Zip ties?

Nothing to tie it to. Plus, the hardware cloth has to be flush up against the unit to keep the rats out.

Thanks for playing!

strong magnets?

Glue gun, at least temporarily? I don't know if rats eat that kind of glue though.

We used these super-strong magnets to turn our metal security gate into a screen door. They've held up for a year (so far). You might be able to get them cheaper elsewhere--we already had ours.

Gluetrap glue. Deadly and you will never get it off.
In fact, just slap glue traps over it, but not so anything gets stuck because that is a grossness that ever ends.

Self-tapping sheet metal screws is the best, but then you are drilling a hole with them.

So I go nothin'

i have to figure out a way to make a screen over new screens to keep the Bees from clinging to the top half and shredding all the way down. i wonder if this means i'll be stapling chicken wire to the windows.
*sigh*
Want to kill the time with an unrelated brochure?

After puzzling for an hour, I found some 1/8" plywood in the garage, so I'm just going to cut it to size and epoxy it to the AC.

And glue traps -- ugh. All this was prompted by the *clunk clunk clunk* we heard coming from the crawlspace two nights ago, and the subsequent smell that began wafting into the hallway this morning. The Rat Man left a couple traps up there. Which is a good thing, I guess, since they're obviously still getting in.

What's not so good is that our contract with him has expired, and we had to pull the rat-filled trap down ourselves. I'm not very girly, ever, but I'll admit that I squealed and said "Eww eww eww!" during the whole process.

Only place that they could still be getting in, as far as I can tell, is that gap under the AC. I screened everything else off months ago.

Unless, that is, rats lay eggs, and the eggs in the crawlspace have just hatched.

P.S.: It stinks in here. :(

And there are flies. :( :( :(

Is the bottom of the AC parallel to the wooden slats and the floor? If so, you need something like a vise, but one the works in reverse (I don't what those are called?). You can use it to clamp the cloth between the AC and the wood.

Solder? You can usually get it off again later, though it'll leave a scar.

Unless, that is, rats lay eggs, and the eggs in the crawlspace have just hatched.

≡ Click to see image ≡

Need more information, this AC unit, is it a window unit¿

In any case, can you just let loose a can of expandable monofoam insulation in there. It'll fill the gap nicely, is air tight and can be trimmed with an utility type knife once dry. I don't think they'll be chewing through it.

If you're using chickenwire, attach a battery with cables to it. That'll leave the suckers outside the unit for easy pick up./

Dead rats, flies. Uh oh. There's a dead body there somewhere./

Yeah, like I said, we pulled the dead one out today./

The gaps are all covered now with plywood./ If they chew through, at least it'll be visible./

Mup, I am late, but I came in to suggest that you stuff the hole with steel wool. I've heard that can be an excellent deterrent. And, it doesn't need any fancy riggin'.

I bought some "humane" glue traps once. The instructions said that once the rat is stuck, throw it upside down in the toilet to kill it.

You're a sick puppy, BoPo. I think I'm in love.

Yeah, I was going to suggest steel wool too - rats can't chew through it. I was also going to suggest that you roll up the chicken wire and stuff it under the gap in the same way you would stuff it with steel wool, to fill the gap without any fastening required.

Self-tapping sheet metal screws is the best, but then you are drilling a hole with them.

My idea too. Self-tappers are BRILLIANT, and you could just use little ones so you'd know you're not drilling into the guts of the air conditioner. They'd be quite easy to screw in, as well.

Yeah, like I said, we pulled the dead one out today./

If *we* means you and gf, you can be assured she really really loves you.

:-)