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CultofHappy t1_iuay651 wrote

B.C. Welcome to NYC. Not sure what I mean? You will.

−7

Kakkoister t1_iuayzqp wrote

Meh, it's easy to make your own rat bait that kills them, such as baking soda treats that cause their internals to rupture from gas. Or boric acid and even plaster of paris if you wanna get supervillain about it.

−11

SapientRaccoon t1_iub00ew wrote

Medication would probably work better than eradication, anyway.

1

beregond23 t1_iub0xh7 wrote

So BC wants Alberta to have rats again I see

5

aten t1_iub14vi wrote

traps are way more fun.

1

truemeliorist t1_iub4nk8 wrote

Replying to cbbuntz (#326,504)

Sadly rat poison isn't made with it anymore afaik. Which actually really sucks because you can treat warfarin/coumadin overdoses from old style rat poison in dogs and cats with vitamin K.

Newer rat poisons have no way to counteract them, so you basically have to force feed pets liquified charcoal slurry and pray that you can dilute the poison enough.

People forget when you kill a rat with the poison, you also poison anything else that may go after the rat's body. Often, cats and dogs.

26

Isotope_Soap t1_iub5igz wrote

Now if we could just follow Alberta’s lead and ban rats as pets.

1

Isotope_Soap t1_iubj320 wrote

Replying to crdctr (#330,093)

No doubt rats, fancy or feral are intelligent. Unfortunately, those kept as pets can easily revert back to feral ways just as easily as a pig should they escape or be let loose by thoughtless pet owners.

I’d vote to adopt Calgary’s cat bylaws too.

“Under our Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, cat owners must ensure their cats:

Have a City of Calgary l​icense. Remain on the owner's property. Do not disturb the peace by howling or crying. Do not damage others' property. Do not scatter garbage. Do not chase, threaten, or attack a person or an animal.”

The “remain on owner’s property” is the clincher. I’d humanely trap any cat on my property and turn it over to the SPCA. I much prefer birds chirping in my garden rather than cat shit amongst my strawberries.

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donkdonkboom t1_iubjw0a wrote

Just bought one of those rat bucket traps, gonna bucket me some rats.

1

BarbadosNotSoSlim t1_iublnle wrote

What am I supposed to do now if I want to listen to glam metal?

5

DorisCrockford t1_iubozqs wrote

Not all rat poison.

>The permanent regulatory changes announced Friday will ban the widespread sale and use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), which the province says risk the secondary poisoning of animals who consume poisoned rodents.

These poisons have been banned in other places as well. They kill predators.

206

MarkHirsbrunner t1_iubra73 wrote

Replying to Isotope_Soap (#330,594)

They have many traits that make them not as effective at living in the wild and I know of no instances of fancy rats forming a breeding population in the wild. They are much weaker and not poison resistant. They don't know how to fight effectively, they retain juvenile traits into adulthood and slap, not bite. Most have coloration that makes them vulnerable to predators and some will actually approach predators.

5

ZedFlex t1_iubshts wrote

Great news! Anti coagulants are a horrible way to die and consistently kill predators like owls and pets like dogs. There are better ways to deal with rodents than this poison

23

BrennanSpeaks t1_iubw5lw wrote

Replying to truemeliorist (#327,797)

Depends on the poison. Second and third gen anticoagulants like the ones being banned can absolutely be treated with vitamin k, the same as warfarin. It’s the non-anticoagulant alternatives like bromethalin and cholecalciferol that get complicated to treat.

2

Isotope_Soap t1_iubwz3c wrote

Replying to MarkHirsbrunner (#332,307)

A lot of those traits would easily disappear within a generation being feral. Big difference between the upbringing of a hand raised rat it’s wild-born counterpart. Ever been on a farm and thought “Oh! Look at the cute little barn kitten” only to be hissed at wildly? You’re not gonna get anywhere near that cute lil fuzz-ball without a good blood-letting. That cute little kitty was a descendant of a common domesticated house cat.

3

MarkHirsbrunner t1_iubze8y wrote

Replying to Isotope_Soap (#333,483)

It would take more than one generation for the physical and behavioral differences to go away. Dogs born in the wild still lack there instinctual fear of humans that wolves have. You have a rather Lamarckian idea of how animals going feral works.

1

jardex22 t1_iuc0u0r wrote

Hey, still plenty of options. Rope, pipe, candlestick, revolver, etc.

0

hicow t1_iuc1et5 wrote

Replying to DennisMoves (#332,309)

My house got invaded with mice. I lost count, but I've caught something around 20. I got an electrocution trap, which caught/killed three mice. The live-catch traps caught most of the rest. What finally stopped them was D-Con. I didn't even really want to poison them, but there were a number that were apparently too smart for the traps.

2

flxstr t1_iuc1gf5 wrote

oh good. now my neighbour can stop calling me the cat killer.

1

platypus_bear t1_iuc28f4 wrote

Replying to beregond23 (#327,111)

BC isn't really a problem when it comes to rats in Alberta. You get the odd ones coming by train but the mountains block easy movement. The real issue is the Saskatchewan and Montana borders.

5

Isotope_Soap t1_iuc3y4y wrote

Replying to MarkHirsbrunner (#334,005)

Dogs have evolved over many millennia, adapting to human interaction and being bred for purpose. Whereas the “domesticated rat” has been more or less a fad of the last three or four decades at most.

Keep rats if you want. That’s your prerogative. If I see one in my garden, I don’t care how “fancy” it might be, it’ll be squared up in the pellet gun sights. We can agree to disagree. You see rats as cute and cuddly, I see them as invasive, a vector for disease, and only valuable in lab research environments.

I get a bit of a giggle when people compare rats to dogs. Dogs can actually be useful outside the laboratory.

“But but but, this is my emotional support rat!” :(

This post reminds me of an “artist” in the mid/late eighties in Vancouver who got all kinds of media attention when he stated that he was going to make art by splattering a rat on a canvas in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Sadly, it never came to be. Was just some activist trolling for attention. Was trying to make a statement about the ethical treatment of rats.

4

davesg t1_iuc5m3x wrote

What's B. C.? We're not all Canadian or American.

25

WickedSlice_ t1_iucc1du wrote

Replying to Latter_Fortune_7225 (#328,014)

Yeah native wildlife in Australia are so protected from 1080 that they use it in NZ to kill Possums which were introduced from Australia..

Don’t believe the BS that it doesn’t kill native Aussie animals.

16

Wigu90 t1_iucdog0 wrote

Replying to Isotope_Soap (#336,105)

I mean, you’re offhandedly ridiculing the idea of mental self-care while threatening imaginary runaway pet rats in your back yard with a BB gun.

No need for jabs. No point in arguing. All we lazy youths have to do is wait.

And as we part ways, just as a mental exercise, try to image what would happen if people with your "dogs are fine because millennia" mindset would be in charge when dogs were first domesticated. And also, please, try reading up on what an ecosystem is before you attempt to classify animal species along the lines of "good and useful because hunting and K9 squad and sheep and human friend" and "bad because disease and probably not but maybe bubonic plague and sewer". There are other things to read that Classic Car Engine Noises Monthly, you know.

−1

Latter_Fortune_7225 t1_iucetbf wrote

Replying to WickedSlice_ (#336,324)

That would be because it isn't designed to keep native Australian species safe if it's being used in New Zealand.

Ours are designed to protect our species:

> The incredibly tiny amount of 1080 injected into each wild dog and fox bait is deadly to those species but safe for native predators, including birds of prey (e.g. wedge-tailed eagles), reptiles (e.g. goannas) and the iconic spotted-tailed quoll. Despite incorrect claims that 1080 is harmful to these native species, in reality they are all known to eat meat baits poisoned with the compound 1080 and survive. 

4

Isotope_Soap t1_iucfftu wrote

Replying to Wigu90 (#336,582)

Hahaha! You’re cute sweetie! Do you have a preferred pronoun? I’d hate to offend. But I digress, the idea of an emotional support rat makes me giggle.

Tagged more than 1 rat in the bird feeder, and until tonight, I had no idea the brown/white one could have been possibly considered fancy or domesticated. A rat is a rat in my books. All worthy of a pellet.

Struggling somewhat to decipher your last paragraph. I’ll assume English isn’t your native tongue but admire your attempt to convey thoughts in a foreign language. Are you trying to say that rats are a part of the natural ecosystem here in BC?

You like those cute Grey Squirrels? Schedule C in the BC Wildlife Act. Can be captured or killed anywhere, at anytime as they are considered invasive and harmful to the ecosystem. Go figure, I might know a think or two about my local ecosystem!

−1

FTM_2022 t1_iuchuv0 wrote

Replying to I_Automate (#336,639)

Dogs kill and maim people, cats kill billions of wildlife each year....both also carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans.

So by your logic they also don't make great pets.

I

4

HKei t1_iuck5v9 wrote

Replying to hicow (#334,419)

I had a similar issue. Didn't want to poison or kill any mice, but I had been catching and releasing mice for like 2 weeks and it just wasn't working.

0

Dana07620 t1_iuckjl2 wrote

Replying to hicow (#334,419)

I used live traps. It was easy to catch the mice. I took them out to a field and released them. Caught dozens of them. And eventually took care of the problem.

But the rats (which came after the mice problem was over) were too smart for their own good. I only managed to catch one juvenile rat...who I watered, fed and released. I even put fried chicken in the trap and couldn't catch them.

Finally put poison down and hated doing it when I saw the blood trail one rat left behind dragging themself across the garage.

Happily a cat came into my life. The cat didn't hunt the rats. But the rats must have smelled the cat and decided not to move in for the winter (which is when they'd come into the attic).

2

extra_pickles t1_iuclkms wrote

This is a prime example of why we need better regulations around political contributions and need to reduce the influence of special interest groups.

Big Rat has won.

2

indiegamesnumba1 t1_iucpalx wrote

"They must know it was the rats; the slithering, scurrying rats whose scampering will never let me sleep; the daemon rats that race behind the padding in this room and beckon me down to greater horrors than I have ever known; the rats they can never hear; the rats, the rats in the walls"

1

hicow t1_iucpl8b wrote

Replying to Dana07620 (#337,653)

I had a cat that passed last summer. I figure that might have something to do with the mice coming in. Haven't gotten another because vet's offices are still just bonkers and I'd like them to be something close to normal again before I get another cat.

2

davesg t1_iucqdq0 wrote

Replying to ClubSoda (#337,971)

Nope. Not interested in Winter Olympics and I don't know what's that expo about. Anyway, of course I've heard about Vancouver, but didn't know it was located in British Columbia. Just like an average Joe wouldn't know that Melbourne is in Victoria or Athens is in Attica.

6

Wigu90 t1_iud1arb wrote

Replying to Isotope_Soap (#336,807)

>You like those cute Grey Squirrels? Schedule C in the BC Wildlife Act. Can be captured or killed anywhere, at anytime as they are considered invasive and harmful to the ecosystem. Go figure, I might know a think or two about my local ecosystem!

Oh, hey, I'm genuinely glad to hear that you're doing something productive. And if rats come to you bird feeder, fair game. It's just that what you said about dogs being "useful in general" and rats being "only useful in labs" sounded really dumb. But, as always, context is good. So let me retract what I said about ecosystems. You have my full support in that regard. I'm not one to try and "win" when arguing with someone -- mutual understanding is my jam.

As to rats, I don't particularly like them. I never had one as a pet and I don't intend to. That said, I've got nothing against them either. My point is, rats are not outdoor pets. No sane person will let their pet rat go outside and just roam around the neighborhood -- with cats around, a pet rat would get killed four times over before it reached your birdhouse. It'll get lost. It'll run away. If someone lets their pet rat out of the house, they're the one responsible for the rat's inevitable death. So yeah, your visions of slaughtering "support rats" (if such a thing even exists -- I'll take your word for it) sound like weird fantasies that you air on the internet for some reason.

And lastly, when it comes to your pronoun jokes, I'm very typical in that regard. Straight cis male, very hard to offend, whether intentionally or unintentionally. And I'm not even that young, although probably younger than you. I just prefer the way young people think to how old people think. And I believe that their openness to vulnerability and willingess to help themselves emotionally is much healthier than the approach you're presenting here. If someone needs a "support rat", hell, I'm all for them having a support rat. Nothing wrong with that. And you can keep on giggling -- expect giggling in return.

2

Fortifical t1_iud1k6o wrote

We tried that in my neighborhood and the local park was basically overrun with rats. Do not recommend. At least for urban areas, you need that nasty poison.

−1

Automatic_Basket_926 t1_iud4b2x wrote

Look I realize it's unethical, but it's extremely effective at eliminating rats. Rats are very intelligent and snap traps do not usually work. Well licensed exterminators still be able to use poison?

0

mom0nga t1_iudbz0p wrote

Replying to DorisCrockford (#331,829)

Yep, this ban only targets the most indiscriminate poisons, which travel up the food chain and kill wildlife. Other effective rodent control options are still available.

15

ajisawwsome t1_iudcdmw wrote

Replying to XiTro (#339,367)

Not necessarily. If your internals get messed up and your body can't effectively pump blood back into the heart because blood vessels were destroyed, you can bleed out into your chest cavity, muscles, tissues, etc.

Techincal term is internal hemorrhage

3

ResidentSix t1_iudckzx wrote

See SenesTech, birth control for rats which eliminates the most significant aspect of infestations: the population rebound (and corresponding evolutionary selection for traits which avoid poisoning).

Another effective alternative is to stuff dry ice into rat holes when they are found. The CO2 kills them in their sleep, is odorless, leaves no toxic residuals, and results in underground carcasses.

2

shwiftyname t1_iudcm40 wrote

Replying to Latter_Fortune_7225 (#328,014)

A sign stating “FERAL CAT SAUSAGE” I spotted while vacationing on the Island of Maui sent me searching the internet until I discovered that sausages were FOR controlling feral cats, and were not FROM or OF feral cats. The sausages, an Australian invention, can be safely consumed by native wildlife but are toxic to feral felines.

6

OofPleases t1_iudqsfr wrote

Replying to ZedFlex (#332,569)

This summer my family’s dog Wyatt dive bombed a chunk of rat poison we keep in between a panel and door of one of our barn’s coops. It turned to be this kind and the vet said I was smart to bring him in within the 15 minutes of him eating it instead of a few hours. Vet said there’s no cure so they can only pump the stomach. When I told my mom she said “Not buying that brand again.” My mom doesn’t love a lot of animals but damn does she love Wyatt.

TLDR: Dog ate the banned brand of poison, stomach flushed and he’s happy and healthy nowadays. We don’t buy that poison anymore.

4

Barrakketh t1_iue26xi wrote

Replying to OofPleases (#346,542)

You're only supposed to use that kind of poison inside a dog and child resistant bait station that locks. That's why blocks of rodenticide has a hole in the middle, you slide it onto rods inside of the bait station so the rodents aren't just dragging it off somewhere.

There are treatment options if pumping the stomach is not an option. The vet can administer activated charcoal to help limit absorption, and vitamin k can be injected to help with clotting. In severe cases blood transfusion is an option.

3

CarverSeashellCharms t1_iue2fvs wrote

Replying to truemeliorist (#327,797)

I don't know why you got that impression. Warfarin is still widely used and still the most popular rodenticide in the world. It's even still commonly used in Canada AFAIK:

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/reports-publications/pesticides-pest-management/fact-sheets-other-resources/rodenticides-agricultural-settings/questions-answers.html

https://spca.bc.ca/ways-to-help/take-action/urban-wildlife/humane-rodent-control/rodenticides/

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/reports-publications/pesticides-pest-management/fact-sheets-other-resources/rodenticides-agricultural-settings.html

2

MarkHirsbrunner t1_iue4jvq wrote

Replying to Wigu90 (#340,681)

I'm 50, it's not age making that guy a weirdo, he's just been so brainwashed he lumps all things he scorns together - non-binary people, emotional support animals, rats, young people

2

blondeandbuddafull t1_iuefz6k wrote

It is torturously cruel to the rat to poison them; if necessary, a neck snapper is at least fast and relatively painless. Using poisin on creatures will stain your soul…

2

ImmortalMermade t1_iuegw16 wrote

Rat problem in Australia is the direct result of indiscriminate killing of dingos and other predators by a invasive predator species called Caucasians

2

mynameisneddy t1_iuejqmt wrote

Replying to Latter_Fortune_7225 (#328,014)

1080 is a terrible poison, it kills indiscriminately, is an exceptionally painful death and unlike anticoagulants there’s no antidote for accidental poisoning.

The only reason it’s widely used in NZ is there’s no realistic alternative against possum invasion to protect our millions of hectares of native forest other than dropping it from helicopters. It’s quite contentious though, and if there’s was a realistic alternative we’d use it.

And in populated areas anticoagulants are used, because 1080 is too dangerous.

1

chockedup t1_iuigwuf wrote

It's been reported elsewhere that wild animal populations are declining. It seems they're trying to improve the health of the remaining animals that feed on dead rats, due to the widespread movement of rat poisons through the animal food chain.

1

pirate_republic OP t1_iuk4mgz wrote

Replying to chockedup (#388,743)

yes and that is because of mans ravaging the wilderness for profit.
tell me how banning rat poison in cities helps wild animals?

maybe British Columbia should clean up the mess its making province wide, and the reasons every city are covered in rats.
they are a plague in every town and city in british columbia for anyone who makes less then $50K a year and the neighborhood they live in.

you notice the rich can still hire professionals to poison rats in their neighborhoods.

1