Rats!

MacG · Post by **MacG** » 02 May 2006, 21:24

Andy Hunt wrote:The frogs scream - it's quite horrible actually.

OK, I belive you. My cats have killed all kinds of infant animals, and they scream terribly. Worst was the hare's kids. Maybe you have to start breeding rats to keep the cats occupied, sparing the frogs..?

Joking aside, some 30 years ago I had the fortune of watching some breed of foxterrier in action. I was told that they had been breeded for a couple of hundred of years with one target: Rats. My guide took the dog into a barn with many rats, who immedeately went hiding. Ater some minute of adjusting to the darkness, he released the dog and started beating on the sacks and bales with a huge stick, sending rats scurrying over the floor. That darn dog killed some 40-50 rats in less than a minute. Just for the joy of it. No intention to eat or triumph over the prey, just the pure joy of killing - "NEXT!"

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 02 May 2006, 22:26

Well, the man from the Council didn't turn up today, so another night of terror is in store for me and my pak choi seedlings. Amazing what can happen in the space of a few weeks . . .

BEFORE:-

(taken when I discovered the nest - cute, eh?)

AFTER:-

(taken through the kitchen window on Saturday morning. Not quite so cute . . .)

Rach121 · Post by **Rach121** » 04 May 2006, 23:14

What's happened? I'm hooked on the rat saga - it's better than the Archers...
We've had mice problems but seem to have sorted it with a few traps. We only caught 1 mouse but are leaving the traps out for while, in case there are any malingerers.
However, there was a rat on the patio a couple of years ago and my nextdoor neighbour got it with his shotgun

it wasn't nice. we had to pick up the bits and put them in the bin.
I guess you could try an air rifle(with silencer?) but a cat would be a good deterrent.
don't despair
Rachel

isenhand · Post by **isenhand** » 05 May 2006, 07:46

Rach121 wrote:What's happened? I'm hooked on the rat saga - it's better than the Archers...

We are all waiting to see who shot JRat at the moment.

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 05 May 2006, 14:24

I finally lost it last night after inspecting a bunch of nibbled seedlings. I got my air pistol, loaded up a couple of magazines, put a glove on my left hand and went out there with a long piece of steel (the thing that holds up the bonnet of a car).

It was the (ex)Terminator . . . I went round collapsing all the burrow holes, ready to shoot if any ran out. None did. I went through the log pile in the corner - nothing. I was getting puzzled. Then I started to check through the stack of bin bags that I keep the used orange plastic sacks in that my logs come in. Bingo!

There must have been 4 or 5 young rats, I didn't see the mother. I started blasting away, but they were too quick for me. A couple ran out of my garden under the back gate, another couple went under my small shed. I moved the shed and they ran behind my log bunker. All the time, I was blasting away at them, I must have used at least 20 pellets in 2 or 3 magazines, I kept having to re-load.

I didn't hit a single one of them I don't think. Eventually I managed to extract the remaining two by moving the log bunker, and they both ran out of the garden under the back gate.

I cleaned the gun and put it away (no stares from neighbours, thankfully!) and proceeded to fill in and plug up all the burrow holes. I binned the orange sack bags, they stank of rats! Cleaned up the yard and went in, the light was failing by this time anyway.

Checked this morning - no signs of rats! I am hoping I have scared them off . . . will let you all know in next week's thrilling instalment!

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 05 May 2006, 14:31

Andy Hunt wrote: I didn't hit a single one of them I don't think. Eventually I managed to extract the remaining two by moving the log bunker, and they both ran out of the garden under the back gate.

Ho Ho...

You're providing the 'serve yourself' salad bar. They'll be back.

I'd take grinu's suggestion and throw the air pistol at them next time. If you're very lucky you might knock one of them out. Thats about all its good for.

Seriously, though, if you can't cope with a few rats then you might as well give up on the whole post peak oil survivalism schtick and go back to being a townie.

You need proper rat traps or a decent high powered .22 air rifle with telescopic sights, which when set up properly will enable you to pick off mr ratty from the comfort of your kitchen window.

Alternatively, as some friends have done to keep rats and foxes away from their seedlings and chicken coops, buy a terrier and build it a traditional dog house so it can live outside 24/7.

MacG · Post by **MacG** » 05 May 2006, 15:41

Andy Hunt wrote: All the time, I was blasting away at them, I must have used at least 20 pellets in 2 or 3 magazines, I kept having to re-load.

So, how many grams of lead have you distributed on your property by now?

Pippa · Post by **Pippa** » 05 May 2006, 17:51

I've been having problems with rats down at the stables where I am keeping my horses. The same two "pets" that I decided I could (should!) be able to re-train to pull ploughs and carts ready for the post peak moment. (oh dear - its getting more and more despirate by the minute). I am being to realise just how difficult it is to pick up new skills quickly.

Anyway, I took myself off to the local ironmongers. He advised that I needed a good and sturdy rat trap. I purchased the thing, it was just like a mouse trap but twice the size, and he told me that I should bait it with sausage and secure it to a large plank otherwize the rat would get caught but still be able to skidaddell with the trap and all.

Three times I baited the trap with sausage and each time the sausage was gone and no rat trapped. I was actually pretty relieved as I was dreading having to take the rat out of the trap.

So then I asked a farmer friend , who also runs the local abatoir, what I should do. He proceeded to give me loads of grizly rat stories and laughed as he told me

"oh dear, when you see one, there's 12 more of the buggers"

Um..... nice...

According to him poison is the way to go. I saw one rat and used a half pint tub of poison over 8 nights before the bait stopped going. Now I don't seem to have a rat problem but it did smell pretty bad there for a few weeks.

isenhand · Post by **isenhand** » 06 May 2006, 08:35

Pippa wrote:my horses. The same two "pets" that I decided I could (should!) be able to re-train to pull ploughs and carts ready for the post peak moment.

Hope they are the right sort

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 08 May 2006, 11:52

You're providing the 'serve yourself' salad bar. They'll be back.

I'd take grinu's suggestion and throw the air pistol at them next time. If you're very lucky you might knock one of them out. Thats about all its good for.

So, how many grams of lead have you distributed on your property by now?

OK, OK, it was a fairly ridiculous effort! I'm sure anyone watching would have had a good laugh . . .

On the upside, there haven't been any nibblings or burrowings at all since then - nothing. In fact the only disturbance to the veg beds has been a cat which has used some of the fresh compost as a toilet. Where was that cat when I needed it?

So I am hoping that it might have been a 'bloodless coup' . . . they are someone else's problem now. If they do come back, I will have to hassle the Council and get them to come and do the poison thing, either that or get some poison which actually kills them. That said, the mother rat was noticeable by her absence - probably off to look for another fly-by-night suitor, for the next wave of ratattack.

It chucked it down with rain too yesterday, washing away all the nasty ratness from the flags. The couple of days freedom from nibbling has made a huge difference to my pak choi, which have made a good recovery!

I'll keep this thread updated if there are any more developments . . .

Pete_M · Post by **Pete_M** » 08 May 2006, 12:38

On the subject of cats - the downsides of our (adopted) mouser is that he likes to stretch out in the sun in my new herb border

and he uses the veg patch as a toilet. So now I have to turn the borders into prison camps to keep him out.

Also he sneezes quite a bit - any cat experts know what causes that?

Pete M

Pippa · Post by **Pippa** » 08 May 2006, 13:42

Woops

see post below

isenhand · Post by **isenhand** » 08 May 2006, 13:42

Pete_M wrote: Also he sneezes quite a bit - any cat experts know what causes that?

Probably allergic to humans?

Pippa · Post by **Pippa** » 08 May 2006, 13:51

isenhand wrote

Hope they are the right sort

Unfortunately I don't think they are quite the right sort but in a madly unpredictable world post peak, what will be?

In our current everything is available and possible type world, you want dresses cut on the bias, in red, and mid knee - you can have them, you want beautiful, young and virile shire horses for an organic farming experiment - you can have them, you want to change your un pc SUV for a new small hybrid car that runs on rats farts - no problem. At what point do we have to accept real doesn't mean perfect and start to accept what we have?

For this reason I stick with what I have now and hope that I can

a. Adapt

and

b. Hold on to it

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 08 May 2006, 14:21

Pete_M wrote:
Also he sneezes quite a bit - any cat experts know what causes that?

Pete M

Been there and done this one, unfortunately.

One of the common causes is nasal cancer. If its been going on for some time I'd take him to a vet and have him checked out. All it takes is you to hang on like grim death while the vet pokes an endoscope up your irate pussy's nostrils and has a peak. Treatable if caught early, if not , invariably fatal. One of the most common cancers in cats. Could also be an infection or a foreign object physically stuck in the nasal septum.

Whatever. Strongly recommend you take your cat in to the vet. Nasal examination is very quick. If nothing is found, then as suggested above, its probably an allergy problem - the feline equivalent of hay fever. Your cat will just have to live with it.