Who Won the Rat Race? Time Will Tell
Let me set the scene: an outbuilding overrun with pack rats—those sneaky, hoarding little monsters that turn your space into their personal junkyard. I went in ready for war, but I’ll admit it—I chickened out, phobiced out, and just couldn’t keep up. This is my story of defeat, a nod to my husband’s heroics, and a salute to the real MVPs out there.
Armed with full hazmat suits, professional painters’ filtering masks (better than N95, mind you), and gloves up to our elbows, my husband and I faced the chaos. The outbuilding had been aired out, and all signs pointed to the rats being long gone—probably scared off by our feral cat posse and my fierce chickens and roosters patrolling the property. Still, the aftermath was daunting: bleach-soaked boxes, heavy and reeking, stood between us and victory.
I tried. I really did. But lifting those soggy, heavy boxes? A couple steps up and down the stairs? Trucking them out the building to a sunny area? My arms said, “Nope.” My brain, meanwhile, was screaming, “What if a rat’s still hiding in there?!” I saw turds—and that’s when I tapped out. Thank goodness for my husband, who’s stronger than me in every sense. He powered through, hauling those boxes like a superhero while I stood back, half in awe, half in relief.
This whole ordeal left me with a new respect for the pros out there—like the house painters in Arizona who wear those heavy-duty masks in the dead heat of summer. Y’all are built different. I’m over here wilting in my hazmat suit, and you’re out there painting houses in 100+ degree heat like it’s nothing. You’re the real warriors.
So yeah, I lost the war against the pack rats. But I’m okay with that. Sometimes, admitting defeat is just part of the fight. And with my husband, cats, and chickens on my side, I’ll live to battle another day. Good thing, because tomorrow we rebleach the unit. Here’s to the small victories, the strong partners, and the workers who make it all look easy.
And the moral of the story? We thought calling in the pros would be too expensive, but it would’ve been far easier and far less anxiety for both of us. Men hide it well, but the thought of Hantavirus is a small worry when you’re dealing with rodents of any size. We joked about lighting a match, but there’s no way we could do that.
How to Tackle Pack Rats: A 5-Step Guide
If you’re facing your own pack rat invasion, here’s what worked (and what I learned):
Ventilate the Area: Open doors and windows for 30–60 minutes to air out the space before starting. We allowed 24 hours of air out.
Wear Protective Gear: Use a hazmat suit, thick chemical-resistant gloves, and a mask (like an N95 or better) to stay safe from droppings or dust. We used painters mask and fresh filters which should have reduced inward leakage a lot.
Clean with Bleach Solution: Mix a 1:10 bleach-to-water ratio, spray it on surfaces or nests, wait 10 minutes, then wipe down with a disposable cloth.
Remove Debris and Nesting: Bag up all droppings, nesting materials, and debris in sealed black contractor bags for disposal; rebleach with the bleach solution if you didn’t spray after removing nesting materials.
Prevent Future Infestations: Use mothballs, peppermint spray, or RatX Throw Packs (available at big-box hardware stores) to deter pack rats.