I appreciated all the responses to my story of the intelligent rat in my house. I was only able to stay awake for a couple of hours last night, hidden under a blanket with a loaded BB rifle. The rat didn't show up at all, near as I can tell. I didn't even hear him moving in the floor furnace like I usually do at night. Maybe the 25 watt bulb left on after the house was quiet tipped him off, but I'm starting to think he speaks english and overheard my plans. Maybe he even reads this newsgroup. I really don't have a lot of confidence in the BB gun approach anyway. Even if I get a clear shot at him sitting still, I doubt if a Daisy Red Ryder would kill him, even from 10 feet away. Before I invest in a high-powered pellet gun or search out subsonic 22 rounds, before I consider discharging a shotgun in the house, and before I spend time trying to get the Radio Shack clerk to show me how to connect the infrared beam booby trap, I'm leaning toward the homebrew electrocution device and the MIT mousetrap, since I can construct these with available materials. I don't think peanut butter as a bait will work on this guy, because that was how I baited the first trap I set, which sprung but didn't kill him. It was a mouse trap. Now he is wary of both traps and peanut butter. His nonappearance last night might be from caution, or he may be terrorizing one of my neighbors on alternate nights. Either way, I have some wiring to do. I'll let you know what happens. Gary Hastings
- posted
20 years ago