I wish I could shoot them! But, alas, that would prove to be very dangerous... for both me and any neighbor within shooting distance (I kind of have poor aim). I can't poison them due to pets and other wildlife (some of which decided to go on a strict no-rat diet (stupid vegan foxes!)). Between the neighbor’s garbage pile (they don't seem to believe in taking trash to the dump) and the wooded areas (very rural area), rats proliferate. Oh, and they can't eat just one tomato at a time. Noooo, they have to nibble each and every one of them... and only if they are just about ripe. They won’t touch a green tomato. They can eat an entire bell pepper in 2 days and hollow out a cantaloupe in just 1 night. They love beefsteaks and will only eat a pear tomato if it’s the last thing out there. They tried my zucchini once but after just one tiny bite they never touched it again. Smart rats. What’s worse is that my bedroom windows are by my garden and are open at night in the summer. That means I get tpo heat the rats eat my garden all night long!
In the summer of 2018, I had a very annoying rat (Houdini?). That thing could set off any trap without being caught and then steal the bait. It could even move traps around - without springing them. On one early evening in August, I had just set 6 rat traps in my garden - complete with fresh tomatoes for bait – and was heading back towards the house. I had no more than closed the gate (a cyclone fence gate) and taken a few steps, when I heard 3 of the traps go off in succession. I turned only to see an arrogant blackish/brown rat calmly stroll out of my grapevine, climb up to the top of the garden gate, and mock me! It was barely an arm’s length away from me! It then casually climbed down from the gate and strolled through a hole in my neighbor’s solid wood fence. I hate rats!!!