Raypak pool heater and mice?

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Briandpeterson

Active member
Jun 21, 2021
31
Iowa
What genius designed this Raypak pool heater mouse hotel? Simply a stupid design. I used hardware cloth and covered the propane opening. Under the water in/out I had to stuff steel wool. Anyone else have a better solution? Nothing is worse than turning on the heater in the morning and see these scurry out!
 

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All pool heaters suffer from rat issues. I pulled out a bunch of pack rat nests from over winter -

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There were at least 4 others like that. I’m glad I didn’t try to fire up the heater without checking it first or else the nests would have likely caught fire. I’m working on fixing other rat damage so I have yet to fire it up.

If I have to get a new heater, I will definitely be getting one of the rat-proofing kits for it.
 
PoolStored said:
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That ain’t allowed around here. Secondary kills of hawks and owls and other desert raptors and predators prevents the use of poisons. In fact, it has been shown that you make the rat problem worse, not better. If you accidentally kill one predator, that saves the lives of hundreds of potential rats which have multiple gestation cycles in a single year (whereas the predators have one … maybe). You then increase the population of rats because there are less predators.

So that’s a NO to open poison bait.
 
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JoyfulNoise said:
That ain’t allowed around here. Secondary kills of hawks and owls and other desert raptors and predators prevents the use of poisons. In fact, it has been shown that you make the rat problem worse, not better. If you accidentally kill one predator, that saves the lives of hundreds of potential rats which have multiple gestation cycles in a single year (whereas the predators have one … maybe). You then increase the population of rats because there are less predators.
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I did not know that. As I have said before, you have taught me a lot, and that is now a lot + 1.
I'm curious. My thought was IN the heater, not outside. If the poison was in the heater, (while not allowed there), would you think differently about it? (i.e. predator can't get in the heater). A poisoned rat will seek water. If the hawk/owl eats the poisoned rat, does that poison the hawk/owl? I would think it would. It all makes sense now. :)

EDIT: re-read you post a couple times...secondary kills...got it!
 
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PoolStored said:
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Another problem with baiting inside a forced draft sealed burner heater, like a Pentair MasterTemp, is that if the dead rat ends up in the air blower or burner can, it will be a big project to get it cleaned out. You don't want rodents dying inside the heater.
 

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PoolStored said:
I did not know that. As I have said before, you have taught me a lot, and that is now a lot + 1.
I'm curious. My thought was IN the heater, not outside. If the poison was in the heater, (while not allowed there), would you think differently about it? (i.e. predator can't get in the heater). A poisoned rat will seek water. If the hawk/owl eats the poisoned rat, does that poison the hawk/owl? I would think it would.
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Those poisons typically work as massive anti-clotting agents. So the rat consumes the poison and then starts to bleed internally. It can take hours or even days for the rat to die. It will leave the nest and go outside to seek water and usually end up dying out in the open. That’s when a predator will get it. Because the bait is highly concentrated with respect to the rats body size, the rat essentially becomes a walking poison bomb. That’s what kills the predators.

Also, rats will sometimes drag food from one nest to another and can potentially expose poison to the outside. If there are pets or small children around, they have no idea what the thing is and will often touch it or eat it. Most of those bait containers will state that it’s violation of federal and state laws to use the product in a way that exposes others to harm. So you then become liable for any harm caused.

They really aren’t worth messing with.

I did have the great idea to put a packet of mothballs (napthalene) in once many years ago …. then I remembered that naphthalene vapors have a fairly low flashpoint and I luckily pulled the package well before turning on the heater. Had I not done that, well ….

Fire Oops GIF
 
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JoyfulNoise said:
I did have the great idea to put a packet of mothballs (napthalene) in once many years ago …. then I remembered that naphthalene vapors have a fairly low flashpoint and I luckily pulled the package well before turning on the heater. Had I not done that, well ….

Fire Oops GIF
Click to expand...
A little knowledge is dangerous.

A lot of knowledge is more dangerous.
 
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IMG_8842.jpeg
Hayward heat pump junction box. Virtually impossible to get in as it’s sealed except for 1/2 in conduit openings. Mickey and his buddies will setup a HantaHotel anywhere….they even chewed on the 6 ga feed conductors for a snack.
 
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