[Noisebridge-discuss] The rats are getting ballsy

[Gian Pablo Villamil]

That all makes sense, but...

I've been at the space a bunch of times, when there was no-one there
(mid-afternoon), and it's been filthy. Half-eaten food everywhere,
trash overflowing the kitchen bins, etc. When I've organized an event
at the space I've usually spent an hour beforehand getting it
presentable.

Lack of people + food everywhere = rat paradise.

If we just get it together a bit more, and really, really try not to
leave food & trash out, it should be a lot less attractive to rats.
I'm not sure the rats are going to hike all the way up to the 3rd
floor if we make it unappealing for them.

I'd say a plan of action should be:

1) Be clean (seriously, I love y'all but sometimes you're pigs) -
dispose of your leftovers, wash your dishes
2) Get metal trash cans with lids for food waste (I will buy them)
3) Plastic storage bins for food
3) Deploy traps and poison

This is not a situation that is going to remain static: if we don't
take steps to reduce the numbers of rats, we are going to have MORE
rats, and sooner or later there will be an INCIDENT - someone will get
bitten or sick.

On Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 8:39 AM, Jonathan Foote <jtfoote at ieee.org> wrote:
> Rats are not that picky. They were nesting here when there was nothing
> more tasty than fabric scraps from the sewing operation. As long as
> there is proximity to the market, they will be here, and certainly our
> burrito wrappers et al. in the trash will overshadow any attempts at
> food segregation.
>
> And I'm skeptical about peppermint oil: A) these are badass city rats
> and B) it sounds kind of anecdotal. ("Did you run a control for that
> experiment?" "But it's NATURAL!")
>
> If we want them gone, use the traps. Otherwise live with them. There's
> sadly little in-between.
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 7:21 AM, jim <jim at well.com> wrote:
>>
>>   rats and their cousins like grains a lot.
>>   what about hanging rat-attractive food from
>> the ceiling? i.e. some hooks in the ceiling with
>> some kind of cord coming down to suspend baskets
>> or some such.
>>   getting a second refridge seems a good idea.
>>   getting near-hermetically-sealed containers
>> seems good, too (i'd put 'em in the baskets to
>> reduce smell of the suspended stuff).
>>
>>
>> On Wed, 2010-02-24 at 00:44 -0800, Ever Falling wrote:
>>> has anyone done much to do something about these rats? like put some
>>> traps out or something? or are they just so damn badass we can't seem
>>> to get rid of them despite our best efforts?
>>>
>>> On Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 12:30 AM, Rubin Abdi <rubin at starset.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>         One just jumped into the trash near the kitchen, and then back
>>>         out and
>>>         scampered over the counters.
>>>
>>>         Another early saw me coming towards the hackshelf, went and
>>>         hit under
>>>         the small set of stairs under the fire escape window. Judging
>>>         by the
>>>         piss smell there's totally a nest under there.
>>>
>>>         Whatever happened to turning Noiserat into a member?
>>>
>>>         --
>>>         Rubin Abdi
>>>         rubin at starset.net
>>>         _______________________________________________
>>>         Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>>         Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>>         https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Trying to fix or change something, only guarantees and perpetuates its
>>> existence.
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>
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