"Another one bites the dust"

I'm an avid reader of county extension agent Ralph Mitchell's Sunday column in the Charlotte Sun. He not only writes a good column, his material is almost always relevant because he frequently writes about pests and plant diseases that plague the Punta Gorda area.

I need all the help and knowledge I can find to deal with such problems because I am always fighting one thing or another that is attacking the landscape package I put in when I built my house.

You name it, I've got it. My sago was the first to come down with the dreaded new scale from Brazil. My Christmas palms get a fungus every winter. My gardenias all have sooty mold that makes them look like they were raised in a coal mine. I have grubs in my yard that are as big as my little finger. My hibiscus look sick all the time even though I can find no evidence of bugs or disease. I think they may have nematodes chewing on their roots. My liriope ground cover plants haven't grown an inch even though I drive by untended ones around buildings or in highway medians that are 2 feet high.

None of my neighbors seem to worry too much about or suffer from these kinds of problems. This may be a result of the Mike Sherman syndrome. I don't even bother to unplug my computer, TV and stereo equipment during heavy thunderstorms anymore because I know that Sherman's house -- the neighborhood lightning rod two doors down -- is going to be the one that gets hit. He has taken two direct hits and lost one of about everything that plugs into a socket plus a few roof tiles to boot. Maybe the neighbors figure my yard is the equivalent of a bug lightning rod and will attract pestilence like Sherman's attracts lightning.

The recent column Mitchell wrote about roof rats really struck home, though I wish I had read it a couple of years earlier when I first heard scratching noises in my attic and became, of course, the first in my neighborhood to have a rodent-in-the-roof problem.

I looked up the critters on the Internet and didn't like what I found. Seems those little suckers can do major damage if left alone. I followed all the suggestions for getting rid of them, including trying to close any exterior opening that led into the attic. Nothing worked. Finally, one bit through a phone line and shorted out my whole phone system.

At that point, I had had enough and decided to nuke them with rat poison. I got lucky the first few times, and they crawled out of the attic before they died. Unfortunately, the next one died in the attic in a location I couldn't get to. The smell reminded me of the city dump in my home town and lasted almost two weeks.

Then, I got lucky. According to Mitchell, roof rats can roam up to 150 yards from their home den to find food, and my rats started making stops at the house of my good buddy and neighbor across the canal, Marty Tryon.

Marty is a high-tech kind of guy who searches for a high-tech solution to every problem. If he spotted roaches in his garage, he wouldn't just step on them. He would do extensive research and order a black box that emits a high-frequency signal, thus driving them crazy and causing them to jump in his swale and drown.

Marty came through for me. He researched the Internet and found a rat zapper that you place in your attic and bait with a pet food (Meow Mix is recommended) the raunchy rodents can't resist. The device resembles a trap, but it has a platform inside wired to a battery that puts out 30,000 volts. When a rat gets the munchies and strolls in, he gets zapped so fast his eyes are still open afterwards. A diode at the end of a wire hanging through the attic opening lights up to let you know there's a fried rodent to dispose of. Take the box down to the trash can, unload and reload.

Marty's new machine was so successful that he was dumping rats in the trash almost every day for a couple of weeks. The sanitation workers must have thought he was conducting some kind of bizarre scientific experiment in his garage.

Soon, as a result of their migratory proclivities, every roof rat in the neighborhood made a trip to Marty's rat zapper and from there to his trash can. I haven't had a rat since.

The moral to all this -- you can take care of roof rats by encouraging your neighbors to do it. That's a tip Mitchell forgot to mention.

E-mail Gordon Bower at pgherald@sun-herald. com By GORDON BOWER

Punta Gorda Herald Editor

(yes, the Larry Hagman who played J.R. Ewing in Dallas)

July 16, 1999

Dear Scott,

I wanted to thank you for introducing me to the Rat Zapper. Ever since the El Nino rains set in two years ago, the rodent population in the hills surrounding my home has drastically increased. The evidence comes in the form of chewed out wires in our cars and pool equipment electrical wiring. Rats can do a lot of damage. We've spent thousands of dollars on repairs.

Also, we are subject to power outages rather frequently here in Ojai, so we have an electrical generator we use from time to time. One time the power went out and the darn rats figured out exactly which wires they needed to gnaw through to cripple our generator, which left us completely in the dark that night!

We hated the idea of using poison because of the other pets and animals that live in the hills surrounding our home. We purchased some "industrial strength" ultrasound devices to keep the rodents away from the cars, but they had no effect on the rodent population.

When we heard about the Rat Zapper and you described the technology, we were impressed, but skeptical. We wondered why nobody had come up with anything like this before if it was such a good idea. Well, the proof was in the pudding. The Rat Zappers eliminated dozens of mice and rats in the first 30 days. Our grounds' crew also used the remote monitoring system with monitor panel and radio transmitters to ensure that the Rat Zappers they placed around our home were emptied in a timely manner.

Since we received our Rat Zappers, we have had no more black outs and no more car wiring repairs due to rodents. We are going to continue to use the Rat Zappers to keep a check on the rodent population. Thank you AgriZap for finally coming up with the better mouse trap.

Sincerely,

Larry Hagman

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"... compared the Rat Zapper to other methods of rodent elimination finding the Rat Zapper superior in performance... the Rat Zapper is also more humane than other methods of rodent control"

Jeff Ball
Horticultural Advisor
NBC's Today Show

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November 2006
YOU GAVE ME MY LIFE BACK!!!!  Several weeks ago I saw a what I thought was a mouse. I was in shock.  First I bought those things for the wall.  Then there was evidence that the thing was still around.  Then I heard it in the wall.  I was going NUTS.  Then I bought all kinds of traps. I even bought the poisen, which he ate and still lived!! NOTHING was working.  I couldnt sleep at night wondering where the thing was.  Then one day he shot out of the closet.  I thought I was having a heart attack.  I couldnt move.  I got online to try and figure out, mouse or rat.  I found RATZAP!  OK< what do I have to lose.  I called and order the unit.  I looked for it every day.  It did arrive quickly but it seemed liked forever.  At first,(I was in denial) I set it up for a mouse.  The creep came and ate everything around the unit He  wouldnt go in.  Ok, I turned off the unit per the instructions and let him have a free meal, yes that night he came and ate.  He seemed to love cookies, so I broke another cookie and put it way inside per the instruction and turned on the unit!!! YES!!!!!  The creep felt safe entered and DIED!!!! I know I sound like a commercial but I was so excited it was quick and easy.  He was creamed at 5am.  I was so relieved I stayed up and at 6:45am I called my son to come over and get rid of the body.  He too was excited he said you really got him? I went to work and told everyone it took two days but he is DEAD!  I called my landlord who was also shocked that I got him so quickly with my little unit.  My mouse was not a mouse but a rat!  I measured the unit to 11 inches.  This creep was huge.  His tale was out of the unit at least 3 inches.  My son said the bag I left him was way too small.  I figure he was probably about 14 inches if not more.  My son was so impressed with the unit that he put another cookie in the unit and reset it.  When I got the unit he was in doubt it would work let alone that quickly. Tonight I will see if we catch another one.  If there is another he will soon be dead.  My son said lets just keep it on for the week, since he will be coming over to help me close up the existing holes this creep created.  Thank you creators of RatZap. - California
Linda - Montrose California
Submittal Date - 10/31/2006
Submittal Time - 9:21:48 PM

Next Testimony

 12/09/2005

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 11/09/2005

  10/21/2005

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19 April 2000

Claims regarding products are usually exaggerated; however, in the case of the Rat Zapper, this is not the situation.

In San Francisco, when we used the Rat Zapper, it killed over 80 mice. Six weeks after moving to Anitoch, we discovered mice in our new home. Within four days, the Rat Zapper killed approximately 40 mice and we have since had no further problem.

This product is humane, economical and efficient and we would recommend it without hesitation.

Sincerely,

Myra K. Metz

P.S. Your prospective customers may find it interesting to know that I am blind.

Here's the next testimony...

I grew up in the country on a ranch and the only way to kill rats is with the large spring loaded traps. And we killed a lot of them big guys.

Well, I was child then, and unloading the rattraps gave me something to do during the summer. I now live in the city and once again have a rat problem. To be quite frank with ya, I don't have time to load, set, and unload the rat traps anymore; nor do I want to. So, I thought I?d give the Rat Zapper 2000 a try. The first night I positioned the trap on the roof and inserted the pet food pellets supplied with the trap, but didnt turn it on (according to the directions).

The next morning, all the food was gone. That night I set the food in the trap again, but this time, turned it on. By 8:30 pm, ZAP!, first rat gone- I also use the Rat Tale to easily see if the trap has zapped any rats without having to climb back onto the roof. Disposal is nothing, simple dump the rat into the trash bin, reload with food, turn the switch back on, and you're loaded for bear, once again. The Rat Zapper 2000; it is a Godsend for rat problems. T. Piland

Pacific Grove, CA

Next Testimony...

Just a quick followup to let you know I have a sequel to my rat eradication program. I did move the Rat Zapper to the bottom of the wall and Rat number 2 bit the dust last night.. He apparently did follow the first rat's trail- much small critter than the first but still a rat!!! As a single woman, I always had the struggle and anxiety of having to deal with the mess after they got on the trap not to mention the more intense anxiety of them NOT getting caught in traps I guess it's kind of silly, but I feel a bit at peace with the Rat Zapper.

I trust that it will take care of the critters and once it does, I don't have to see anything gross (well, that tail sticking out from Mr. Big Rat was pretty gross but nothing like what happens in a snap trap or the squeaking and thrashing on sticky trap) I see a blinking light, and can just tilt the trap into the garbage and it's all set up to go again. I never thought I'd be expressing my affection for a rat trap, but I love my Rat Zapper!!! Aloha- Amy

Next Testimony...

 I am extremely satisfied with the effectiveness and quality of the ratzapper. After my cat, who was an excellent mouser, died, the previously wary mice became bold and ate a big chunk out of a fresh loaf of bread I had mistakenly left overnight on the kitchen counter. Instead of getting another cat, I bought a ratzapper and within the first 24 hours of ownership, 2 mice were zapped. As well, I design and build electronic circuits so I had a peek at the circuit used in the ratzapper and was very pleased to see that it is definitely a well-designed circuit and built with high a quality circuit board and components.

Submittal Date - 8/21/2005
Submittal Time - 3:20:10 PM

Brian R.

 

Next Testimony from US Marines

 

05-05-05
"...The Rat Zapper has now been combat tested by a Marine and has stood up to the environment, temperature differences, sand storms and being bounced and lugged around all over the country in my pack.
Sgt. Michael Heath, Iraq

 

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