LOL! Great holiday post topic! After just watching a rerun of Heidi, it's so grounding to read about gassing rats.
I agree with Jack's post, and would just add two things: Rats are part of the human/urban ecosystem, like it or not. We have to think ecologically when dealing with them, as Jack says. You can help avoid creating cover and nesting places by avoiding thick "foundation" shrubbery (like foundation garments, something of an anachronism) and overgrown areas - unless you manage them so rat predators are also welcome (rat snakes come to mind, maybe urban cats but they do a number on songbirds). Also, keep those familiar garden institutions scrap wood piles and under sheds up high, where rats can't hide under or within them. And make containers rat-proof where you don't want them feeding, as much as you can. That's means inside seed containers etc as well as outside compost piles (not easy in urban areas), and most of all dumpsters. It doesn't hurt to do a rat check in the garden and compost pile, too, just before any visit by people (big funders) you know will be squeamish come to call. Spring Gillard's tells this tale better than anyone in her timeless "Shit!" essay in Diary of A Compost Hotline Operator, but I can also verify that somehow rat carcasses somehow manage to materialize whenever important visitors come to visit. A quick walk through right before is the only way I know to keep such surprises at bay. Last in this holly jolly holiday post, strychnine baits are the 800 pound gorilla at the table. People use 'em. Of course keep kids away from them, and just be very very careful if you have have pet dogs that hang out at your agency or in your garden. (I hear Jack Russel terriers are really fierce ratters, and that in some cities there are once again rat catchers with their dogs who will come clean you up for a fee. Might make an interesting income generation project for a CG?) Happy Holidays! Don "Rudolph, the red-nosed rat snake..." ----- Original Message ---- From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 8:46:41 PM Subject: Community_garden Digest, Vol 325, Issue 1 Send Community_garden mailing list submissions to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can reach the person managing the list at [EMAIL PROTECTED] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Community_garden digest..." Today's Topics: 1. 3 methods of Organic Rat Control (Alliums) 2. Re: 3 methods of Organic Rat Control (Mike McGrath) 3. Re: 3 methods of Organic Rat Control ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) 4. Re: 3 methods of Organic Rat Control (Mike McGrath) 5. Re: 3 methods of Organic Rat Control ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) 6. Re: 3 methods of Organic Rat Control (Jack Hale) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:10:05 -0500 From: "Alliums" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control To: "'List Serve'" <[email protected]> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi, Folks! Found this on a local farming list - since we've discussed the problem here, thought folks might be interested: 1)*Quintox* [ cholecalciferol / Vitamin D] is safe to use around birds & mammals. It is manufactured by Bell Labs, and available mailorder from www.doyourownpestcontrol.com 800-476-3368. It is toxic to rodents such as mice and rats because they can not metabolize vitamin D -- cholecalciferol is an ingredient in human ad avian vitamin supplements, safe for "us" to use. If your rodents don't especially like Quintox, mixing the pellets with peanut butter takes care of their lack odfinterest. 2) Remove animals from the vicinity. Plug up any tunnel entrances you can find. Get some flexible tubing and attach one end to the tailpipe of a tractor with duct tape, push the other end into one tunnel. Start the tractor up, and watch for escaping exhaust from any missed tunnels. Also watch for groggy escaping rats. 3) Get a bucket and put it in an area where you know the rats are going. Tie a piece of paper shopping bag securely on top of it - drum-style and leave grain on it for a few days. You may want to prop something against the bucket to act as a ramp. When you see that the rats are eating the grain, cut an "X" in the paper and fill the bucket 3/4 full of water. This is the riskiest way because an early rising chicken may be caught instead of the rat. Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth A mission of St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20071223/3c73070d/attachment.html ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:34:18 -0500 From: "Mike McGrath" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control To: "Alliums" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "'List Serve'" <[email protected]> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original ixnay on the exhaust gas; that 'trick' has badly sickened many a user... Better safe, McG ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alliums" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'List Serve'" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 2:10 PM Subject: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control > Hi, Folks! > > > > Found this on a local farming list - since we've discussed the problem > here, > thought folks might be interested: > > > > 1)*Quintox* [ cholecalciferol / Vitamin D] is safe to use around > birds & mammals. > It is manufactured by Bell Labs, and available mailorder from > www.doyourownpestcontrol.com 800-476-3368. It is toxic to rodents such as > mice > and rats because they can not metabolize vitamin D -- cholecalciferol is > an > ingredient in human ad avian vitamin supplements, safe for "us" to use. > > If your rodents don't especially like Quintox, mixing the pellets with > peanut > butter takes care of their lack odfinterest. > > 2) Remove animals from the vicinity. Plug up any tunnel entrances you > can find. Get some flexible tubing and attach one end to the tailpipe > of a tractor with duct tape, push the other end into one tunnel. > Start the tractor up, and watch for escaping exhaust from any missed > tunnels. Also watch for groggy escaping rats. > > 3) Get a bucket and put it in an area where you know the rats are > going. Tie a piece of paper shopping bag securely on top of it - > drum-style and leave grain on it for a few days. You may want to prop > something against the bucket to act as a ramp. When you see that the > rats are eating the grain, cut an "X" in the paper and fill the bucket > 3/4 full of water. This is the riskiest way because an early rising > chicken may be caught instead of the rat. > > > > > > Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator > > St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth > > > > A mission of > > St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA > 19460 > > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20071223/3c73070d/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of > ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and > to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org > > To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: > http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org > > ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:59:01 EST From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected] Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Please! None of the 3 methods of Organic Rat Control sound very humane or organic. You may need a permit to use our method, but it is effective (if only in knowing that it can be accomplished yields satisfaction). 1) Secure a "Hav-a-Heart" trap. 2) Bait the trap with peanut butter or other substance. 3) Trap the rats. 4) Release at or near the home or place of business of your worst garden adversaries. 5) Leave ear corn or some other proven rat delight food to insure that the rats enjoy their new home. Much of the satisfaction from using this method results from knowing that it can be accomplished. You may even be able to borrow the traps from animal control. **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20071223/f329d068/attachment.html ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:12:05 -0500 From: "Mike McGrath" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[email protected]> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original I applaud your Buddhist attitude here, but I personally cannot condone the release of vermin who have plagued (literally) mankind for untold centuries. I do agree with the trap, but then a trip to the vet for a fast and professional...well, you know what. Because although you obviously respect all living creatures, I don't think you want to be responsible if that released rat bites a small child--or worse. ---Mike McG ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 2:59 PM Subject: Re: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control > Please! None of the 3 methods of Organic Rat Control sound very humane > or > organic. You may need > a permit to use our method, but it is effective (if only in knowing that > it > can be accomplished yields > satisfaction). > > 1) Secure a "Hav-a-Heart" trap. > 2) Bait the trap with peanut butter or other substance. > 3) Trap the rats. > 4) Release at or near the home or place of business of your worst garden > adversaries. > 5) Leave ear corn or some other proven rat delight food to insure that > the > rats enjoy their new home. > > Much of the satisfaction from using this method results from knowing that > it > can be accomplished. You may even be able to borrow the traps from > animal > control. > > > > > > > > **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes > (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20071223/f329d068/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of > ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and > to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org > > To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: > http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org > > ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:11:28 EST From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected] Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I'm all for harming none, but I don't think the rats know that tune. Perhaps the person that charmed the yellow jackets could play Pied Piper! In a message dated 12/23/2007 2:37:54 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I applaud your Buddhist attitude here, but I personally cannot condone the release of vermin who have plagued (literally) mankind for untold centuries. I do agree with the trap, but then a trip to the vet for a fast and professional...well, you know what. Because although you obviously respect all living creatures, I don't think you want to be responsible if that released rat bites a small child--or worse. ---Mike McG ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 2:59 PM Subject: Re: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control > Please! None of the 3 methods of Organic Rat Control sound very humane > or > organic. You may need > a permit to use our method, but it is effective (if only in knowing that > it > can be accomplished yields > satisfaction). > > 1) Secure a "Hav-a-Heart" trap. > 2) Bait the trap with peanut butter or other substance. > 3) Trap the rats. > 4) Release at or near the home or place of business of your worst garden > adversaries. > 5) Leave ear corn or some other proven rat delight food to insure that > the > rats enjoy their new home. > > Much of the satisfaction from using this method results from knowing that > it > can be accomplished. You may even be able to borrow the traps from > animal > control. > > > > > > > > **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes > (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20071223/f329d068/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of > ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and > to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org > > To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: > http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org > > _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20071223/346a0aed/attachment.html ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:46:24 -0500 From: "Jack Hale" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control To: <[email protected]> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Oboy! Rats again. Funny thing about rats is that they come from somewhere else. Although it may seem that they appear in your garden by magic, they typically don't travel far, so if you have them, so does your neighbor. Trapping a rat in your garden may be somewhat satisfying, particularly if you can arrange a violent end or the previously suggested strategy of re-gifting, but it won't stop your problem. There's no such thing as one rat, and they breed like rabbits (AKA long-eared, short tailed rats). Trapping works pretty well inside buildings if you can figure out how the little rascals are getting in and can put a stop to that. Outside, the best you are likely to do with traps is temporary reduction in the population. Poison works a little better, but there is no silver bullet. Main thing is to clean up your act and try to get your neighbors to join in. Rats want food, standing water, cover, and a place to burrow. Take one of these 4 away and they get discouraged. So, if you have a rat problem, clean up your garden. Don't leave any containers around that might catch rainwater. Remove or cut weeds. Harvest produce when it is ripe and don't leave anything on the ground, particularly rotten fruits, boards, piles of stuff. Grow up, not out. Back to that burrow. If you find one in or near your garden, try stirring it up. Dig it up and then go back a couple of days later and do it again. They will tend to go looking for a burrowing place where there are fewer lunatics. This is the short course on rats in gardens. I wrote a longer and more self indulgent version that should be findable on the ACGA archives. Good luck. JH Jack N. Hale Executive Director Knox Parks Foundation 75 Laurel Street Hartford, CT 06106 860/951-7694 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 5:11 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control I'm all for harming none, but I don't think the rats know that tune. Perhaps the person that charmed the yellow jackets could play Pied Piper! In a message dated 12/23/2007 2:37:54 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I applaud your Buddhist attitude here, but I personally cannot condone the release of vermin who have plagued (literally) mankind for untold centuries. I do agree with the trap, but then a trip to the vet for a fast and professional...well, you know what. Because although you obviously respect all living creatures, I don't think you want to be responsible if that released rat bites a small child--or worse. ---Mike McG ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 2:59 PM Subject: Re: [Community_garden] 3 methods of Organic Rat Control > Please! None of the 3 methods of Organic Rat Control sound very > humane or organic. You may need a permit to use our method, but it > is effective (if only in knowing that it can be accomplished yields > satisfaction). > > 1) Secure a "Hav-a-Heart" trap. > 2) Bait the trap with peanut butter or other substance. > 3) Trap the rats. > 4) Release at or near the home or place of business of your worst > garden adversaries. > 5) Leave ear corn or some other proven rat delight food to insure that > the > rats enjoy their new home. > > Much of the satisfaction from using this method results from knowing > that it can be accomplished. You may even be able to borrow the > traps from animal control. > > > > > > > > **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes > (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was > scrubbed... > URL: > http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communit ygarden.org/attachments/20071223/f329d068/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of > ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA > and to find out how to join, please go to > http://www.communitygarden.org > > To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: > http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.c ommunitygarden.org > > _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.c ommunitygarden.org **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communit ygarden.org/attachments/20071223/346a0aed/attachment.html _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.c ommunitygarden.org ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org End of Community_garden Digest, Vol 325, Issue 1 ************************************************ _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
