| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| pitta |
Posted - 11/01/2009 : 13:55:19
Story by Faye . Posted by Pitta.
Sleepy Sunday - Rat Extract
So it's 7am Sunday - no sleeping in this morning. Up bright and early, let the dogs out. See the wet ground - some rain in the night - not enough yet - but - it's a start! Satellite web shows it's heading this way. The ground waits.
Bring the bin in - a day late - passing the shed - think I'll investigate the odour - the car has had a slight pong coming through the air vents -thinking of native rat or marsupial mice. Get trusty rat terrier and open bonnet. Phew what a stench!
Searching, searching ... nothing but the smell. Spot a hanging tube from window washer - eyes track to left - a decomposing rat head protrudes through a small metal hole in the bonnet. Maggots make it move a little - spooky - and very very malodorous.
Almost hurl breakfast. Close bonnet. Drive to house. Prepare for extraction.
Eucalyptus oil, rags, plastic gloves, rubbish bags, chux cloth torn in strips, face mask and various surgical tools. Leave squeamishness inside. Soak mask in eucalyptus. Approach vehicle. Go inside for a drink of water. re-approach vehicle with determination. Attempt whole removal. Unsuccessful! To decomposed. Breaks apart! Yuk! Remove in bits. Use tools to probe and remove all - hopefully. Maggots escape - retrieve and bag. So glad mask is working. Go inside to get insect spray as flies are massing. Kill all flies!
Remove the carcass to other side of block and discard. Return to smelly car. Soak chux wick in eucalyptus oil. Insert in hole and pack as deeply as possible. Pull out with attached rat fur and various bits. Insert more wicks until all emerge free of debris. Put in a final wick and leave in situ. Will remove pro tem.
Mission accomplished.
Is it time for breakfast?
If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.
Gwen
Cooktown |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Faye |
Posted - 29/01/2009 : 18:58:41
http://puppydogweb.com/caninebreeds/toyfoxterrier.htm
Some more information on the breed:
History: Their immediate ancestors are the larger Smooth Fox Terriers. The original Fox Terrier breed standard was established in England in 1876 indicating a size of 18 to 20 lbs. Owners of the Fox Terrier found the smallest (runts) pups who were the scrappiest of the bunch and bred them with toy terriers, such as the Manchester Terrier, Chihuahua and possibly the Italian Greyhound. The Toy Fox Terrier was created in the 1900s. These smaller dog were developed and eventually were found in the seven-pound range, and were used for hunting smaller vermin, but equally good at it. The Smooth Fox Terrier had already been registered, and until 1936 the Toy Fox Terrier was registered under the same title of Smooth Fox Terrier by the United Kennel Club. In 1936 the breed obtained its own recognition with the UKC, and nearly 65 years later was registered with the American Kennel Club. The reason this breed is also called the American Toy Terrier even though they are originally from England is because after the Smooth Fox Terrier was developed in England, they brought it to America, thus perpetuating the Toy Fox Terrier there as well. The Toy Fox Terrier was one of the most popular non-AKC breeds in the U.S. before it was registered. Today they are used by farmers, as companions, and as helpers for the disabled.
Faye
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"
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| Faye |
Posted - 29/01/2009 : 18:54:42
Hi GD posters. I had to have a peek at what mum said everyone was saying about my rat tale (?tail)!
Thanks. Glad I sparked some intetest and yes it did put me off my breakfast. I had a cuppa and waited until morning tea before I felt like eating.
If you think a mini foxie would help with rats, as I do after seeing Pixie the white blur, locate, grab and immediatly dispatch any rodent. Apparently they are know to be very good as they wnet down holes on farms all over England in pursuit of various fury critters.
Have a look at the club web site http://www.minifoxie.org/
Faye
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"
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| otamot |
Posted - 28/01/2009 : 22:50:25
hmmm, Im going to have to give some serious thought to the foxie idea, it sounds ideal!
gail I got a pack of camphor today so I'll pop them up in the roof this weekend.  Im really worried about baiting at the moment because little furball finds anything dead outside, bugs, lizards etc if there is something dead in the garden she brings it inside so Im scared witless that she'll start carrying dead rats around. she doesnt normally chew things but the thought of her just picking baited rats up in her mouth scares me to death! so hopefully we'll have some success with the camphor  thanks for the idea! |
| Gail |
Posted - 27/01/2009 : 04:21:19
I don't know if they still do, but Brisbane city council used to employ a couple of foxies as ratters. If anyone had a rat problem they would ring council who would send out a bloke and his ratter to clean up any rats.
Ota, how many you use would probably depend on how big an area but if the rats are that bad I would use a couple of boxes to make sure you cover everywhere.
And it is highly poisonous to children and dogs so keep them away from the little furball - I doubt if they would eat it, I think the smell would keep them away, but don't take a chance.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
| Mary-Anne |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 20:06:07
Camphor and colds Yes Gwen we used to have a bag with a block in it pinned to our singlets too
Gail I will look again in the Supermarkets maybe I was looking in the wrong place 
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
| pitta |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 19:43:06
OTA In the USA thet call the Foxie breeds .Rat Dogs . I have never known a foxie standard or mini that was not a great ratter.
I'd try the Camphor ,I'm sure that will be a winner .Locals here in the tropics, including myself use camphor blocks in the back of cupboards and wardrobes to deter all sorts of insects. Only 1 small block of camphor per wardrobe ---.WARNING-----
Keep away from children. I hear its poisonous Funny , when my 4 children were very small I used to put a block of camphor in a little cloth bag and pin it on their singlets for the duration of the winter in Victoria.There rarely got a cold . Pitta.
If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.
Gwen
Cooktown |
| otamot |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 18:53:22
thanks MA and gail, Im going to get some and toss it up there. how many do you use? just one packet at a time or more?
I have to say pitta, your rats are much more attractive than mine LOL. I just have the common old roof rats, huge teeth and gross looking. Are all foxies good ratters? do they do it naturally or do you have to train them? hmmm, I may have to get a foxie |
| Gail |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 17:24:20
This is the one I usually get - shows a picture of what it looks like.
http://www.pascoes.com.au/products.php?level=13
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
| Gail |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 17:19:32
I buy camphor from my local IGA supermarket. Coles has it too and I presume Woolies would. Look in the insect spray area. They don't come in single balls anymore but usually 3 or so balls in a little plastic holder (usually green) which is safer around little kids hands. There are usually two plastic holders of camphor in a box for a couple of dollars.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
| pitta |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 16:04:20
In the interest of Giant White tailed Rat education . Here is a link on its history.
This is the rat that eats holes in all the nuts off the candle nut tree.
Pitta.
http://rainforest-australia.com/giant_white_tailed_Uromys.htm
If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.
Gwen
Cooktown |
| pitta |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 15:23:22
Fay's story seems to have stirred a Rats nest .
Get a foxie dog, best ratters out , they can smell rats before a human can .
The rat Faye had in her car was found by our mini foxie, she would run in the garage as soon as the door was opened , straight to the car , it was days before Faye started to smell a rat
Once the rat is exposed to Miss Pixie you can count only 3 seconds and the rat is dead.  .
Of course in the roof thats a different story.I would not put Miss Pixie in the ceiling space.
The rats we get here are the white tailed rats are can grow as big as cats,We use bait in the ceiling space and traps.
They are bad in the wet when their ground holes get full of water .Pitta. 
If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.
Gwen
Cooktown |
| Mary-Anne |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 15:01:12
If all else fails Ota try a Chemist camphor does not seem to be around like it used to be, block and balls could be bought in Kmart, Big W and Supermarkets once not any more here..
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
| otamot |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 13:26:07
ma when we moved here the eaves on the back of the house were open for ventilation, and one of the first things we did was seal them up and went right around the roof to make sure there were no gaps thinking it would keep them out. after we did that they just started pushing their way under the edge of the tiles to squeeze through, you can hear them going in and out at night because you hear the tiles shifting.
where do I get camphor and what does it look like gail? is it flakes or blocks, geez I wish I had a carpet python in my roof! I could set him free in the garden to take care of the ones out there too. we used to have a hawk hanging around picking a few off but I think it got scared off with some development going on around here. I havent seen him in ages. I am so careful that they dont get access to the compost etc, I spend all summer going up and down a ladder to get the pomegranates off the tree or else it turns into a rat fest up there but they seem to eat anything. Ive even seen them outside the window at night digging in the garden beds and eating I dont know, grubs or worms or something.  |
| Gail |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 10:54:26
Ota, mice and rats don't like the smell of camphor so throw a few blocks around in your ceiling regularly... it is also cheap. It worked for us before Charlie the carpet python moved in. Whenever we heard the patter of little feet we would chuck some camphor around up there and we wouldn't hear them again for a few months... which reminded us to throw more around.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
| Mary-Anne |
Posted - 26/01/2009 : 10:36:22
Ota do you know where they are getting in, if so is it possible to block it up..
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
