Cob: rat runs--cleanliness--floor height--glass

Fri Apr 25 17:18:24 CDT 2003

BlankI don't think that building up off of the ground or keeping everything clean is the answer to keeping rats away. My mother is a clean freak--her walls are white, her carpeting is white, and she even washes trash before throwing it away! She is so freaky in fact that if clothing coming out of the dryer land on her spotless floor she puts them back in the washer for another go around. This isn't exactly normal behavior and it is so extensive that most would classify it as obsessive/compulsive.

Why am I saying all of this? Because several months ago her dishwasher quit and she called in a repairman. It seems that a rat had chewed out the area of the bottom tub that surrounds the drain in an attempt to get into her house. Her home is about 2 feet off of the ground, and as I've explained, spotless inside and out. The thing is, while I moved out into the boonies after getting married, she still lives in my hometown which is built along the banks of a river--one place where rats tend to live.

No one in their right mind keeps a home cleaner than my Mom does, and not many people have first floors over 2 feet above ground level, yet in spite of her cleanliness in a properly built home, she has still suffered from the damage inflicted by the varmints. It would be nice if there was a cure-all for the rat problem, but the only thing that will work is a merciless extermination program, and even then rats can and will return if you live in an area where they live. 

I agree with the other posters about the glass. I hate the stuff and have none other than what is necessary such as for windows. I've had a few pieces too many buried in my feet and the last piece, even after being removed, formed a cyst that had to be surgically removed because I could not walk on it. To tell you the truth, I've had minor and major surgeries in various places on my body, some that the docs were amazed that I felt no discomfort while they shot the site up with a *caine product, but the surgery on my foot was the absolutely most painful I have ever experienced. 

Kim

PS: Apologies if I grossed anyone out in my previous post about rats. I guess it was thoughtless. That stuff doesn't bother me. Handling manure, human or otherwise, bothers me--makes me lose my stomach--but blood and guts doesn't. :D

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<DIV>I don't think that building up off of the ground or keeping 
everything clean is the answer to keeping rats away. My mother is a clean 
freak--her walls are white, her carpeting is white, and she even washes trash 
before throwing it away! She is so freaky in fact that if clothing coming out of 
the dryer land on her spotless floor she puts them back in the washer for 
another go around. This isn't exactly normal behavior and it is so extensive 
that most would classify it as obsessive/compulsive.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Why am I saying all of this? Because several months ago her dishwasher quit 
and she called in a repairman. It seems that a rat had chewed out the area of 
the bottom tub that surrounds the drain in an attempt to get into her house. Her 
home is about 2 feet off of the ground, and as I've explained, 
spotless inside and out. The thing is, while I moved out into the boonies after 
getting married, she still lives in my hometown which is built along the 
banks of a river--one place where rats tend to live.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>No one in their <U>right mind</U> keeps a home cleaner than my Mom does, 
and not many people have first floors over 2 feet above ground level, 
yet in spite of her cleanliness in a properly built home, she has 
still suffered from the damage inflicted by the varmints. It would be nice if 
there was a cure-all for the rat problem, but the only thing that will work is a 
merciless extermination program, and even then rats can and will return if you 
live in an area where they live. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I agree with the other posters about the glass. I hate the stuff and have 
none other than what is necessary such as for windows. I've had a few pieces too 
many buried in my feet and the last piece, even after being removed, formed 
a cyst that had to be surgically removed because I could not walk on it. To 
tell you the truth, I've had minor and major surgeries in various places on my 
body, some that the docs were amazed that I felt no discomfort while they shot 
the site up with a *caine product, but the surgery on my foot was the absolutely 
most painful I have ever experienced. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Kim</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PS: Apologies if I grossed anyone out in my previous post about rats. I 
guess it was thoughtless. That stuff doesn't bother me. Handling manure, 
human or otherwise, bothers me--makes me lose my stomach--but blood and guts 
doesn't. :D</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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