https://www.facebook.com/groups/245424620670933
Saturday, 26 June 2021
Friday, 18 June 2021
Please Report Dead Fox Cubs
As an update on my post regarding fox cub deaths...
Thursday, 17 June 2021
Friday, 11 June 2021
Cats -Predating MILLIONS of wildlife Every Year? UPDATE
It appears that freedom of speech, especially when citing facts over insane statements, does not exist on social media. You can read what I wrote below and I was very polite. Howver, I have been removed from the group, I assume for not being part of the falsifying facts that birders want. Meh
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Face Book's Self Isolation Bird Club recently spiralled out of control as someone posted that any bird or mammal brought home by a pet cat or dog as a "gift" needed to be taken to a vet for treatment. The post was borderline crazy. However, it soon turned into an anti-cat rant from members!
One even insisted that cats were an "invasive species" and had no place being outdoors.
No one seemed to be willing to correct this utter tripe. So I stepped in. It may be that my post will not be approved for various reasons so here it is.
Thursday, 13 May 2021
Chicago, Rats and Feral Cats
Its almost as though the news is following me!
A charity in Chicago has released hundreds of feral cats into neighbourhoods around the city in an attempt to conquer the area’s historic rat problems.
The Tree House Humane’s society’s “Cats at Work” programme has released more than 1,000 furry felines into residential or commercial settings to hunt the pesky rodents, WGN9 first reported.
Working cats hunt pests for the small fee of food, water, shelter, and wellness from their sponsors and often become “beloved members of the family,” the humane society says.
The organisation explains the hunters are feral cats who can’t live in a home or shelter environment. “By placing them in Cats at Work colonies, we’re able to make sure they’re living their best lives.”
The project is a “green” humane solution that removes sterilized and vaccinated feral cats from hostile environments and avoids the use of rat poison and dangerous traps.
According to Tree House, such chemical and mechanical methods are “ineffective short-term solutions” that can be “dangerous to children, pets and the environment.”
“We’ve had a lot of our clients tell us that before they had cats, they would step outside their house and rats would actually run across their feet,” Sarah Liss of Tree House Humane Society told WGN.
The cats’ mere presence in the neighbourhood alone repels the rodents, Ms Liss explained, spurring them to leave the predators’ territory.
“They are actually deterring them with their pheromones,” she told the broadcaster. “That’s enough to keep the rats away.”
While the cats will hunt and catch rodents on occasion, they won’t usually eat them as long as they are fed in line with the programme’s guidelines.
Chicago has long been infamous for its hard to tackle rat infestations, with the city having been named the “rattiest city” for six years in a row.
In 1977, a $1 bounty was offered for rats in the city as part of a “war on rats” after a borough official estimated that the rat population in one constituency outnumbered its 85,000 human population,The New York Times reported.
Now, residents are seeing a further spike in suburban rat populations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Forced closures of restaurants in urban areas cut off rodents’ food supplies and forced them to search further afield for sustenance, with many even resorting to cannibalism.
So, Let's Talk About Rats
I have seen on Face Book today someone stating they have rats. Theresponsewas to put a plate of baked beans outside with poison in them. The other suggestion was to put coca cola out as "rats can't burp so they explode" -now that is village idiot level advice.
If you have rats in the house you can drive them off as there are sonic devices you can plug in and you cannot hear the sound but the rats and mice can and it drives them mental and they leave. I've used these for two years now because of mice and altghough you might hear them rarely they are soon gone. You can buy plug in ones or ones that operate by battery such as this one...
Better Homes offers this advice:
https://www.bhg.com.au/how-to-get-rid-of-rats-in-your-garden
It may be tempting to use traps or poison, but they can pose a risk for dogs, children and native wildlife. It's better to employ methods that deter rats and offer a permanent solution.
Here are six ways to rid your garden of pesky rats for good.
1. Peppermint oil
Rats hate the smell of peppermint oil, so it’s an effective way to drive them away. Moisten some cotton balls with 100 per cent pure peppermint oil and place them in various spots around the garden, including the garage and shed. Reapply the oil a couple of times a week.
2. Catnip
Get some catnip from a garden centre and plant it in several spots around the garden. Be strategic with your planting and look for signs of rat activity like nests and pellet droppings.
3. Remove food and water sources
Rats will seek out any sources of food or water in your garden. Make sure your taps aren’t dripping and don’t use a bird bath. Remove bowls of pet food or water at night. If you like to compost, keep it secure and bury any organic material deep in the bin. Make sure lids are tightly closed on bins and don’t leave garbage bags outside for long periods.
4. Keep your garden clean
You can deter rats by keeping your garden clean and tidy. Remove piles of wood and garden clippings; pick up any fallen fruit, berries or vegetables, and cut back overgrown areas.
5. Soil netting
If you want to protect a new garden from rats, lay a piece of netting just under the soil. This will prevent rats from burrowing and eating roots and bulbs. Determined rats may chew through the netting, so keep an eye out for it.
6. Sealing gaps
Rats will try to enter your home through any gaps or cracks in external walls. Use an appropriate sealant to block any nooks and crannies.
Now you may laugh at the Peppermint poil suggestion -I did- but it works. During fine weather in 2020 we had a female rat keep coming under the fence from neighbours and we had two oils to hand (or my sister did); peppermint and citronella. I thought I'd try the citronella first so covered some cotton wool in it and put it at each of the entry points the rat used. It appeared. Sniffed. Went away. That was it. A week later the best rat deterrent/killer you can have (the cat next door) took care of one there. Foxes will also take rats as part of their natural diet.
My neighbour asked for advice one day. The builders next door to her aged aunt had dug up drains and were making a lot of noise. While upstairs putting things away she noticed rats had chewed a big hole in a bedroom floor (the age aunt slept downstairs) and found traces of rat in the kitchen. I gave her a bottle of citronella and she put drops down the holes she had found and also wiped over areas of the kitchen with it. A week later I was told that there were no fresh rat signs and a month after that still no sign. I wish I had known this worked years ago!
Putting commercially purchased rat and mice poison from stores should be illegal and this is because, firstly, the rat poisons used are inhumane despite what pest controllers might tell you. However, the biggest problem is that mis-use by people of these poisons kill many species each year.
Baked beans, bread or other food will be eaten by hedgehogs which are a critically endangered species and it will kill them in a very nasty way. Foxes will take the free meal. Cats will lick at the tomato sauce. Next door's dog gets out -free food! You explain in court why you put poison out where animals could get it and pay the costs financially. Birds will also peck at such food and I have known a number of magpies and crows killed because they ate rat poison.
Go the natural route and if you are not keen on cats there is one guaranteed killer of rats. A Jack Russel terrier. Any rat or mouse shows its head then the dog will kill it.
Oh and That's Farming offered further advice: https://thatsfarming.com/farming-news/farm-hacks-deter-rats/
Farm Hacks – How to deter Rats using home remedies
Many farmers have reported an increase in rat sightings around their farmyards in recent weeks, due in part to feed supplies been kept there.
Using rodenticides on a farm, especially where there are smaller and pet animals, can prove extremely dangerous. This is why many farmers are now seeking other alternative methods of ridding rodents from their property. Check out the number of different home remedy rat deterrents below!
1 – Dried Urea – Did you know that Cow dung is a natural rat repellent? When ingested by the rats, they become extremely ill and begin to vomit, eventually resulting in death. To keep rats away, simply place an old cow ‘pat’ near where some recent rat droppings have been discovered.
2 – Mothballs – Mothballs are actually useful in keeping both rats and mice away. They are poisonous not only to the rodent but also humans, therefore be careful when using Mothballs. Again when using this method, simply place moth balls near any area where rats may be located on your farm.
3- Peppermint – Seeing as rats have a highly sensitive sense of smell, using fragrant plants, herbs and oils are a good way of keeping them away. One such smell which they despise is peppermint. Like the previous methods, Peppermint oil (On cotton balls) or tablets should be placed near where rats have previously been seen or where you know they reside.
This should push them out and keep them away as peppermint will instantly affect the lungs of the rat, killing them in the process. Minty toothpaste is also another option, while others have used other fragrant oils such as caster oil, clove oil and other fragrant products such as toilet cakes. Another option is pepper from the kitchen which produces a pungent aroma which rats detest and once they inhale it into their lungs they die.
4 – Bay Leaves – Rats are attracted to the sweet smell of bay leaves, which is what makes them the perfect trap as Bay leaves are highly toxic to rats. Once ingested they will die. Like all of the other methods, placing bay leaves in areas where rats frequent will help keep them away and at “bay”.
5 – Vegetables – Certain vegetables can also be used effectively to keep rats away. Onions are one such vegetable which have a pungent smell and one which rats and mice hate a lot. They will instantly run away from the smell, making it an effective method.
Peppers are another vegetable which can prove effective as it contains Capsaicin, which is the compound that gives peppers their heat. This heat is also a natural rat deterrent.
6 – Ammonia cleaning products – Sticking with the sense of smell theme, ammonia cleaning agents make for excellent rat repellents. To use, mix 2 cups of ammonia with 200mls of water and 2-3 spoons of detergent and place in a bowl near locations where rats are commonly found.
Ammonia is a super cleaning agent, but it acts as an excellent repelling agent to the rodents.
7 – Owls Feathers – A natural predator of rodents, using owl feathers which have been placed all over your farm will ensure rats and mice do not want to stay there long. Using human hair is also another useful option, as rats and mice tend to stay away from predators.
Other Options – There are many other options available, such as catch and release traps, electric shock traps and much more.
Some farmers also use sound as an effective repellent. Sharp sounds are hated by rats and rodents, causing death on most occasions. Another two options one could use is Baby powder and baking soda. These can both be sprinkled in areas where rats reside, though are not as effective.
One final method used by some is Plaster of Paris. When you mix 100gms of plaster of Paris with 100gms of cornmeal, you created a homemade rodenticide.
There you have it, there are plenty of options available to farmers to help keep rats and mice at bay. No need to jump for the rat traps quite just yet.
DO NOT BE A POISONING IDIOT!
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