Starving, angry and cannibalistic: America's rats are getting desperate amid coronavirus pandemic

NBC "News" ^ | April 13, 2020 | Dartunorro Clark

[absalom01]

America's rats are being hit hard by the coronavirus.

As millions of Americans shelter indoors to combat the deadly virus, which has claimed over 21,000 U.S. lives, many businesses — including restaurants and grocery stores — have closed or limited operations, cutting off many rodents' main sources for food. On deserted streets across the country, rats are in dire survival mode, experts say.

"If you take rats that have been established in the area or somebody's property and they're doing well, the reason they're doing well is because they're eating well," Bobby Corrigan, an urban rodentologist, told NBC News. "Ever since coronavirus broke out, not a single thing has changed with them, because someone's doing their trash exactly the same in their yard as they've always done it — poorly."

[yesthatjallen]

This would be a great time to spread some poison pellets around their regular food sources.

[absalom01]

You gotta be careful with poison.

Far enough away from the house, it’s OK. But when they get sick, they tend to wedge their filthy little bodies in the walls, the attic etc., and then they really stink.

I like the “Victor” trap, baited with a raw almond. Tie a string to the little eye that holds the trip rod, and secure that to something. That’s the cleanest, you just cut the string, and dump the bugger in the trash. Never have to touch the rat.

Also, the “walk the plank” traps, into a 5 gallon bucket or garbage can with a couple of feet of water at the bottom.. This is tricky, you might have to scoop out a couple of dozen the first night. Yuk.

The only good rat is a dead rat.