I wonder what farmers use to keep rats at bay? Since I'm not sure a dog would be able to protect a large field of corn plants.

Rats are fairly smart so don't usually take poisonous baits, unless delusively placed... which defeats the purpose of farming but so does multiplying humans!

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=how+to+kee...=b&t=hc&ia=web

Nonsense. Same here, keep things in the garage, which is not insulated. Single digits at night but mid 20s to 30s daytime. Worst I've run into is a small amount of icing at the top after opening. Usually takes multiple days and nights down in single digits for soda to freeze and break.

Why talk about dogs for rodents? Cats! (Believe me I'm a dog lover and allergic to cats, but cats clear out small rodents.)

And tomato plants are a vine. They can go all over, no need to just go up.

My cats at the ranch were kangaroo rat, desert field mice, and rattlesnake hunters.

One kitten I received was thrown out a passenger window on a tx freeway at top speed.
Had crash < what I named him > for years. Died of old age.

Crash would corner rattlesnakes hunting field mice around the ranch house behind the dryer in the laundry room.
Piece of pipe. Some baling wire. Snake captured alive and moved to cactus area. Where the mice live.

Edit: forgot to give thanks for words of encouragement. I still have not stepped out to the shop.

Since at least one plant can't go any higher because of the length of the pole it's tied to, then the only other option is to go across instead.

At least the rats don't seem to be interested in the tomatoes - although I saw one of the fat little bastards climbing the fence when I was sitting out the back the other night. It took off as soon as it saw me - I was surprised it could climb up the fence given how fat it was.

https://blog.dvcrequest.com/epcots-r...-tomato-trees/

I find it odd that we can "legally" kill rats and mice but all other mammals are too cute for that?
Just buy some crates of hawks and owls... ironically, rats are some of the few that will do quite well, among the real rats as we over run the guns for cheeses.

Pest Control has experimented with things like frogs, to which they were quickly overrun by! LL (Semi-permeable skin will teach them!!! Can just use their third eye!?. )
https://abcbirds.org/wp-content/uplo...aming-cats.pdf

AUHhh... smiley's,,, that's the stuff!

Yeah, I often think the same... if I kill a fly, nobody cares, if I kill a rat, it's a "pest" and nobody cares. You poison a plant, nobody cares (unless it's plant in someone else's garden and they call the cops and have you charged for property damage of course). Yet, you poison or otherwise kill a person, you're a murderer, and there will be a murder investigation. The only common thread there is that, if you allow people to be killed in a civilized society, then nobody is safe. But other animals and plants can't "rise up" and demand "justice", because humans are at the top of the food chain... funny how it works out. Really is. So we are all killers, we are just not all "murderers".

It's not as simple as that. If I kill a rat, it's a pest so that's OK. But if I kill a water rat (aka water vole), that's not OK because that's a protected species. There are lots of animals that you are not allowed to kill.

Yeah, I forgot about "protected species", but still, the point remains the same; us humans are at the top of the food chain, and we make the laws too. Therefore, it's pretty unlikely you'll see a fly in parliament any time soon saying "will you please make a law against killing our bothers and sisters!!! Not to mention outlawing fly spray!!!". Because we obviously think a lot about ourselves as humans, and therefore, we need to be "protected" from each other.

Although, people do actually get paid to shoot wild dogs and other animals that destroy farmer's crops here, even by the government from what I've heard. So as long as it's a "pest", it can be "legally" killed.

If it helps the ecosystem (e.g: Bees) or people like to feed them and yes aren't endangered: then pest control agency, permission from the law (trap-relocate) or off the books. Like gophers, a garden hose in one hole and stand at next with a golf club... although there's great repellents to make lawns taste terrible.

We can only think in our lifetimes, countless species will be fine!

Every state here has a different set of laws and certifications.

Rat control

Once they become a protein source. They tend to get scarce.

Beats taco bell...