Well, damn

[telophase]

We're going to stop feeding the birds for a while. Click the cut to find out why.





Um, yeah.

Our neighbors were complaining about rats, and had put traps down. If they put poison down, it would make sense for them to start looking this way for more food. We also haven't had an exterminator out in a while, since we fired the last one for being flaky, so maybe we'll call one out and mention the rats.

Comments

[yhlee]

Too bad you can't sick the cats on the rats...pity.

[telophase]

Heh. Sora would flee in fear!

[kaosah]

Awww

I have pet rats... so I can't help but find that cute... even though I know how much of a pest the feral ones can be. That's the first time I've ever seen one on a feeder like that.

[telophase]

I find it cute too...but ugh nasty at the same time. XD Pet rats are cute and intelligent and fun to play with, wild rats...not so much.

We went ahead and put a couple of poison traps down. I'm leery of putting poison down since other animals could get into it, or eat dying/dead rats, but...I'd also rather not have our neighbor's rats take up residence at our house. :/

[matildarose.livejournal.com]

When you restart feeding the birds, you might want to research any types of systems, like baffles on the pole and above the bird feeder, that can keep rats away.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Not sure what-all would do it, but we'll see. :)

[matildarose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it all depends on the animal, really!

[ex_christina_maria783]

eww eww eww! I hope they go away soon.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

So do we!

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

Well, *that* puts a damper on things. :-(

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Yup. :/

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Ugh, gross! Well, I hope they're gone soon, and you can enjoy the birds again.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Thanks! We're leaning towards just laying down poison rodent traps--we haven't seen cats in our back yard in over a year, so there's less chance of a cat eating a poisoned rat. We knew there'd been rodent problems in the house before we got it, as there were signs in the attic of a previous mouse infestation, as our inspector told us, but the neighborhood is next to prairie and a lot of construction, so there's a lot of rodents and other animals being displaced over the past eight years or so.

Plus, as the child of a wildlife biologist I know that statistically, being in a city, I am within six feet of a rat at all times. I just don't want to KNOW that I am!