- show quoted text -
"These are all roof rats (rattus rattus) AKA fruit rats, black rats,
tree rats or palmetto squirrels if you are not trying to scare the
tourists.

I doubt they are really any more dangerous than gray squirrels in this
environment but they did kill half of Europe several hundred years
ago. They are the rats implicated in the plague and they will make
themselves right at home in your house. They are pretty sneaky and you
might not even notice right away.

I haven't seen a Norway since I left Maryland. We used to see them in
the bird feeders up there quite a bit. One reason why I don't feed
birds.

I have actually had as much luck catching rats in a live trap as any
other method except, maybe a glue trap. Just wash it out well between
rats. They will pee in there with some extra pheromone and alert other
rats that this is a bad spot."



When I lived out in the burbs, we had a rat that would get into our backyard squirrel feeder. I took my trusty 22 cal rifle with it's 4x scope up to the 2nd floor bathroom window and blasted the rat right out of the feeder. I could see where it fell so I put another round into it on the ground. Then I saw the neighbours 2 houses over looking up at me. Called out that it was a rat and hoped they wouldn't call the Mounties. They didn't.

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 14:27:14 -0400, wrote:

Squirrels or some other chewy thing ate one of the cables on my boat.
I fixed it but I am still not happy about it. (Tilt down was broke)
I wrapped the cable in expanded metal and rubber tape where it is
exposed. Let's see those little buggers chew through that ;-)
I am still not sure why they decided that was a good thing to eat. It
wasn't even easy for them to get to.

I've had them eat through the gas hose to the grill a couple times - with the gas on!
How they can do that and not be dead is beyond me, but I've never seen any 'gassed'
squirrels by the grill. One of these solved the problem:

http://www.amazon.com/Brushtech-Prop.../dp/B000RE7W28
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, juvenile name-callers, and narcissists...not guns!

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 19:12:59 -0700 (PDT), True North wrote:


- show quoted text -
With no rodent intervention or other calamity, rubber (plastic) parts
probably do last that long up north. The tropics change the rules a
bit.
Lots of stuff that works in a 4 month boating season in cold water
don't do as well in warm water and 12 months of sun.

"I am getting pretty good at minimizing my headaches but I am a tad
confused on this rat. He must have got in when I left the console door
open overnight and ate his way out. They usually don't work that hard
to chew their way in. With a dozen neighbors feeding the rats from
their fruit trees, I am getting to be quite a rat wrangler.
I can keep them out of the house and the screen cage but to think they
are not here is simply denial.
I really do like my snakes."


Living in a port city we do see the occasional Norway Rat. In fact one has become especially fond of the bird food that the sparrows toss to the ground from the feeder. Wife just ordered a humane rat trap from Amazon yesterday. We didn't want to take chance on killing the squirrels that come for the peanuts.

I don't do bird feeders any more for that reason.
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, juvenile name-callers, and narcissists...not guns!

Keine Keyserscheiße wrote:
On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 19:12:59 -0700 (PDT), True North wrote:


- show quoted text -
With no rodent intervention or other calamity, rubber (plastic) parts
probably do last that long up north. The tropics change the rules a
bit.
Lots of stuff that works in a 4 month boating season in cold water
don't do as well in warm water and 12 months of sun.

"I am getting pretty good at minimizing my headaches but I am a tad
confused on this rat. He must have got in when I left the console door
open overnight and ate his way out. They usually don't work that hard
to chew their way in. With a dozen neighbors feeding the rats from
their fruit trees, I am getting to be quite a rat wrangler.
I can keep them out of the house and the screen cage but to think they
are not here is simply denial.
I really do like my snakes."


Living in a port city we do see the occasional Norway Rat. In fact one
has become especially fond of the bird food that the sparrows toss to
the ground from the feeder. Wife just ordered a humane rat trap from
Amazon yesterday. We didn't want to take chance on killing the squirrels
that come for the peanuts.

I don't do bird feeders any more for that reason.
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, juvenile name-callers, and narcissists...not guns!


As a kid, we used to go down to the shore near Berkeley and shoot Norwegian
Rats. We lots in the rip rap bank areas. Long before the days where a gun
got you time in jail. There were a couple dumps near there. One next to
Golden Gate Fields Race Track and at the foot of University in Berkeley.
Great sport, did not have to clean them, and reduced a nasty.

On Mon, 11 Apr 2016 12:16:22 -0400 (EDT), fire man wrote:

True North Wrote in message:

- show quoted text -
"These are all roof rats (rattus rattus) AKA fruit rats, black rats,
tree rats or palmetto squirrels if you are not trying to scare the
tourists.

I doubt they are really any more dangerous than gray squirrels in this
environment but they did kill half of Europe several hundred years
ago. They are the rats implicated in the plague and they will make
themselves right at home in your house. They are pretty sneaky and you
might not even notice right away.

I haven't seen a Norway since I left Maryland. We used to see them in
the bird feeders up there quite a bit. One reason why I don't feed
birds.

I have actually had as much luck catching rats in a live trap as any
other method except, maybe a glue trap. Just wash it out well between
rats. They will pee in there with some extra pheromone and alert other
rats that this is a bad spot."



When I lived out in the burbs, we had a rat that would get into our backyard squirrel feeder. I took my trusty 22 cal rifle with it's 4x scope up to the 2nd floor bathroom window and blasted the rat right out of the feeder. I could see where it fell so I put another round into it on the ground. Then I saw the neighbours 2 houses over looking up at me. Called out that it was a rat and hoped they wouldn't call the Mounties. They didn't.

This is whereHarry chimes an says "how brave and manly of you".

LOL!
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, juvenile name-callers, and narcissists...not guns!