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RATS - eat powder?


Dusty Devil Dale

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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. 

 

 

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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.  

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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.  

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Sounds like a cartoon! Rat eats powder, cat strikes match :D

I bet they were after the plastic, didn’t eat much gunpowder. Load it up and chute it!

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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.  

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

 

 

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" 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. 

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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. :o Smart, huh? :rolleyes:

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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.  

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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.  

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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.  

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