Good move! You are lucky to have found those critters when you did. Hope I never come across one-I know they must be out there, but I sure hope they are never near me. Give me a snake any day. I HATE rats!

Well I daresay we are both going to get blasted by somebody for killing rodents ;-)

I'm kind of with Diane about not putting them in the freezer though, lol! Especially if this is a freezer for food...might not be too hygenic. Drown em' is what I say. Get a bucket of water, put a rock in the bag, get a stick to hold it down. There was a mouse in a trap here that just wouldn't die...I felt bad since it was taking so long and did the bucket of water thing.
CMK

Rats are a ongoing problem most places, we had an empty house next to us for a couple of years and boy did we and everyone else in the neighborhood have a big problem until the house was sold and the new owners took care of the problem.
We live near a river (really a stream) and the saltchuck so it's just one of those facts of life, having to deal with rats.

Annette

Well if you had a snake it would have taken care of those baby rats!!!! Just saying....and there was one on the front walkway rocks this morning when I was mowing the lawn. I stayed well away from it. Hate snakes :)

It is more humane to drown the rats than it is to freeze or starve them.

Freezing?? That's cold. ;)

you might be interested in some getting rid of rats suggestions on the california gardening forums.
enter 'rats' in the search box and scroll down.

i think rats and mice have the cutest faces but i don't want them in my house! same for snakes - even tho they don't have cute faces, i think they are beautiful... and useful too- they eat the cute rodents! min

Eeww, are they gone now?

Best to get rid of them somehow, you really can't have rats taking up residence there. We think a rat died in our garage this week because it really stinks. Can't find it though so must be in the wall somewhere because it's not in the attic either. Some of the smell is in the house too.

I saw one last week on the deck in the early morning, but it disappeared before I could get the broom. We'll have to check for a nest.

We do have a rat snake around so that's helpful and they don't bother me.

They are still in the freezer until Friday.

Diane has a bigger heart attack over a snake. So if I see one, I don't tell her.

Last night something chewed part of the lid off the coffee can we keep the sunflower seeds in.

So now they will be kept inside at night.

Could be a raccoon, but generally they get what they are after so maybe a squirrel.

I'm seeing a lot more signs of animals close to the house with the drought going on so long.

How 'bout putting them out on the road for the raptors? We are overrun this year by rabbits, squirrels, gophers, mice AND rats. My poor dogs are tortured by the chirping squirrels when they are outside on the porch - so as soon as they can catch one DH leaves it for the coyotes, hawks or owls. We have resident barn owls and cooper's hawks but we have more then they can keep up with. We also have "kangaroo rats" that are endangered here in Temecula, CA. They are kinda cute but I can't deal with rats or mice!!!! and the squirrels eat all of my flowers and veggies!! It is an ongoing battle...somehow I don't feel bad when they get fed to those in need!!! LOL!

We have rats (tree rats) That bother the duck we raise. We have used many traps but found an electronic one that they walk in and get electrocuted. I think its called Tom Cat. If anyone feels bad about me killing rats they need to see how a rat can kill a freshly hatched duckling! Not willing to share my eggs or peeps with the rodents.

SCORE! we have had a very elusive rat in our basement, chewing things and leaving its poo messes behind. last night we mounted a serious war; we set TWO Rat Zappers, TWO big Victor traps and a small sized Hav-a-hart trap down there, and about 9 pm we heard some major crashing and banging going on... found a big rat crammed into the Hav-a-hart trap. it was a roof rat with a very long tail and DH quickly drowned it still in the cage. we aren't kidding ourselves tho- that this was the only one because we have caught too many others around the place in the Zappers and in the snap traps. we have got to find that rat hole and stuff it tightly full of coarse steel wool.

we have friends and neighbors who are hiring Very Expensive Exterminators who only do the same things we are doing. one neighbor spent $600 to get rid of two raccoons and a skunk only to have more of them show up.

the secret is to close up any rat holes and continue to be as relentless in setting traps are as the rats are in getting into our houses, having babies and destroying things. min

You guys need to borrow our Basil aka "The Terminator". Our neighbor who is not fond of cats now thinks he can do no wrong. One night Basil got accidental shut in his garden shed, the next morning when he opened the shed door there was Basil looking very proud of himself and a pile of very dead rats.

Annette

I would look on craiglist "pets" section for someone that has a pet snake to feed.

Fortunately these were out side and outside of the shed.

I have a cat, but she is 17 years old. I doubt she hunts any more.
When I moved here in 07 she brought in a dead rat. At least it was dead when I got up in the morning. It was in the entry hall. In all her years, she has only twice brought something through the dog door.