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Rats have discovered my tomatoes
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Posted by ladon (My Page) on Thu, Oct 8, 09 at 14:53
| I live in Los Angeles, and for the past 8 years I have grown amazing heirloom tomatoes in my backyard garden. This year, for the first time, rats have discovered my tomato plants and virtually decimated my crop. It is so sad to cultivate a gorgeous tomato garden, only to have the fruit destroyed one by one just as they start to become ripe. I've tried everything to get rid of them, including traps, electronic high frequency sound emitters, and a dog. My yard is very clean and there is nothing to attract the rats besides the tomatoes themselves. I'm thinking I'm going to have to build rodent-proof cages around the garden for next year, but it seems like a pretty extreme measure. I don't want to use poisons, as my very young dog will chew up anything she can get her teeth onto, and I also don't want anything toxic to get into the soil. Any ideas? I don't want to go through this again next summer. |
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RE: Rats have discovered my tomatoes
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- Posted by jean001 z8aPortland, OR (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 8, 09 at 20:42
| As you've learned, electronic high frequency sound emitters don't work. Traps do. But you must bait them with a choice morsel (small piece of nut) wired to the bait holder, the topped with a small dab of peanut butter. And wire the trap to something heavy -- perhaps a concrete block -- so that a partially trapped rat won't leave with trap attached. Keep the dog out of the area. Devise a fence if needed. |
RE: Rats have discovered my tomatoes
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| put poison in something with an opening big enough for a rat but small enough so dog can't get in ,sometimes the rat only wants the moisure from the fruit |
RE: Rats have discovered my tomatoes
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| i used to get rats in OC Cali but bought rat food boxes from Orange County Farm Supply (Chris)in Orange and these green squares - rat poison - put one in my yard along the top of the fence and one in the neighbors who has fig trees I also bought T-REX rat traps (could be sturdier) and use old uncooked bacon or peanut butter one last thing made for insect repellent that deters rats and possums is hot wax - where used to see 24+ rats running the neighbors trees at night maybe see 3-4 and my tomatoes not chewed on - oh by the way I have 2 Brussells Griffons and the female finds them and the little male has killed 8 rats if you have never been to Orange County farm supply you should check it out - they have all the great stuff and prices too - they stock PRO-Mix BX the planting plug mix and more - plain or with fungicide or micorrhizae and texas tomato cages
tell him Dennis sent you - my user name is supposed to be mtbigfish need to get it changed |
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