Stampede While cleaning dinner plate -- Rat Turd discovered!

[Eric Hubbard]

Subject says it all!

I wasn't certain it was a turd at first -- I had recently done a cheese smoke with a tube -- maybe it was a charred pellet? It was dark outside so I couldn't do a good inspection. Well the next day I looked and there were fresh droppings.. blech!

Anyway -- while the wife decides if she is okay with a good 500f & scrubbing vs. buying some new grates/grill grates -- I'm working on securing the perimeter. I ordered some steel mesh and am going to put it over the grease spigot. I'm hoping that the stuff is easy enough to work with and I can get a good tight "wrap" around it. However I started to think that a rat could probably get in via the smoke vents as well! Has anyone else tried to cover those with mesh? any ideas on how to attach the mesh?

How about a REC-tec accessory kit? "Rat Guard".. other smokers have rats.. ours can't! Do YOU want to eat rat poop? Talk about an easy up-sale!

 

[ccmjr77]

Ewww!
A few years back, when I lived in Phoenix, AZ, I had a built in gas grill. One day I went out to start up the grill to get ready to cook and opened the lid and there was a rat just under the grates looking back at me. it had built a next in there. I immediately closed the lid and fired the grill up. I head some noise, then a lot of smoke and then no noise. Needless to say, we did not cook on the grill that day nor did we eat the grilled/charred rat either. I dont like rodents around my outdoor cooking.... Good luck with the clean up and sorry you had to deal with that.
Wire screen/mesh should work. Not sure about how to attach.

 

[Eric Hubbard]

Wife has decided that new grill grates, grates, and drip tray are required before she'll eat off of it again. Will certainly make it easy not having to clean those particular parts. This evening I'll take a stab at attaching he mesh to the spigot -- but the vents -- I'm still not sure how to handle. I wonder if my remote security camera can be pointed at it -- and I can see how he is getting into the smoker.

 

[Eric Hubbard]

Maybe some sort of epoxy or jb weld? is it "cool" to use that kind of stuff near the vents? or is that area too hot? I'm ignorant in these areas

 

[ifican]

You would have no problem with a good cleaning. If you still plan on getting all new, give it a good cleaning then sell what you can. We have all lived through alot worse. Heat kills everything thats why the usda has temp guidelines. Anyways, back to your question. A good heavy welders type blanket on top and you will know it anything messed with it. Though is suspect your culprit is the drip opening unless your butted up against something that makes getting to the top easy.

 

[mooncusser2k]

Just don't show your wife this article:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/04/health/insect-rodent-filth-in-food-wellness/index.html

 

[Eric Hubbard]

Tonight when I took the grill grates out -- there was a puddle of rat pee -- blech. I had to work late -- so I didn't get the spigot covered before it got dark..

 

[Eric]

You aren't alone! My neighbor had a mouse in his Bull. He thinks the mouse got in the little swivel flap where the temp probes go in. Not sure if the Stampede has that. His solution was a mouse trap and real good cleaning.

I would plug the holes with steel mesh. For the grease spout you could wrap the mesh around the end and secure it with a hose clamp. It won't be a perfect square fit but will clamp down nicely. For the smoke vents you could use the optional vents they sell to secure the mesh on there. Basically push tabs that hold the vent through the mesh then install the vent as normal. That would clamp the mesh between the grill and the vent.

Just make sure its stainless steel so it doesn't rust. And don't use galvanized as that puts off chemicals when heated.

 

[Mike]

@Eric Hubbard how did a rat get inside of your RecTec?

 

[sundazes]

Do you or your neighbor have a cover on them? I wonder if the critter is climbing up the cover.
I had a mouse nest in the bottom of a Weber gasser once. I just cleaned the nest out and let get as hot as it would (500) for a couple hours. Go to go...
I have a BGE that will get mold in it in the summer months if not used in a while since I live in a humid area. Guess what nuclear temps do to mold?
Just clean the poop and pee out and let it rip for a while. It will be good.

 

[Uncle Bob]

You could get a patio cat......……….

 

[Eric Hubbard]

@Eric Hubbard how did a rat get inside of your RecTec?

Still not sure. I put a camera out the last two nights and he hasn't showed up again..

 

[Eric Hubbard]

Still not sure. I put a camera out the last two nights and he hasn't showed up again..

But I also removed the grill grates - since they had been collecting the most poop&pee -- maybe he is just visiting those outside of the grill now..hmmm...

 

[Eric Hubbard]

Gave it an hour on full... 15minutes to 500f then another 15min to 600f. Grease spigot is meshed up. I think the mesh is to fine -- gonna order some coarser stuff -- but for now it'll do. Caught the bugger on camera -- he was checking out the grill grates that I had left on the front shelf. I also put an electric trap out.. we'll see how many there are...

 

[sundazes]

one word- ratzapper
they work great with the proper bait.

 

[ken g]

You could get a patio cat......……….


View attachment 2044

LMAO.

 

[twebb79]

Gave it an hour on full... 15minutes to 500f then another 15min to 600f. Grease spigot is meshed up. I think the mesh is to fine -- gonna order some coarser stuff -- but for now it'll do. Caught the bugger on camera -- he was checking out the grill grates that I had left on the front shelf. I also put an electric trap out.. we'll see how many there are...

View attachment 2063

How did you attach the mesh?

 

[wfcook]

Wife has decided that new grill grates, grates, and drip tray are required before she'll eat off of it again. Will certainly make it easy not having to clean those particular parts. This evening I'll take a stab at attaching he mesh to the spigot -- but the vents -- I'm still not sure how to handle. I wonder if my remote security camera can be pointed at it -- and I can see how he is getting into the smoker.

Anyone tried the SmokeDaddy heavy-duty drip tray?

 

[Eric Hubbard]

How did you attach the mesh?

I ended up only putting the mesh on the grease spout. I did a cruddy job and just wrapped the mesh over the tube.. and then pinched it over and held in place with tie wraps. So far no rat has got in via the vents.

 

[Casadetrevino]

Wife has decided that new grill grates, grates, and drip tray are required before she'll eat off of it again. Will certainly make it easy not having to clean those particular parts. This evening I'll take a stab at attaching he mesh to the spigot -- but the vents -- I'm still not sure how to handle. I wonder if my remote security camera can be pointed at it -- and I can see how he is getting into the smoker.

I’ll take your old grill grates. My wife would not know why I got such a bargain on them until we are the nursing home some day and I was loosing an argument.
“Well, you remember those grill grates in my old pellet grill...”