We live on several acres and have been trying to manage a rat problem outside (primarily in the garage and near the animal feed). I can live with that... I don't like the little critters, but figured if they stayed outside I could cope. About 6 weeks ago our ducted heating stopped working and we had a repairer come to look at it. He apparently disconnected the duct from the unit and did not reconnect it. There is now a rat (I *think* it is only one!) in our heating duct! DH discovered it last night when he came to the family room in the middle of the night to check what the dog was barking at outside and heard something under the couch. He lifted the couch and saw it run back down the heating vent. It has chewed the lining from the bottom of my couch! I know it has been attracted by the food that my kids drop when they sit on the couch and eat snacks, so I have had a stern talk to them about where they can eat and not dropping any crumbs!

I am standing in the kitchen right now and I can hear him running through the ducts looking for a way in (we closed all the vents). I bought some Ratsak today and DH is going to bait under the house (it is the ONLY way we have been able to reduce numbers). We need to be very careful that none of the other animals can access the bait. I hope he goes away to die so he doesn't stink up under the house or (please no!) in the heating ducts.

I have a cat but she is old and likes her food to come from a box, she has no interest in chasing vermin. The dogs bark at the rats around the garage sometimes but don't seem to be able to catch them.

Have you had rats? How have you managed them?