Oh Rats!

[firezilla]

I knew it was too good to be true, to have a nice grill sitting out on my back porch and nothing bothering it. This morning my husband informed me that he saw a rat scurry under the cover which I had thoughtfully put on the grill, to get out of the freezing rain we are having. I bet he is munching away on any and all bits of cooked fat, meat, vegetable matter which is sticking on the grate right now. I really don't want to open up the grill and find a horrid rat staring at me with its horrid little beady eyes. I am planning on: approaching the grill in the daytime, rattling the cover a few times, lifting it off as quickly as possible, flinging open the lid (in case it got up there where most of the food particles are).

Once having rid the grill of its rodent resident, then what? What would you suggest I do to keep him out? I have been guilty of turning on the grill to let it heat at the start of a cook, wait 10 minutes then clean it with the brass brush. At the end of a cook, I just let it cool down and close the lid. I have been trying to ease back on my gas use by not cleaning at the end of a cook like the manual says (I was REALLY using up the gas as I grill every day). Should I go back to cleaning at the end? Would that do any good? Have you had any experience with this sort of thing? I bet someone out there has. Thanks for your suggestions.

P.S. I have an Infrared 2 burner with a wide open back...it is easy for any critter to get in there.

[Keymaster]

Sticky or snap traps first, get rid of the rats. Then turn the BBQ on high for a hour. Them rats pee everywhere. I had a little chief smoker that a family of mice made home in, I could never get the thought out of my mind of them mice in there and then puting my food in it. I usually leave my gas BBQ running 20 minutes after the cook but have also forgot and woke up with a empty propane tank too. Good luck ...

[teesquare]

Also - check the wires that go from your ignitor....For some reason Mickey Rat loves the insulation on those.( I have experienced this first hand )

[firezilla]

I got on my courage and went out there. After zipping off the cover, banging the grill a couple of times and preparing for the worst, there was nothing. No rats in there and no damage to the wires or evidence of feasting. I did, however, turn on the heat and let it burn for a good long time. I then thoroughly cleaned the grate and the outside of the grill (spatters must smell heavenly to a hungry rat), and reassembled the entire thing. I am a bit leery of using rat traps or sticky traps...we have a LOT of wild life around here (believe it or not, and I am in a residential section of Cincinnati). I don't want to have to deal with a scared and angry raccoon in a snap trap. No, *%^&$# way. I think keeping it clean is my best option, and being a bit cautious when I open the thing (translated means giving any potential resident an escape route when I open it up at night).

[Captain Morgan]

glad everything worked out for the better.  Just be glad it wasn't a possum.

You might not believe this, but their bark is more hideous than their looks.

Once I lifted the lid of a dumpster to throw in a bag of garbage and their was
one sitting there on the garbage about 3 feet from my face.  He opened his
mouth, which was full of teeth, and uttered this hiss/howl that originated from
the depths of hell.  I dropped the garbage and screamed like a woman.

woke up the whole neighborhood.

[muebe]

Just an FYI...

The reason that rats have to constantly chew on wiring, plastic, etc is that their teeth constantly grow. If they don't wear them down by chewing their teeth would grow past their jaw and they would be unable to eat.

I had one do major damage to my sports car in the garage. Not a daily driver and the rat had fun with all my wiring! $800 worth of repairs

[teesquare]

Rodents of all kinds can do nasty things to wiring....My Scion xB had to have a new wiring harness installed last year...Chipmunks had decided that the engine compartment made a great vacation home, and they decided to raise a family there... ...$1500 later - the car runs again
T

[sparky]

is it possible to leave the bbq cover off?  if there is no escape from the elements they will go someplace else.     no rat hotel = no rats.     i had one in the backyard and the dogs found him.  he doesn't come around anymore.  its sad.  dogs needed a playmate.  lol.....

[mikecorn.1]

Just an FYI...

The reason that rats have to constantly chew on wiring, plastic, etc is that their teeth constantly grow. If they don't wear them down by chewing their teeth would grow past their jaw and they would be unable to eat.

I had one do major damage to my sports car in the garage. Not a daily driver and the rat had fun with all my wiring! $800 worth of repairs

Did ya get em.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

[firezilla]

Yea, possums...I would never ever want to encounter one of those. They look scarier than they are BUT I don't want to test that assumption.

[TwoPockets]

glad everything worked out for the better.  Just be glad it wasn't a possum.

You might not believe this, but their bark is more hideous than their looks.

Once I lifted the lid of a dumpster to throw in a bag of garbage and their was
one sitting there on the garbage about 3 feet from my face.  He opened his
mouth, which was full of teeth, and uttered this hiss/howl that originated from
the depths of hell.  I dropped the garbage and screamed like a woman.

woke up the whole neighborhood.

I would have then had to cleaned up the brown smelly stuff.