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From: dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Sam Conway)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: How to dispel rats from raptor cages...?
Message-ID: <22510@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 3 Jun 90 02:51:58 GMT
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 42

*SOS*

The cages housing our permanently-disabled hawks and owls are being
besieged by feral rats.  Our birds cannot catch live prey, so they are
fed pre-killed rats and mice.  The wild rats have a field day in the
cages grabbing the food, and the birds are unable to catch them.  There
were eight of the little bastards in the hawk owl cage this morning,
and one of them was brazen enough to bite me on the ankle while I was
trying to shoo him out!

We haven't enough money to fully ratproof the cages, which would involve
burying fine mesh at least a foot under the ground around the perimeter of
each cage (and we have LOTS of cages).  Poisons are out of the question,
for fear of the birds ingesting poisoned rats.  Snap-traps are useful only
outside the cages, and have-a-hearts are absolutely worthless -- the rats
can consistently take the bait without setting off the trap.  That leaves us
with very few possibilities.

A gentleman falconer suggested to me that we find ourselves a ferret and
place it inside a cage near the bird cages; the scent, he says, will drive
the rats away (and probably most of the staff).  Well, we happen to have a
ferret, but she's never been kept outdoors before.  Not only that, but the
director is more terrified of what the ferret might do to the birds if she
got out of her cage.  I have tried taking her favorite sleeping-towel and
hanging it outside in one of our cage complexes (the ferret's, not the
director's); that was just this morning, so there is no word yet on how
effective it might have been.

Does anyone know of ANY way to combat this problem?  We are at the point
now that more of the food placed into the cages is going to the rats than
to the birds, and it is becoming a serious financial burden.  What can be
done, that will not prove detrimental to the birds?

Thanks ever so much in advance!



--
Sam Conway                             * What shape do you usually have?
dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu           * Mickey Mouse shape?  Smarties
Chemistry Dept., Dartmouth College, NH * shape?  Amphibious landing craft
Vermont Raptor Center (VINS)           * shape?  Poke in the eye shape?