Rats!!!

Rats!!! I daresay that most know of them, but few talk of them. If you haven't seen them, you haven't been looking - which is just as well, I suppose. I understand that every Caribbean island has them, and St. Martin is no exception.
My most memorable experience was of walking back to GCBC one night in the fall of 2013 (or was it 2014?), following an absolutely wonderful dining experience at one of the premier Grand Case restaurants. As we walked along the dark stretch (about three blocks) between Spiga corner and GCBC, right about at Le Esplanade's driveway, I glanced up for some reason and there was a big brown and white rat keeping pace with us as it trotted along the telephone wire about 15 feet overhead. Mrs. Alaskan freaked out, but I thought it was really cool. Our "Fellow Traveler" jumped off the wire when he/she reached an intervening branch from a fruit tree. When we got to the resort entrance a minute or so later, I told the securiy guard what we had seen, thinking it was a really unique experience. He just laughed, saying the guards watch them using the wires as party highways almost every night.
Does anyone else have an experience to relate? I've got more, but you've got the idea ... By the way, as far as I'm concerned, they are all legitimate residents of our ecosystem, and as far as I know, none of them are named Cecil.

I can honestly say that in my many years of visiting st Maarten I have yet to encounter what you have referred to.
Yet, I've seen much worse and larger in Georgetown, DC. Especially heading to a famous Blues venue. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

((Btw....don't bring Cecil into this. RIP))

Hah! Fair enough, no Cecil.

Two tales to tell.
One, when Peg Leg Pete's was located at their previous spot next to the water, we ate outside on the deck and saw a large rat run under the table next to us. Does nothing for dining ambience.
Two, woke up one morning and noticed that the butter we had left out was snacked upon. Later we actually saw one run across the living room floor of our apartment. It was large! Had maintenance set trap but no luck but they found the early sign of nest under the sofa. None of the staff at the Belair could relate to our reaction to the critters but ever since that occurrence we have noted that the pipes in the hall closet of all rooms are surrounded with sealant.

I also have a tale to tell.
A couple of years ago, my wife and I went to Grand Case on a Tuesday night to see the parade and have a meal out on the town. We were walking down the street and something caught my eye on the utility lines overhead. Yep, you guessed it, a big rat decided to cross the street on the line above. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> At first, we thought we were seeing things but, no, it was a rat.
As Tom said, it kinda ruins the dining ambience.

Not St. Martin, which certainly has more than its fair share of the icky creatures, but we were in Aruba one time, walking along the beach walk towards the old Americana Hotel from the Hyatt, and as we were walking by the pool area we could hear splashing noises. Trying to figure out what we were hearing, we went closer and realized the noises we were hearing were water rats, and lots of them, playing in the Hyatt pool in the absence of all humans. I was happy I wasn't staying there but then realized if they were there, they were probably everywhere, a fact which a security person further down the walkway confirmed.

Another time, we were in the airport in Barbados waiting for our flight to board when a good sized rat ran across the floor and under the seats just a few feet from where we were sitting amid lots of finger-pointing and screaming!

And lastly, lest people think I'm trying to draw attention away from our beloved St. Maarten/St. Martin, I've seen them in the alleys in Marigot and along the walkways by the restaurants there, transiting the overhead wires in Philipsburg as well as in GC and I've actually watched them run across the floors of a few of the most popular restaurants in Simpson Bay.

I came to understand early on they're an unappreciated but very real part of Caribbean living, just like la cucarrocha. They're there and you'll probably see them at some point if you visit often enough, but hopefully, not too up close and personal!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Just like on a boat, many resort/hotels in St. Maarten kept cats to keep the critters at bay. Unfortunately, people routinely fed these cats. They got fat on milk and a constant supply of kibble and bits, and didn't need to hunt for tasteless rats. Fat cats...fat rats!

They are everywhere not just in the Caribbean. At a tuna tournament in Glouster Mass I looked out our hotel window toward the rocks and thought I saw a large cat. Alas, when his "friends" joined him I realized they were very large water rats...a common sight I was later told.

Oh great! Now I need to be looking up at the power lines! lol First one I saw was in St Croix in 1986. We were shopping and one ran out onto the sidewalk in front of two women, who let out a scream. A man walking out of the store about the same time saw what had happen and with prefect timing said..."Anyone seen my pet Ben?" Everyone knew it was in reference to the movie and laughed so it broke the tension. I have been going to SXM since 1988 and honestly didn't see any until about 5 years ago and have seen several since then. Mostly around dusk or in the evening. Usually where trash is being left out and not properly stored, but not always! Very brave critters and not afraid of people being around. Actually saw one run towards the bar/restaurant across the beach at one place that was full of people. All of us were a bit set back by that one. He was big. I know they are on all the islands, like everywhere, and have seen traps in units I have stayed before, but doesn't mean I want to eat, sleep, or drink with them...<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

A mumber of years ago we were dining at Rancho in Simpson Bay. Someone left the door to the docks open. A rat came in, stopped, looked around a bit and ran like a bullet for the front door! I mentioned it to the waitress and she remarked that it happens occasionally when the door has been left open. She promptly went over & closed the door.

They have since remodeled and no longer have that same entrance from the dock area.

A friend and I were standing at a not to be named thatched roof beach bar one afternoon and all of sudden heard a 'thunk' right next to where we were standing. A rat had been up in the overhead and fell (dead) right onto the bar. The manager quickly scooped him up with tongs and put him in the dumpster. And when he returned, he did promptly wash both his hands and the tongs.

Had rats eating with us at Lee's in Simpson Bay!

Funny, Bob - we had one run across the floor one night when we were there, too, but I can't say we invited it to 'eat with us'....... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

But to be fair, we've also seen one at one of the popular GC lolos and another time we were eating at Antoine's and one tried to run across the wires from the vacant building next door to join us. Thankfully, the owner saw it before we did and was able to knock down the wire with a broom and drive it away. We also saw one years ago climbing up the tree at a very popular Marigot lobster buffet one evening. Guess he wanted to buffet it, too.

A long time ago someone who lives on the island suggested to me the reason you often see some palm trees painted white five or six feet up their trunks is to keep the rodents out of them. I don't know if that was fact or fiction or perhaps an islander having a chuckle but it sounded reasonable to me. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Living in Puerto Rico many moons ago, there were plenty of the nasty little critters. They were more like squirrels than what you think of as wharf rats. They primarily at fruit and loved coconuts! They would climb the trees and bore into the top of a coconut. Sometimes gorging themselves to the point that they were stuck. You would see coconuts going back and forth as the rat tried to back out, but usually what happened the coconut would break free and a ride to the ground was the result, which usually killed or freed the rat. Once on the ground cats out of nowhere would appear and the chase on.

They would get on the roof of houses and come down the vent and even ending up in the toilet. We had a close friend that experienced that first hand when she arose in the middle of the night to use the restroom. A soon as she sat down she heard a bunch of splashing. Jumping up (like a Saturn V booster rocket) and turning on the light found the intruder taking a lap around the bowl. My bet she still stands up to pee with the lights on 37 years later.

We had plenty more wild encounters with them critters, but suffice it to say there were definitely Coconut Rats in Augadilla, PR. The trees were painted by the base public works, but I am not sure that their efforts were successful. However, a wide strip of tin around the tree about halfway up seem to work well. If you google coconut rats there are some neat pictures of how they do their thing. Just remember squirrels are nothing more than cute rats.

Oh yeah I have been to a blues venue in DC (Georgetown) and seen some RATS, and they do not eat coconuts.

I think that's why the palm trees at ClubO have metal "girdles" around them.

Rats are a tremendous source of fun. Growing up in the Duluth Mn/ Superior Wi area where the lake ships docked.. there was alot of grain spillage. We would get a bunch of beer and really cheap wine and park down by the grain elevators. Every 30 minutes or so we would hit the bright lights on the car and go to town on the grain engorged rats with hockey sticks. It was awesome and cheap entertainment. Maybe some of the hotels/resorts in SXM should keep a supply of hockey sticks.... sooner or later the problem is solved ! Cheers !

As a child I had a family of white rats as pets. I kept them in the basement in a cage. After church one Sunday my family came home and as I went to the basement door to go down and feed them, I noticed some of them running past the steps. They had chewed through the wire cage. My dad and I rigged up peach baskets from the ceiling and after placing food out for them, we managed to catch them by lowering the baskets over them and catching them with gloves. That was all mom could take so we took them to the local pet store and donated them. Not sure what they might have done with them. Guinea pigs were my next pets.

staples on my shopping list: bread,milk,booze,rat poison

seriously, rat poison is not a good ides, traps are much better. If you poison a rat and it hides, and they can find places you can't, their decaying body will stink up everything. You do not want to be tearing up floorboards to find them. I know you might have been tongue and cheek about the poison comment, but it is a serious issue.

Evan--Barbara lives in Sint Maarten, so she knows it is a serious issue...

We stayed at Le Cottage de Lonvilliers in Anse Marcel a few years back. It was our second time staying there. It was a rainy day and we were watching a movie when i heard something rustling in the trash. I look into the kitchen only to see a large rodent tail. I then saw it and it looked like a mouse on steroids not a rat. We shut it into the closet for the night but I still did not sleep. The next morning he was gone from the closet (sneaky guy)and we went to the office and found out it was coconut mouse. I googled them and they are about the size of a coconut, vegetarian and seemed harmless but still a rodent. They came over set traps tried to seal some exterior holes etc. The next night he/she had returned while we were at dinner, got onto the counter and took a big bite of my bananas that were on top of the coffee maker. I was so pissed i threw them out the front door when i got home. We awoke the next morning to an army of iguana feasting on the bananas. That annoying rodent actually turned a bad expirience into a really cool morning. We ate breakfast watching the iguana ... and the elusive coconut mouse was seen a few times more that trip but never caught.

They like to sleep in palm trees...

Funny you bring up this subject. I was staying at a resort used by countless folks on this forum. I got up early one morning, around 6am, and watched as a parade of rats climbed a palm tree, jumped off of it onto the roof and crawled inside the living quarters. I realize they are all over the island but watching the numbers climb into the resort made me reconsider where I rent. I have since changed locations.

This would definitely freak me out! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />
There are some things you just shouldn't see!

We pulled into a restaurant's parking area in Simpson Bay one night after dark. Our headlights lit up an opening between the restaurant and the next building, and we could see several rats scurrying around on a large mound of dirt and debris. We're sure they're everywhere on the island, we just don't see them all the time.

That's my wife's description of me on Orient Beach.