For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
#1845597
@Charliesixtysix - poison isn't an option, as we have chickens + dogs + kids + guineapigs.

I see from camera footage from a couple of nights back the young rats are able to pass through the metal grill and get in at the chicken feed - so the food will be getting secured overnight from now on.

That's annoying for me - since the chickens already start complaining at 7am that they want out their enclosure and into the garden. With no food there - I'm sure the ladies will start complaining even earlier :cry:

Electric trap arrived this morning. I'm going to have to be creative with some loose bricks and wood, and make a "rat run" big enough for the rats, but small and long enough the chickens won't stick their curious little heads inside. As the electric traps are indoor devices - I had hope to keep it to inside my shed, but now I'm not sure if I have only 1 pack or more...and I prefer to get the ones going into the chicken coup.

I explained what I saw on the video to the missus - and asked if she still had serious objections to me getting a PCP airgun. Answer: yes.

When questioned "why" - she replied we have curious and ingenious kids - evidently she's afraid they'll get at it and bad things could happen. That was my "aaahh" moment.

Apparently she wasn't aware of the concept of separating key components of a weapon from the main body - so I mentioned that the Uni shooting club had a safe with the guns, but the critical bits that could make them viable weren't stored on site. Same for the other firearms ranges I used to shoot at.

Now I've explained that the airgun wouldn't be at all useable when not in my hands - she seems to be wavering - which is as good as a yes in my head.

For those worried I'd be taking pot-shots and leaving the rodents injured but not dead - I did use to get rid of bunnies for farmers at quite longs distances with .22LR, and shoot competition target with same. I wouldn't be taking any shots until I was confident in my skills + the little beggar was in a hit worthy situation. No guarantee of course, and I'd really just prefer if they went somewhere else - or the electric trap works miracles...
#1845607
@seanxair - cracking photo! I'm guessing DSLR with a decent lens?

This little fella triggered the IR on a camera I left outside my shed. He had a little sniff around it, then decided it was neither edible or dangerous.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the rather serious health issues for humans, and danger to chickens etc - I'd just leave them be.

2 dogs + 2 good hunting cats haven't shifted them - so they have to be dispatched to ratty heaven. Let's see how good the Victor electric trap is.

On a total tangent - according to the University of YouTube, ratty loves peanut butter. Un?fortunately for ratty, a jar of peanut butter doesn't have a flying phart's chance in hell of lasting more than a day in my household.

Missus has got very into visiting one of those healthy/eco friendly shops that sells everything in tubs/jars etc. So, I got some peanuts - and some butter....

.....

:shock:

yep - I admit I am a half century old nullard. Apparently "peanut butter" just requires some "peanuts" - and "butter"...plus a mortar and pestle.... :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:


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seanxair liked this
#1845678
OCB wrote:@seanxair - cracking photo! I'm guessing DSLR with a decent lens?


No, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 bridge camera. Taken through a double glazed window, with my glasses on and couldn't tell if it was focused! It was a one handed operation as was on the phone at the time so a fluke!
#1845685
OCB wrote:[i]On a total tangent - according to the University of YouTube, ratty loves peanut butter. Un?fortunately for ratty, a jar of peanut butter doesn't have a flying phart's chance in hell of lasting more than a day in my household.


For what it is worth, the pest controller who set several traps around when we had our unwelcome visitor used peanut butter as the bait of choice on them. Over the course of about 4 weeks they managed to catch just one. :roll:

PW
#1845692
There is no butter in pure peanutbutter. Just smashed peanuts. The oil which comes out when you smash them, together with the ground peanut powder, creates the buttery substance. Mortar and pestle makes better PB than a blender, but it's a lot more work...