..Thanks!

PS> I had a racoon who took up residence in my garage the first winter I lived here...I wasn't parking in there so I had NO idea. My dog would periodically go nuts at the back door...I thought she was just getting old..but the racoon was using its "hand" to OPEN her dog bin by the back door and eat her dog food! I moved the food inside and paid someone to trap it humanely..needless to say...it was HUGE! He took it to the wildlife people who released it in the woods. (Might I add..it was the meanest creature when captured...it spit, clawed and hissed at me!) Thanks again for the information.

[Steve and Kim Blevins]

We had a Momma racoon with 4-5 babies for awhile when we didn't have a German Shepherd for 2 years. We have had a GSD for 28 of the 30 we have lived here. They are pretty good at keeping out the critters and 2 legged varmits :-)  Just break the bar like a Twix and then into smaller pieces and place where you suspect critters are hanging out. Don't let any pets consume it!