Ratmobile

I just got my pickup back from the garage. The mechanics there have dubbed it the Ratmobile because the only time I have trouble with it is when the rats have been chewing on the wiring or hoses. It's amazing how much damage a rat can do to an EFI engine over night.

We tried using poisons but that only seems to attract more rats. Then they carry the poisons where the cats and dog can get at them. We've even found stashes in the hay stack. Poisons are not an option for rodent control.

Drakar, our Aussie-Chow cross, goes after rats with great determination and he usually gets his rat...after digging three holes that look like bomb craters.

The barn cats, Gabby and Spike, have their paws full just patrolling the barn and the stack yard. They do a pretty good job considering their collection of trophies piled in one corner of the barn. Not just rats, either. Ground Squirrels. Rabbits. Birds. All trophies in a neat pile. Things are pretty safe in the barn now. We haven't seen any damage by rats in there for the last couple of years.

Until we can get a few more cats, I will have to remember to leave the hood up on my pickup when I park it for the night. Oh, and my most recent bill from the garage... in addition to replacing the ignition wire set, I was charged for evicting a rat family from the air cleaner housing. No wonder they call it the Ratmobile.