You can buy large rat traps. Just like a mouse trap but larger. I would bait it and set it INside your porch area. Right where the rat has been. Keep in mind that you could have something else. Have you seen droppings? It could be a chipmunk? This is where the term Pack Rat comes from. They like to collect things. objects, which I would guess they have no use for-like paperclips.
I think your only option is to keep them in water for now and hope they continue to mature. The only other thing you can do is clean it all up, throw it all out, order ya some seeds from someone else and sit down with a tea.
