One of our local radio stations is a (pretty conservative) talk radio station - they have several local shows throughout the day and they play Rush, Bill O'Neal, and my my favorite consumer champion, Clark Howard. But they also have a Liberal Talk Show - "From the Other Side" at 6:00 in the evening. As that is generally when I'm on my way home from work, I listen frequently - last night he had a fellow called "Andrew Lopez, The Invisible Gardener" - all about organic gardening and natural pest control - He was kind of an interesting fellow, but I about died when a guy called in about the fact that he had found rats around his house - specifically the one he had caught under a bucket. Now, this well meaning caller didn't want to hurt the rats, he just wanted them out of his yard. (I'm thinking to myself, Is this guy out of this mind? - Kill the little rodents!)
Now, Mr. Lopez did have some good ideas about using essential oils (specifically cinammon & lavendar - aparently rats don't like those smells - we'll have to try that) but then when the caller asked what he should do with the one he had caught already Lopez told him to "take it out to the country and let it go" ! "H - O - L - Y Cow," I say to myself, "What is this guy thinking?" And of course, I couldn't remember the station's phone number and by that time I was home anyhow, so I just headed in the house. But here is the email that I sent to that talk show host this a.m.:
"Hey Joe -
I take exception with yesterday's guest telling people to catch the rats in their yard and take them out to the country. What had this guy been smokin?
#1 - If your caller was able to catch a rat with a bucket, that rat was probably either sick or had been poisoned - do you know how fast a healthy rat can move -you're not going to be able to catch it by plopping a bucket over the top of it. The guy should have whacked it with a shovel or something - (what happens when he gets it in his car and it gets loose from the box he would have put it in - the guy gets excited and drives off Marine Drive?)
#2 - I don't want people from the city thinking that they can catch these little critters and drop them off at our farm out in the county - People already think they can do this with cats - I'm sorry, I don't want their cats either.
Just my two cents worth. Tina T-P (who lives in the county ,where we dispose of our rodents responsibly) "
I got a very nice email back from Joe saying he thought I'd made some great points, and TA DA - he read my email on his show this afternoon. What a way to waste your 15 minutes of fame - ha, ha, ha.
Neelix says "Don't worry mom, I'll keep those rattys away from here!"
9 comments:
I think you had a very good point about the rat being sick or the guy wouldn't have been able to catch it. I hope that guy didn't turn it loose anywhere near your farm.
Omygosh! That's not an act of "Old Biddidom", our mother has returned and taken over your brain (and key-pad...altho', of course she never had one...just pen and paper). Injustice (and outright stupidity), lookout!!
At our house, all rats die. With mini doxies, they love the hunt and the kill. We live in the city and really, driving them out to the country??? Give me a break. How silly of an answer. If you don't want peoples cats, will you take city folk who want to live in the country instead?? lol!
Your post really hit home. My home in California is in the middle of 60 acres of oranges. Each year, when the oranges are due to be picked, palettes of orange boxes arrive via truck for the process. Those boxes are usually infested with rats and the first place they head is our house. We have a professional pest control company help us eradicate the beasts each year. I would't want more city rats arriving simply because some bozo can't bear to kill the flea ridden creatures. I'm glad you got your point across.
I would have (had to do a little research and then) added #3; have these guys not heard of the plagues rats have caused??? The rats and the diseases they carry haven't changed, so do humanity a favor and KILL EVERY RAT YOU CAN!
I'm glad you took the time to send an email. It's so easy to get out of the car and forget what was on the radio - at least it is for me. A good example of the "power of one." Good on you~
I hate killing critters.
We live right in town, so in our case the critters I kill are mice.
There have been a few times when I could catch one and put it out in the back of our yard, but then I thought -- NO ONE WANTS IT........
So now we have snap traps and that's that.
I hate it, but...............
I take a very laisez-faire attitude toward critters, until they intrude on my space too much. I have two rules. Animals who live in the house MUST be housebroken (if not, they can't live in the house, which lets out the mice!), and no spiders in the bedroom.
Hmm, thinking of more and more rules -- no fleas. Ever. Anywhere. Death to all mosquitoes. And slugs.
Guess I'm more of a violent killer than I had been thinking.......
-- Vicki in Michigan
I'm so glad you said something to them. Having lived in both the city and the country, I know for a fact that they aren't wanted either place. Rascal would catch mice and moles, but he was a little intimidated by rats. DH on the other hand, had no qualms about sending to rat pack heaven.
Amen! Not only do I support killng the nasty rodents, but three hurrahs for your comments about drop-off cats! (I just spent $171 for the privelege of not having one die on my front porch).
And I like that you got in and contacted the radio station - yay for initiative!
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