Oh rats.

[estación seca]

Yes, rats eat orchids. This year has been especially bad here. We have pack rats, which I have been trapping by the dozen. One ate my near-blooming-sized Peristeria elata completely in one night. There was nothing left but a crater in the pot.

It's going to be impossible to control them outside, since there are so many living in your neighborhood. My only suggestion would be to construct a screened enclosure with a tight-fitting door. Adult rats fit through holes the size of a US quarter coin, and smaller rats through even smaller openings.

1/4" wire hardware cloth will exclude them. They can dig, so it needs to extend below ground level. I have seen enclosures like this built from 2 x 4 lumber, with an aluminum screen door and frame incorporated in the structure. In your climate you would need to prime the wood with an antimildew product like Killz, then paint the wood almost yearly.

[SaraJean]

Sweet Jesus! I had absolutely no idea and now I am panicking and feel sick. Going to the store tomorrow and buying anything I can get my hands on to kill these things. Also, tomorrow I’m cutting down that damn palm tree rat home. Wish I had enough time to do it now

Originally Posted by estación seca

It's going to be impossible to control them outside, since there are so many living in your neighborhood. My only suggestion would be to construct a screened enclosure with a tight-fitting door. Adult rats fit through holes the size of a US quarter coin, and smaller rats through even smaller openings.

1/4" wire hardware cloth will exclude them. They can dig, so it needs to extend below ground level. I have seen enclosures like this built from 2 x 4 lumber, with an aluminum screen door and frame incorporated in the structure. In your climate you would need to prime the wood with an antimildew product like Killz, then paint the wood almost yearly.

I wish I could do this . Living in the French Quarter they are SUPER strict about any sort of structure, even ones in a courtyard (the Vieux Carré association does regular fly overs). I can’t even put up a sun sail. The only reason I haven’t been fined for my strip of shade cloth over the orchids is because it matches my tile. Time to move

[bil]

Originally Posted by estación seca

1/4" wire hardware cloth will exclude them. They can dig, so it needs to extend below ground level.

A note on this. For rabbits, the fence has to go up three feet, down two, and out 1 foot! that latter part is a must for rats! So, the trench you dig to bury the wire needs to be a foot wide, and the wire needs to cover the bottom of the trench so that when they burrow down they hit mesh.

When I used to have aviaries, I used to cover the floors with anti rat mesh that was tied to the mesh walls. That's a lot more certain way of keeping them out!