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sudsmaster

sudsmaster

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Since Maggie Hamilton resolved his rodent infestation situation, and may even have gotten lucky in the process, the rat content of these pages has dwindled considerably.

Not to worry. The other day at work I noticed clear evidence of both mouse and rat presence in the machine shop "office". The machine shop sits next to a local creek, and has rather sizable cracks and crevices in the walls in that portion of the building. So there's no problem for the critters to get into the building.

But I really didn't like to see droppings on top of my cabinets etc. So I got a good rat-trap (the black plastic kind that looks like a big clothes pin and is very easy to set). Baited with peanut butter. Set down in front of one of the cabinets. This morning I came in and... rat trap gone. Not good. If the trap had a dead rat in it, I wanted to get to it to dispose of the body and also retrieve the trap.

After some searching, saw some fur under a rather messy desk (office mate). Turned out to be a young oppossum, looking a bit worried. We were able to shoo the possum into a container and release it outdoors. Then we found the trap with dead rat in it under the desk... the possum had been dining on the carcass, and must have dragged it under there. Good news is that the trap is now re-set with fresh peanut butter, and with a wire securing it to the leg of my desk.

You'll be pleased to know there are no photos to share of any of this.
 
Possum story

Many moons ago, when I was in between high school and college, I worked in a restraunt as a closing shift manager. This entailed always being the last person out, as I had to count the money, do the daily accounting, and drop off the bank deposit after all of the close-up cleaning. On Friday and Saturday, the restraunt was open until 1:00 AM, so generally it was after 3:00 by the time I pulled out.

Since I was always dog-tired after a Saturday shift, I always helped myself to a cup of Pepsi as I left. The caffeine kept me awake on the drive home, which was through a mountainous area in Tennessee. On part of the drive, I had to go up a steep, curving hill. Now, back in the '70s, cars didn't come with all of the cup holders that they put in cars now. I had discovered that the restraunt's medium-size to-go soft drink cups were exactly the right size to fit in between the spokes of my car's steering wheel.

So one Saturday evening, very late, I'm driving up that hill with a cup of Pepsi wedged in the steering wheel. And, going around a blind curve, a huge possum runs out in front of me! I jerk the steering wheel to the left and... I miss the possum, but the entire cup of ice-cold Pepsi winds up in my lap.

I drove home the rest of the way sitting in a pool of cold Pepsi. Took me hours to get it all cleaned up the next day.
 
gadgetswitch~

You know I love you more than my luggage, but that is disgusting! ugh, rats sicken me!...
 
So many views on the spectrum

I don't try to get rid of them, I PAY to bring them home LOL. I have had pet rats for years.. They are smart, loving, social and to me, adorable.. Here is my most prized rat of all, Sneezer.. When he got pneumonia I spent $1500 in vet bills trying to save him but it was too virulent. I would have done anything to save that rat...

View attachment 9-18-2007-23-31-25--geoff.jpg
 
Sorry....... and "to each his own" ....... but when I look at that little face, I don't go "Awwwwwwwwww, so cute!" I go "Ewwwwwwg, how creeeeepy!"

Same for people who have (I almost said collect haha!) tarantulas, lizards, snakes, hissing roaches or chinchillas. If they bond with these critters, lovely for both pet and owner. Just please don't ask me to allow "Fluffy the Spider" to crawl on me as I'd just as soon not have the close encounter!!
 
I can make a distinction between pet rats, who are socialized and trained and can be handled, and wild rats, which are dangerous both in terms of biting if handled and also in terms of the various diseases they may harbor.

Plus, I don't like coming into the office in the morning and finding rat and mouse droppings on my desk.
 
LOL Maggie

I can understand your point of view. There are lots of people who see my pet rats and get totally freaked out LOL.. I think it's so unique what can make one person say "AWWW" and another say "EWWW" certainly makes the world more interesting..

P.S. I'm with you on the tarantula thing.. wouldn't even be able to be in the same room with it..
 
I grew up being relatively easy with critters...

Used to collect bugs in high school... had pet tarantula (named Christine), pet queen ant (also named Christine), pet toads, newts, mice, lizards, snakes, etc. Handled a number of lab rats as well.

Tarantulas are relatively docile as far as spiders go. If you just let them walk on you they are very reluctant to bite you. But they will bite if you do something they think is an attack: like grabbing a leg, or squashing it. There's an Aussie spider that is truly nasty and dangerous, and unfortunately all too common over there; wouldn't want to meet up with one of them.

The most dangerous bug is the mosquito.
 

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