I was investigating why I couldn't VNC into my basement crunchers and why one of them hadn't checked in to PG in a few days (and wouldn't even turn on), when I discovered this little lady hiding in back:

Warning: it's a rat.

There were at least 3 of them, one quite spry and is still on the lam, the fat girl in the picture that is likely quite ill and let me pick her up to take a long trip down the road, and her mate who tangled with the fans and didn't make it after getting rather injured (spot the bloody tail print).

Is Aggie the Pew invading my basement? Do we Knights need to say Ni! in your general direction?

In all seriousness though, curse those rats! After jiggling everything the affected box fired right up again, though until my little vermin horde is exterminated they shall sadly remain securely off and locked away. I've been battling a rat problem for a few months now (poison is in play, unfortunately, as they won't go for the "get it over with quickly" traps but will take their weight in poison chunks every day), and this is the first time they've approached the cruncher corner and chewed through the mosquito netting that I use to keep out regular bugs (unfinished basement, plenty of crawlies).
____________
Eating more cheese on Thursdays.

Go forth! Attack those wires! Disable their cooling systems! Muahahahaha!

Actually, I feel for you.

I'm dealing with a quite similar issue, although it has only been several weeks. As the outside temperatures dropped below freezing, they decided to check in. All of a sudden all of the top drawers in the kitchen began showing evidence of infestation (there was no food in them, but apparently they were convenient and comfy).

Thus began a dual pronged attack of poison and traps, and I have gone since Friday without any further evidence of vermin, except for the one that died in the area of the house with a crawl space. At least I know the poison works.

Edit: as to the poison chunks. I have had the vermin hoard them. As in store the poison in gloves, under the blanket on the bed (that was received negatively by the GF), and in shoes (also unpopular). I don't know if they are thinking today isn't a good day to die, or they really think it is food, but if there is a lot of poison disappearing you may want to make sure it isn't getting put somewhere. Especially if other pets are involved.

Go forth! Attack those wires! Disable their cooling systems! Muahahahaha!

Actually, I feel for you.

I'm dealing with a quite similar issue, although it has only been several weeks. As the outside temperatures dropped below freezing, they decided to check in. All of a sudden all of the top drawers in the kitchen began showing evidence of infestation (there was no food in them, but apparently they were convenient and comfy).

Thus began a dual pronged attack of poison and traps, and I have gone since Friday without any further evidence of vermin, except for the one that died in the area of the house with a crawl space. At least I know the poison works.

Edit: as to the poison chunks. I have had the vermin hoard them. As in store the poison in gloves, under the blanket on the bed (that was received negatively by the GF), and in shoes (also unpopular). I don't know if they are thinking today isn't a good day to die, or they really think it is food, but if there is a lot of poison disappearing you may want to make sure it isn't getting put somewhere. Especially if other pets are involved.

AtP would never leave such an obvious trail of evidence. I firmly believe another is working to frame us by sending traitor rats out. Our training programs are quite complete and no AtP sanctioned activity could ever be traced or even hinted back to us.

Therefore I can confirm that we are not responsible for this reported incident.

Might I add, the use of poison can lead to some rather nasty results. If, they do ingest, it's more than likely they will pass in some spot where you will be able to smell the results but maybe not be able to clean them out.

HeadOfRatTraining

edit: I suspect cows are involved

On occasion one will hear stories of so and so's car having problems with the electrical system because a mouse decided to eat the wiring but that is where this nonsense starts and ends.

On occasion one will hear stories of so and so's car having problems with the electrical system because a mouse decided to eat the wiring but that is where this nonsense starts and ends.

This happened to me, rats or mice chewed through the wiring for everything on the left side of my pickup truck -- headlights, turn signals, etc. They had a nest going in there, with some stuff that had recently been placed in my backyard.
Here's a picture of what it looked like: (I tried to embed but it was huge)
http://i.imgur.com/xHIwRAr.jpg

A coworker of mine managed to have a whole host of mice get into her car interior through a rust hole in the trunk. Of course she discovered it while driving and almost wrecked the car.

Got another one yesterday, found the poor guy expired on the floor near the nest location. Hopefully he's the last one and I can get to work soon on the massive cleanup effort to de-gross the basement and get my crunchers back to work heating my house.
____________
Eating more cheese on Thursdays.

In California's Sequoia National Park, it is well documented that a large rodent type known as a "marmot" will chew through automobile radiator hoses because they are attracted by the smell of the coolant (which is poisonous). Backpackers have been known to wrap chicken wire around the base of their vehicles, or scatter mothballs underneath, to deter them. Fortunately I've never been stranded this way.

--Gary
____________
"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together"

87*2^3496188+1 is prime! (1052460 digits)
4 is not prime! (1 digit)

@Grebuloner - with the upcoming PRPNet challenge, just wanted to forewarn you that some new trainees were set loose.

@Rick:

Well, at least one of your trainees just wasn't out to make the cut. Yesterday I temporarily switched from my wood stove (most rooms heat) to my furnace (whole house) due to some persistent sub-freezing weather. This evening while installing my new assassin-resistant setup in the basement, I smelled his warmed over remains...and someday, I will hopefully find those remains.

In the meantime, sir, you may want to count your shrubberies. Roger has been busy.
____________
Eating more cheese on Thursdays.