Oh god, I hope I don’t have new neighbors moving in.

[JohnnyB65]

Not human, but mammals just the same. Its 4:30 AM and the dogs are running around the yard barking. I viewed the security cameras to see if it were human or maybe a raccoon that visits my fish pond occasionally and didn’t see anything. I’m afraid it maybe rats because we had them a few years ago and it took a whole neighborhood effort to get rid of them.

Well I guess I need to get dressed and grab a flash light and check what’s left of my garden.

 

[Jabuticaba]

You must be in the West Coast, given the time. Keep us posted.


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[JohnnyB65]

Well so much for a flashlight, I have 3 of them here and none of them work. I have a LED flashlight and I just don't know what the big deal is with them because I can't see anything with them. Oh well I guess I'll have to wait until daylight and look for signs. I'll have to also set some traps just in case.

 

[bouaboua]

we caught couple of this in one week.



Good luck........Or............maybe not!

 

[Jacqui]

Well so much for a flashlight, I have 3 of them here and none of them work. I have a LED flashlight and I just don't know what the big deal is with them because I can't see anything with them. Oh well I guess I'll have to wait until daylight and look for signs. I'll have to also set some traps just in case.

This so sounds like my house! It always seems, when I need a flashlight they are either MIA or dead.

 

[JohnnyB65]

Well something has been feeding on whats left of my garden, but I can’t figure out what it was. It could have been a raccoon, but they're not afraid of dogs and don’t run although they could have climbed up on the shed roof. The video cameras showed the dogs running around like they were chasing something small, but it’s hard to tell in the dark with infrared light.

The last time I had positive evidence when I found one drowned in my fish pond. Then the neighbors saw them eating dog food on their patio. I trapped 6 of them in my yard alone and there must have been 20 total between all the neighbors. Some used poison and we don’t know how many may have died from that. There hasn’t been any since and I sure hope they don’t come back.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Where are you? An Armadillo would eat your garden and be fearless. I had one eating grass beneath my folding chair at a Bar B Que. An opossum wouldn't harm an adult tortoise...unless it was dead. A Raccoon, however, will eat anything. From what I've observed, a dead raccoon in a pond is probably a poisoned raccoon. They always try to get to water before they expire.

 

[JohnnyB65]

Where are you? An Armadillo would eat your garden and be fearless. I had one eating grass beneath my folding chair at a Bar B Que. An wouldn't harm an adult tortoise...unless it was dead. A Raccoon, however, will eat anything. From what I've observed, a dead raccoon in a pond is probably a poisoned raccoon. They always try to get to water before they expire.

I'm in Southern CA and we don't have Armadillos although I have seen dead possums on the hwy. I have a concrete block wall all the way around my property so what ever it was, it had to be able to climb a wall.
You do bring up something that I always thought was unusual though. It was always curious to me about the dead rat in my pond and now that you mention poison, I now believe that's exactly what it was. I know that the neighbors were using poison to kill the rats.
I was afraid to use poison because I we have cats and there also are much needed hawks to keep the pigeon population down.
The hawk population had decreased years ago with a sudden explosion of Ravens that were raiding their nests and the pigeons were destroying everything. I couldn't figure out why the Ravens didn't go after the pigeons, but I don't know which was worst raven or pigeons.
Anyway I set up my electronic traps all around the property.

 

[ascott]

I'm in Southern CA and we don't have Armadillos although I have seen dead possums on the hwy. I have a concrete block wall all the way around my property so what ever it was, it had to be able to climb a wall.
You do bring up something that I always thought was unusual though. It was always curious to me about the dead rat in my pond and now that you mention poison, I now believe that's exactly what it was. I know that the neighbors were using poison to kill the rats.
I was afraid to use poison because I we have cats and there also are much needed hawks to keep the pigeon population down.
The hawk population had decreased years ago with a sudden explosion of Ravens that were raiding their nests and the pigeons were destroying everything. I couldn't figure out why the Ravens didn't go after the pigeons, but I don't know which was worst raven or pigeons.
Anyway I set up my electronic traps all around the property.

That is terrible....I cringe every time I see a thread in which a predator is the night time type....so hard to get and then get rid of....I wish you well and I hope all works out well for you and your tort.....however, I would bring the tort in for the night time hours if at all possible...I mean, there is no way to 100% proof the tort but I hope all works out.

 

[Jacqui]

lol I saw that trap and the first thing I thought was, "mailbox! what the heck?"

 

[JohnnyB65]

lol I saw that trap and the first thing I thought was, "mailbox! what the heck?"

Ha Ha yes it does look like a mail box, but it works with batteries to electrocute them.
Here is a video of how it works and i have to say I've never seen a rat that big around here.

I apologize to those of you who are Rat lovers and if you are, please don't watch the video.