longtime

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Oct 7, 1999
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GSR -- you really, really, really wouldn't have liked being a neuroscientist. I remember putting my first rat into the guillotine -- a device that looks, and acts, like a paper cutter that comes together on four sides (most modern neuroscience is done on live rat-brain tissue). After number a zillion, and after heaving a rat that bit me, I had my first rat-killing nightmare. Yikes. Sort of glad I'm not in "the trenches" anymore. :scream: Luckily I drew the line at cats and bunnies.

p.s. I befriended one of the rats once. Named her Jessica, after Dune. Everyone in the lab loved her, brought her treats, etc. She was spared any experiments. One day I heard a weird noise. After a while I checked it out. She had killed and eaten her babies, and was tossing the heads out of the hole in the cage.. . . . . never had a rat-killing nightmare since. And she suddenly decided to devote her life to science. :p
 

yzracer49

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Mar 19, 2000
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down home BBQ

burns ants with a magnifying glass

Heck, that was a Saturday nightcook out at our house ;)

I live out in the sticks also, we star getting mice around Oct. Kill off around 3-4 a week (taste like chicken), then when it warms up, there back outside.

GSR, get a cat, an English Blue Tom is a great mouser.
Actually the mice would be better then the snake, Farmer John, at least in my opinon. :scream:
 

Ol'89r

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Jan 27, 2000
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Originally posted by LongTime
GSR --

p.s. I befriended one of the rats once. Named her Jessicr, brought her treats, etc. :p

Oh my Gawd LongTime. Always knew you were one sick puppy, this proves it.:scream:

Ms. Speedy.

Why don't you train them. If you make a little harness and harness about 20 of them up together they could help TTRGuy with the lawn and some of his other chores. Like Kiwi suggested, check with your local government. I'm sure Santa Barbara has some sort of mouse relocation and re-training program that you could sign them up for.:confused:

Just trying to help.

OL'89R
 

MikeT

~SPONSOR~
Jan 17, 2001
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Re: down home BBQ

Originally posted by yzracer49


I live out in the sticks also, we star getting mice around Oct. Kill off around 3-4 a week (taste like chicken), then when it warms up, there back outside.


yz, could you recommened any of your favorite rat preparation recipes?
 

gospeedracer

Chat Mom
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Been there done that LT. I used to work for a medical robotics company. They would preform surgery on pigs on site! Had to keep it hush hush as not to attract animal rights demonstrators. The pigs weren't hurt or tortured or anything but the FDA has rules that the animals have to be euthanized after the clinical trial. The last straw for me was the cute little calf. They preformed surgery on him, even named him. He was a great success story. Then they killed him. :( I didn't work there much longer after that. This is the same place that put down the sticky traps! :scream:
 

KXaggerator

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Feb 4, 2001
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GSR
If you want to be disgusted get a black light and inspect your house in the dark and you will see mouse urine in places you do not want mouse urine such as on silverware, dished, toothbrushes, and clothing. Maybe you can get an ergonomic elevated food bowl for your dog to keep the food out of reach of the meese, plus the bowl’s height will help your dog’s digestion. If you get one make sure it has smooth slick legs, or place some type of barrier on the legs to stop the mice. I vote for the cat or a snake route myself. If you use a wind up trap do not over wind it and leave some food in the trap, or the mice will die due to their high metabolic rate.

BTW, my roommate has an electric fly swatter; we race each other to get O'l Sparky to eliminate any ardent flies. This thing is powerful; there is a sharp snap and blue arc when you get one. The only downfall is the occasional accidental (and the not so accidental) electrocutions and the smell of burning fly. :eek:

NVR FNSH
I remember a Rambo’esk Al Bundy shooting up the house with a 12 gauge, only to have Peggy fall in love with the rodent. Though I don’t know why they would have rodents, as they did not have any food in the house unless you count “toaster shakins”.
 

MikeT

~SPONSOR~
Jan 17, 2001
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Originally posted by KXaggerator
GSR
If you want to be disgusted get a black light and inspect your house in the dark and you will see mouse urine in places you do not want mouse urine such as on silverware, dished, toothbrushes, and clothing


Wait, you mean that stuff glows????? EEEEEWWWWW! Yuk! Where is the Yuk smiley? I need it here
 

*william*

Member
Jul 5, 2000
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Originally posted by KXaggerator
GSR
BTW, my roommate has an electric fly swatter; we race each other to get O'l Sparky to eliminate any ardent flies. This thing is powerful; there is a sharp snap and blue arc when you get one. The only downfall is the occasional accidental (and the not so accidental) electrocutions and the smell of burning fly. :eek:

Dude! :eek:

I need one of these, really! I have a fly problem at home at the moment. Where can I get one?
 

mtngoat

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Jun 12, 2000
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Originally posted by LongTime
most modern neuroscience is done on live rat-brain tissue. I befriended one of the rats once. Named her Jessica, after Dune. Everyone in the lab loved her, brought her treats, etc. She was spared any experiments. :p

Ya know why scientists have started using lawyers instead of rats??
....There's some things even the rats won't do.

Seriously GSR, I'd solve that problem before they get into your cars and start eating wires in the most inaccessible of places. I had to have a fender removed and they made a hotel and fire hazard out of my Jacuzzi heater. My dog Yakut will soon have a new roommate; Kitty.
 

ktmboy

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Apr 1, 2001
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Mice will leave when they even smell a cat; just one more reason I keep a couple around. Oh, by the way, my Burmese is a great insect catcher:She'll catch a bug, play with it for about 5 minutes, then eat it.:cool:
Something else you may find interesting, and the reason I now have my second Burmese: This breed has a personality a little more like a dog- they will follow you around, and like to hang out with you. They also have very short fur. (Very little shedding.) They are usually rather large, but have this teeny little meow that will just crack you up.And having a black cat around will sometimes just freak your friends out. (Superstitions, ha!);)
 

KXaggerator

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Feb 4, 2001
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William
Here is a link to an electric fly swatter, though mine lacks all those pansy safety devices and looks more like the one in the second link. Don't get any false ideas though. :scream:

Electric Fly Swatter

<< mod edit: sorry, this one had to go! >>
 
Last edited by a moderator:

fremontguy

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Jul 1, 2000
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Send those frisky rodents to Fremont, Spot the Rainbow Boa is always hungry:p
 

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Patman

Pantless Wonder
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Dec 26, 1999
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My rodent problem was solved the following way.
Plan: Obtained little mouse sized sticky traps.
Result: Mouse flipped them over so he wouldn't get stuck.
Plan: Obtained economy sized sticky rat traps and placed peanuts in the middle.
Result: Mouse used insulation to build a sticky free path then nibbled the peanuts down on each trap to just before he would get stuck.
Plan:No more Mr. Niceguy, the mouse MUST pay for his actions. I purchase a couple of rat traps (giant spring and bar type mouse traps). Laying in bed one night I hear "CRACK" and fall into a deep slumber.
Result: Mouse is almost broke in half. Just to be safe I take the remaining sticky traps and intumb him for the garbage man.:p

Hey at least I tried to be civil about it. Mr. Mouse just didn't take a hint it was time to move on.
 

ktmboy

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Apr 1, 2001
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Man, I always get in here too late! (After the edits.) Did that second link happen to be some sort of battery operated device one might find on one of those sleazy web sites?
 

KXaggerator

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Feb 4, 2001
252
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KTMBOY
That is exactly what it was. I gave a quick look at Yahoo to find a source for electric fly swatters and that was near the top of the list and the only one that looked like mine. There it was, my fly swatter with several leather straps around it, I could not keep my impulsive nature in check and linked it. I never would have thought of using it that way, but now that my eyes have been opened... ;)
 

JWW

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Apr 13, 2000
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Uh oh

I just heard a story on the news about a guy from Santa Barbara. He had to have open heart surgery because of a scratch from a rat.
 

gospeedracer

Chat Mom
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Yikes! Just read the article, http://www.newspress.com/np_home/fnews.html

We've finally had some sightings of our little critter visitors recently. Eddie bought traps yesterday. :( The fact that I started naming them apparently didn't deter him any. :confused:

I am kind of nervous now because after getting a good glimps of one last week, it's possible at least one of them is not a mouse at all but a very small rat. Cute as a button though, too bad they have the potential to be so hazardous. :(
 
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