BC Rats

No we are not talking about Ratatouli! We are talking about some very spoiled rats and that we are very low on barn cats! Scout our male barn cat is the last kitty that hasn't been grabbed by the clutches of the coyotes. He is trying to keep up with the ambitious rats but there is only so much he can do! He has pigeons to control too! Jeff helps out with that - he goes on a hunt with his pellet gun and leaves them for the beautiful white owl that lives close by.

Back to the rats... we have had issues in the parlor where they are chewing thru air lines on a daily basis. So we will come into the parlor to open the back gate and it doesn't work... another line chewed! We haven't had this much of a problem with rats for about 5 years or better.

Funny, yet gross, rat story. Karl went to feed the cows using the mixer wagon. Our JD7700 started up no problem and started to mix the food he dumped in. Then the alternator light started flashing. Karl ignored it as he hates electronics - something seems to always be wrong. Well, the tractor died in the middle of mixing. He checked the battery and it seemed fine... he put the charger on it thinking that maybe because the mixerwagon hasn't been charging it was drawing power from the tractor somehow and it was too much for it. He came in the house to have breakfast and his nap. Out he went again to check on it. The tractor started right up, he finished mixing the food and took it into the barn to empty it along the feeder; the alternator light started to flash again and Halfway along the tractor died. Karl was baffled and tired. So he called JD and they sent a service man out. As Karl was explaining it all to the service man he popped the side panel off by the motor and saw a belt off. Karl groaned (later telling me how embarrassed and stupid he felt) the drive belt to the alternator, water pump etc had come off. ( he never checked that beforehand) the tractor has a murphy's switch so when the motor becomes over heated it will automatically shut off. So that is why the tractor would die! But, you ask, how did the belt come off! Well, there was this big fat rat - (Jeff tells it this way) - the rats buddy told him how nice and warm it was by the tractor motor and dared him to check it out. The rat, mesmerized, climbed up to snuggle in taking a detour across the drive belt. Meanwhile, the farmer jumps in the cab and VROOOM - starts 'er up. The rat has one hell of a roller coaster ride getting whipped around knocking out one of his front teeth and ripping his balls off, taking some of his insides too. Yes, this is one for WCB (workers compensation board). His family is now taking it out on us by chewing our airlines!

So it is an all out war on rats right now. Karl has purchased 8 traps, screwed 4 each to a peice of plywood, created a box to cover the top with a small hole for a rat to get in (and not a cat) - he has taken some left over christmas fruit cake as bait... and VWALLA - he has already caught one rat since this morning.

BC Rats are very spoiled. It is usually mild here and when things got tough in this nasty winter weather they stepped over the line. When you over step things around here they go SNAP!