RATS......what a dumb question!
By pergammano
@pergammano (7682)
Canada
March 10, 2008 6:23am CST
All myLot friends will hate me for this...this is a Campfire question. We were all sitting around the campfire, and the question came up; (now wait for this)
a) Why do we never hear of a plague killing rodents?
b) Mother Nature seems to cull her own, in cycles....even bugs!
You never, ever hear of a disease that kills rats and mice...is it because we have not been able to interfere with their genes..or environment.
Other that the dumb questions...our campfire was wonderful, but we did beat this topic to death! An example;there's been the bird flu, that's affected the whole world. And how, now, on a small Island,did we get "Norwegian Black Rats?"
Oh, boy...now I'm in for it!
4 people like this
5 responses
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
10 Mar 08
Chey...you make me laugh. Thanks! That topic was not the limit of my intelligence! But we really wondered why they are smarter than the human and can adapt so readily to man's agression. I guess we all have our pests...Thank goodness...NO ROACHES..YET! But who knows, with their adaptability, they could be next! And really, we were all sober when this came up! Have a sparkling day!
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
11 Mar 08
You just had to do it...didn't you! Another sleepless nite...wondering what to call a gentleman ladybug?
For that I expect you, Chey Clarinet, to visit our small island & call all the rats into the sea! Cheers.
1 person likes this
@Chey1970 (1186)
• United States
10 Mar 08
Oh I know you are an intelligent being. So no worries there. Also I have been in some weird discussions amongst friends before, that make me question myself, and of course all done when sober. For example, the pondering of "what is a male ladybug called"? I just never gave much thought to rat infestation. Since I don't have a problem with them (thank heavens).
1 person likes this
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
10 Mar 08
I am having a bit of a disagreement with our local government to do with them trying to id the area of cats, to me cats are the only things that can out smart mice and rats, they are so clever traps are not much good any more, they seemed to be rather ammuned to baits and poisons, I think they will inherit the world after we stuff it up completely.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
10 Mar 08
Needed to have you around our campfire, my dear...you would have loved the discussion. Only rats, and mice have outsmarted the human being, and that was a major topic of discussion. How do they become immune to poisons? I am actually concerned about my cat, & dogs killing them...because of the diseases they carry. I live on a small island, and we have a real problem..didn't surface until a few years ago, we had rats, but somehow we kept them at Bay. Two things happened, first somehow, the black "norwegian rat" ended up here, and we can't figure out how...THEN, if you can believe this, a fella, who raised domestic rats, couldn't find a home to rent here, left the Island and let his rats loose. Now, we at this end of the Island are over-run with all kinds, colors & descriptions....they have all intermingled, inter-breed, & there is an absolute multitude of them. You just think you have rid your area of the population, and another family moves in.
We also have a huge "population" of feral cats, and from interbreeding, and possible diseases they have picked up from rats are being found, passed away.
Our winter weather is normally quite mild, but this year, we had about 10 days of real freezing weather...and all of us ended up with a lot of "unwanted guests."
It is a major dilemna here...and yes, we do have politics involved! I'm seriously thinking of using my live traps..and letting loose a plethora at their houses!
When this first surfaced 3 years ago..I bought "Warfarin"...they became immune, next year "Wilsarin"...now they are immune...I've resorted to the bucket method, to eliminate the poisons on my property. Rats...this is long winded.
Have a wonderful day.....rainbows to you.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
21 Feb 13
Interesting thoughts and questions here. Why isn't there disease that kills these off besides poison exterminating or traps? You would think there would be other things but maybe it is a good thing since so many areas also have children and pets around.
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
10 Mar 08
Black rats spread the plague because they travelled across seas in the holds of ships and came ashore by running down the ropes or hiding in the goods being unloaded. They did die of the plague as well but rats breed faster than humans so their populations soon increased again.
If you want to know about interfering with mammals and disease, look at the history of rabbits and myxomatosis. It is a natural ailment which was deliberately spread to reduce the overpopulation of rabbits. Rabbits were initially introduced into many countries as a food source.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
6 Apr 13
Thanks for this wonderful discussion, i am fade up of the mice, cats rats, a headache for many too.
1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
6 Apr 13
Nice of you to respond, Professor....BUT this still is a huge question for me....I can't figure out, this NON-ending war with these creatures, and they continue to WIN!
