Rat Control

You may think I am crazy - but get your friends and neighbors to use have a 
heart trap and live trap shrews - little mole like creatures -
they also burrow - but not deep or large enough to do extensive damage -
one shrew will eat an 4 rat babies - momma rat goes out for food - these guys 
tunnel into the nest and devour the babies - use to be able to purchase 
shrews from catalog but not sure now - I got two shrews and it reduced our 
rats extensively - we have mound rats (which are very smart and rather fun to 
watch if they aren't destroying the foundation to the garage) - 

<<What do they look like? I have little fat black things without tails that I find in my garage sometimes. What do you do with them? Just put them by the rat holes?
>>

that sounds like them - little black or grey if fat they are eating well 
already - yes, just put near rat problem they will find or make holes and smell the 
nests - the other thing is to provide environment for shrews to breed - I 
know you don't want other stuff over running your area but shrews are easy to 
get rid of once the rats are in balance - if you can plant *put underground* 
a few mason jars with the lids on and a hole in the lid about the size of a 
quarter - put bird seed or pellets or whatever you have around inside (just a 
little for a smell) - the shrews will use that as a breeding room - if you 
have basement windows like underground (not sure where you are) put the jar 
near there so you can see what's going on - its rather interesting - also if 
you are finding them in your garage see what they are doing there - might 
have a safe hole already to breed in - their babies get eaten by snakes and 
birds -  the other thing that would help is  a few good size "cow or rat" snakes - you can get them in pet shops but get expensive - - and are harmless to us -but watch your birds snakes eat birds too.

Linda