At the risk of boring everyone, I will repost my words on ratties.

If you are concerned about rats eating bird seed around your feeders,
this link will explain why only the removal of the food, water, or
habitat that is attracting them will result in a permanent reduction in
their numbers. Otherwise another rat will just take its place.
http://www.co.brown.wi.us/health/rodent_control-prevention.htm

If you want to trap a rat inside your home, a large snap trap (not mouse
size) baited with a tiny smear of peanut butter, with some oats
scattered around it, will be a quick death most of the time.

I accidentally became a rat lover a couple of years ago and now share my
home with five (all rescues, all spayed or neutered). They are
intelligent, affectionate, and interactive pets. I always get sad
reading about them getting poisoned and dying a slow painful death.
Sorry to be so schmoopie-papoopie about it. (I'm not a cat lover
though.)

Snap traps used outside will probably be set off by a bird or native
mammal. You can use live traps outside, although the problem is the
same. Removing the source of attraction (food, habitat) really is the
only way to reduce their numbers.

Angela in Olympia
With rattie friends Summer, Bug, Snowy, Lyla, and Baby Ruthie
Angela at stillwatersci dot com

------------------------------

Message: 23
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:44:47 -0800
From: "Jud Scovill" <judscovill at comcast.net>
Subject: [Tweeters] Rat Poison Recipe Request
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Message-ID: <7041A13BE5394419A6B028ADAE92274D at Scovill>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hello Tweeters,
Several months ago someone posted on Tweeters a recipe for a safe rat
poison recipe, safe if another animal consumed a rat that had been
poisoned. I can't find the recipe but I do remember that it used Vitamin
D and peanut butter. Any chance of a reposting?
Thanks in advance,
Jud Scovill
Green Lake neighborhood of North Seattle