Rat Prevention Help Needed

[mapledog]

Exhaust fumes chasing rats of a boat sounds like a great idea! I suspect using a hose from the generator to a sealed boat would be the way to go as the gen set need air to run. --- Mapledog

[Sailor954]

This is what worked for us.

First to prevent additional visitors I ran all my dock lines through a length of plain PVC pipe you can buy at Home Depot. The longer the better, the smaller the diameter the better. They can't walk across the PVC without falling off.

The "Inhouse" guests need to be eliminated so what we did was set out simple mouse traps and checked them every day.

Within a week we were mouse free.

As one writer noted these things can jump so make sure your PVC is long enough and adjust your dock lines so that the boat is to far out for them to jump directly onto.

Good luck.


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[haha49]

Get something like a traffic cone for your line that helps keep them from getting on. Clean everything food relate bleach and water. Store all food in plastic containers cheaper then metal.they like foam insulation chewing on wires. They also like walking along edges and away from open space. I would take most things out of the boat clean trap then repack the boat

[Emerald Sea]

What about a rat trap. Ive heard success stories from cruisers of these.


Steve
L450
SV Emerald Sea

[Kevin876]

I agree with getting a cat...but I would try burning incense constantly for a few days. had a friend do this once on a houseboat and he became rodent free...good luck I don't envy your project

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Kevin.

[ericoh88]

Originally Posted by KStepman

1) How to keep more rats from coming aboard and reproducing?
2) How to get rid of those onboard?
3) How to protect ships stores, water supply lines, electrical wires, etc?

Some marinas are rat free while other are infested.

I had rats chewing my teak on the boat.

1) replaced the dorade vents net to ss. Some rats came in thru the chain pipe.

2) I have used cage traps. They are only good when they are new or cleaned with boiling water.

Sticky traps are only good for big rats. I have stop using them after seeing small foot prints on the sticky trap.

3) This is a tough one. I have seen members of rats SEAL TEAM swimming across a fast running river. If your docklines have cones, they can climb up the fenders.

I really like the plaster of paris / butter mix .

[pbmaise]

keep the rat fed. do not hide the food. he will eat all your electric cables, fans, or anything plastic.

peanut butter and poison above and below deck.

I placed bait stations under three dingies on the dock. Make sure the local dog cant get to it. Kill off the population living and running on the dock.

It is far easier to kill 50 of them on the dock than one inside the boat. The reason is your bait station is the only food on the dock. Make sure yachties dont leave other food or garbage.

[RobCole43]

Buy some flea bombs and set them off, gets rid of fleas at the same time.



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[Tartan372]

We had a rat problem a few years ago in Miami. Tried different traps, different baits and different locations. All to no avail. Problem was, the bugger liked to eat hoses. We had to close all thru hulls each time we left the boat. Finally tried putting a few drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls and putting them all over the inside the boat. Like 50 or 60 on a 37' boat. You can get the oil @ GNC. Apparently they can't stand the odor so they left the boat

Good luck!


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