Dusty Devil Dale Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 I store my bulk powder and primers in separate oak lock boxes in a separate building from my house or garage, for insurance reasons. This afternoon, I went to refill a 1# bottle of Titegroup, and found a 2+ inch hole chewed in the bottom corner of the 8# factory plastic container. Upon looking, a similar hole had been chewed in the end of the oak storage chest adjacent to the Titegroup. I poured out some of the remaining Tg and found rat (or ground squirrel) droppings contaminating it throughout. Fortunately the 8# vessel was already mostly used up, only about 2-1/2# remaining. Anybody else ever experience rodents consuming smokeless (or black) powder? From its smell and chem composition, I would have thought it to be extremely distasteful, and toxic, but it looked like the rats were returning repeatedly. They left my other smokeless and BP alone. I may need to look for some of the old style steel powder canisters, if this problem persists or expands. It seems unbelievable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hells Comin Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Send your contaminated powder with some fuses to San Francisco and Baltimore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share Posted July 30, 2019 I put a pile of the contaminated powder on top of a pine board inside the shed, and set up a trail camera on it. I've got to see if it is the powder or plastic that they are after. Tomorrow I'll be covering the outside of the oak boxes with Hardi cement board to dull some teeth. This could turn into a real mess if I can't get it controlled. Rodenticide and repellent will be next up to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 No matter what put out the rodenticide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share Posted July 30, 2019 17 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said: No matter what put out the rodenticide. I only waited one night, to try to get the trail cam pics first. If I get something good, like rats glowing in the dark, I'll be sure share it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Sounds like a cartoon! Rat eats powder, cat strikes match I bet they were after the plastic, didn’t eat much gunpowder. Load it up and chute it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Shoot em! ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share Posted July 30, 2019 47 minutes ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said: Shoot em! ..........Widder I wonder if they would detonate? Great arcade fun. But not a thing on the trail cam this morning, except a brief look from a little opossum. Rodenticide goes out today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusta B. Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 11 hours ago, Dusty Devil Dale said: I put a pile of the contaminated powder on top of a pine board inside the shed, and set up a trail camera on it. I've got to see if it is the powder or plastic that they are after. Tomorrow I'll be covering the outside of the oak boxes with Hardi cement board to dull some teeth. This could turn into a real mess if I can't get it controlled. Rodenticide and repellent will be next up to try. Rats chewed through concrete blocks in our barn to get to the sweet feed stored there. Had to put it in metal garbage cans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Hummm. I think I'd be careful about hitting any rats around your place. Or exposing them to an open flame. But then again, watching a rat flare might be interesting. Keep the video running and post it on here. Inquiring minds and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 3 hours ago, Dusty Devil Dale said: I wonder if they would detonate? Great arcade fun. But not a thing on the trail cam this morning, except a brief look from a little opossum. Rodenticide goes out today. Because you moved things it may take a day or two. Rats are rather intelligent and a change in the surroundings will make then avoid the area for a few days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 There has to be humorous potential here. A well timed spark and Mr Ratt leaves like Wiley Coyote with a bottle rocket in his backside. One wrong timed spark and the shed is confetti- that would not be good. Imis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Chance Morgun Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 " From its smell and chem composition, I would have thought it to be extremely distasteful," I thought the same thing the first time I saw my dog eat it's own poop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Red Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 Caution when those Rats Pass Gas......Stay Clear.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fence Cutter Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 Are you sure it's not that dynamite eating goat from the The Andy Griffith Show....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 9 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said: Because you moved things it may take a day or two. Rats are rather intelligent and a change in the surroundings will make then avoid the area for a few days Hubby told me he doesn't need to bait the electronic rat traps. They just like to go in and get electrocuted. Smart, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 my only question here is who holds the rat while the fuse is stuffed up its arse - would be a fitting end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Crimes Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 They would have been handy in WW2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted July 31, 2019 Author Share Posted July 31, 2019 Second day: Nothing new on the Trail Cam. Rodenticide went out yesterday afternoon--some in the boxes with powder and primers. I'd at least like to know if the problem is rats or ground squirrels. But since yesterday AM, TC is blank. Nothing moved out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted August 2, 2019 Author Share Posted August 2, 2019 Update. Still nothing shows on the trail cam, but smell led me to a dead ground squirrel in the wood pile behind the shed. Rodenticide is doing its job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hells Comin Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 Do verify that's the culprit throw it in a fire and see if it explodes. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted August 2, 2019 Author Share Posted August 2, 2019 5 minutes ago, Hells Comin said: Do verify that's the culprit throw it in a fire and see if it explodes. Lol Being smokeless pwdr, he/she will probably just burn VERY fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramblin Gambler Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 I had a professional out to deal with my rodents. He patched up holes with wire mesh. He said it hurts their teeth when they chew it and it stops them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe LaFives #5481 Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 I suspect, since the powder was titegroup, the rat was having difficulty moving its bowels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hells Comin Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 1 hour ago, Joe LaFives #5481 said: I suspect, since the powder was titegroup, the rat was having difficulty moving its bowels. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Slim Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 Stuff holes with 0000 steel wool. They chew on it and die. Works with mice and chipmunks here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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