RatX, anyone use it?
- Thread starter TomSeller
- Start date
k0ua
Epic Contributor
never heard of it.
dalroo
Bronze Member
New product to me, but interested. I went on Home Depot website and read the RatX reviews. Either very good, or very bad - seems like it works really well for some, and others say it is snake oil. It may be that it takes more time to work than traditional poisons, and seems to require being the rodent's only food source. I definitely like that it claims to only kill mice and rats, and there is no residual kill. Something to keep in mind.
I use TomCat in my barn and travel trailer and it works great, but requires being careful around kids and pets, and there is the secondary kill concern. Regardless, I keep my travel trailer inside the barn and we had a pretty bad infestation a year or so ago. Sign everywhere, a nest in a heating duct, and mice scurrying almost constantly. I got really serious about getting them under control and started using TomCat religiously. I have 4 stations inside the camper with two in the access spaces, and 2 along baseboards. I also have 6 others placed along the inside wall of the barn mainly in the corners. It took about a month to start seeing the impact, but I rarely see a mouse anymore. There is still sign around the barn stations, but I can't recall seeing any inside the camper in the last 6 or 8 months. TomCat works!
A couple of other precautions we take - I tried to find and seal any opening into the camper, but I am sure there are still ways they can access. It is very difficult to make a travel trailer completely sealed. We also work to not leave any food source accessible in the barn or trailer. I bought airtight tubs for storing perishables in the camper, and when needed, keep seed, etc. stored in sealed containers in the barn.
And sorry to the OP for taking a bit off topic, but may be helpful while on pests, I also had a scorpion infestation in my barn which creeped me out. I have been stung by a scorpion in the past and it HURTS! So, after doing some research, I just went cheap and started using the Ortho Home Shield which is like $12 for a gallon, but if I see on sell I buy a couple, sometimes for $6 or $7. I don't worry about timing, just when I start to see spiders, etc., I spray the entire perimeter of foundation. I can usually get 4 or 5 treatments from a gallon container. I also try to spray after a heavy rain or two, although the label says it is not necessary, I find it is beneficial. I used to see at least 1 scorpion a day, but since using the Home Shield, maybe 1 per month, and most of those are already dead, or close to it.
Like I said, my camper is stored inside the barn and the last thing I want is to go camping and find I am sleeping with mice and scorpions!
I use TomCat in my barn and travel trailer and it works great, but requires being careful around kids and pets, and there is the secondary kill concern. Regardless, I keep my travel trailer inside the barn and we had a pretty bad infestation a year or so ago. Sign everywhere, a nest in a heating duct, and mice scurrying almost constantly. I got really serious about getting them under control and started using TomCat religiously. I have 4 stations inside the camper with two in the access spaces, and 2 along baseboards. I also have 6 others placed along the inside wall of the barn mainly in the corners. It took about a month to start seeing the impact, but I rarely see a mouse anymore. There is still sign around the barn stations, but I can't recall seeing any inside the camper in the last 6 or 8 months. TomCat works!
A couple of other precautions we take - I tried to find and seal any opening into the camper, but I am sure there are still ways they can access. It is very difficult to make a travel trailer completely sealed. We also work to not leave any food source accessible in the barn or trailer. I bought airtight tubs for storing perishables in the camper, and when needed, keep seed, etc. stored in sealed containers in the barn.
And sorry to the OP for taking a bit off topic, but may be helpful while on pests, I also had a scorpion infestation in my barn which creeped me out. I have been stung by a scorpion in the past and it HURTS! So, after doing some research, I just went cheap and started using the Ortho Home Shield which is like $12 for a gallon, but if I see on sell I buy a couple, sometimes for $6 or $7. I don't worry about timing, just when I start to see spiders, etc., I spray the entire perimeter of foundation. I can usually get 4 or 5 treatments from a gallon container. I also try to spray after a heavy rain or two, although the label says it is not necessary, I find it is beneficial. I used to see at least 1 scorpion a day, but since using the Home Shield, maybe 1 per month, and most of those are already dead, or close to it.
Like I said, my camper is stored inside the barn and the last thing I want is to go camping and find I am sleeping with mice and scorpions!
I bought some, but didn't use it after reading directions because while I could keep rats from other sources of food, I had to have water out for the chickens. If you can control both, I suspect it would work. Didn't want to use conventional rodenticides because I didn't want the dogs or hens getting into it either first- or 2nd-hand.
Ended up going with a mix of glue and snap traps. Not convinced I got them all, but there have been no new signs in the area.
I'm thinking of setting out the snap traps again to try and get a handle on the local chipmunk population, they are everywhere. Just don't want to end up nailing any songbirds, since they seem to be after the same stuff. Still won't put out the ratx this time, since there is ready access to water in several places, not just because its a different critter.
Ended up going with a mix of glue and snap traps. Not convinced I got them all, but there have been no new signs in the area.
I'm thinking of setting out the snap traps again to try and get a handle on the local chipmunk population, they are everywhere. Just don't want to end up nailing any songbirds, since they seem to be after the same stuff. Still won't put out the ratx this time, since there is ready access to water in several places, not just because its a different critter.
C4Ranch
Veteran Member
D-con pellets were the best but have been taken off market. I then tried Tom Cat pellets side by side with D-con... Never touched the Tom Cat pellets...
I've now tried the D-con blocks... They seem to like the bocks and prefer them over Tom Cat too...
I've now tried the D-con blocks... They seem to like the bocks and prefer them over Tom Cat too...
aczlan
Good Morning
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If you want a simple, cheap non-toxic rat poison. Mix 1 part sugar, 1 part flour and 1 part baking soda. Put it out in flat pans or containers (where other critters cant get to it) and refill as they empty it.
It is VERY effective.
Aaron Z
It is VERY effective.
Aaron Z
k0ua
Epic Contributor
Aaron, can you go into the details of how this works. I suspect there is some kind of gas production in the gut of the rat that kills it? Do you have any info on this?
polo1665
Super Member
......and if the rats won't eat it, you can add some baking powder and buttermilk, and make biscuits out of it :licking: