Ratastic News Week “It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane…It’s a Rat!” Edition

David Bennett

Kurtz said it best in that great British classic story “The Heart of Darkness,” by Joseph Conrad, when he whispered “The horror! The horror!” That’s what we’ve got packaged for you this week in this edition of the Ratastic Newsflash. Rats who fly down from ceilings! The invasion of Buckingham Palace! On a serious note, we go to Denver and relate a sad story about a dog who died from rat poison whose owner is demanding answers.

Last week’s quiz question: What do you call a group of rats?

Answer: A mischief of rats.

This week’s quiz question: How similar are humans to rats?

Almost all of our genes are similar.
Not so much
We aren’t similar at all!

Buffalo Wild Wings gives customers a wild time when a rat drops in for the wings!

In a piece of news that has gone viral, (proving rats are always a big hit in the news), visitor to

southern California got the surprise of her life while watching the Women’s World Cup when rat fell from the ceiling of Buffalo Wild Wings and landed on her table. The rat was still alive, and no doubt wanted to get a closer look at the television during the match! The video the woman got is pretty impressive. ABC.com reports that the restaurant manager hastily scooped it out with two empty plates, and her lunch was compensated. Although the restaurant has an “A” rating from the City Department of Public Health, it was still possible

for a rat to get in. The rat closed down the restaurant for subsequent cleaning and sanitation. Our RODEXIT proofing door sweeps would help to keep future soccer fan rats, mice and more… out!

Rats not receiving the royal treatment at Buckingham Palace

Who doesn’t want to see royalty—no, be a part of royalty?

Millions are entranced by the Royal Family of Great Britain and understandably so—they’re so glamorous and they lead a life that is diametrically different to our lives. The food they serve for state dinners must also be absolutely gourmet—and scrumptious! It stands to reason that with it not only being a very old building—built in 1703—thus challenging to maintain, that rats would want to invade the kitchen to sample its delights not found in the streets of London. Can you imagine? It’s like those cute rodent kids’ movies where the lonely, poor rat stares through the brightly lit window of the castle looking in at the long tables replete with every kind of food and dessert. Who wouldn’t want to get in? Rat infestations are becoming a problem in London, and in typical British understatement, a source at Buckingham Palace says, “”Rats have been spotted around the outside of the kitchen areas which clearly isn’t ideal.” Isn’t ideal indeed. The Queen is said to be horrified, according to the Mirror. The article says that pest control has been called and poison laid, and staff educated in how to help control the issue—cleaning up bits of food, shutting cupboard doors and basic hygiene. The Sun adds that these measures may not be enough. “Last year it was revealed that Britain was under threat of a super-rat invasion, with the rise of a rare breed of mutant rodent. A spokesperson for the British Pest Control Association admitted that the long-tailed rodents had grown increasingly immune to the poison normally given to them.” If they get any larger, perhaps they can go in for butler and maid training and be in service to the Queen? It seems the staff downstairs are used to seeing rodents scampering about—perhaps they could have their own dining area downstairs a la “Downton Abbey?” Mr Carson might be appalled.

Dog dies from rat poison and owner wants answers

We’ve written countless articles on the collateral damage that rat poison causes—loss of wildlife, children sick, pets dying. This sad thing happened to one dog owner while she was out of the country, and now she wants to know why. Bill the dog was her faithful friend. An American Bulldog mix, he was very much a part of her life. A photo of him shows him in a life preserver in a boat. Clearly, the dog was family. CBS Denver reports that when she was a trip overseas, she heard Bill was acting strangely and her boyfriend took him to the vet: ““They saw there was fluid on his stomach. When they investigated more, they found out it was blood,” said Pasket. The vet also performed a blood test. A few hours after arriving to the vet, Bill was gone. The doctor is certain he died from rat poisoning. Pasket and her boyfriend were devastated. After Bill died, Pasket posted on a neighborhood forum asking if anyone’s pet recently had symptoms of poisoning. “A few other people in the neighborhood have said their dogs have been having accidents or throwing up,” said Pasket. Other members on the forum posted that they’ve noticed dead squirrels in their backyards, but none reported using rat poisoning around their homes. Pasket scoured her yard looking for answers, but didn’t find any dead critters that other animals could’ve dragged in.” At this point she doesn’t know if it was accidental ingestion, or intentional. She filed her dog’s death with the city and hopes that people will use other deterrents other than rat poison. Our traps tunnels, and finally, after all those rid home or business of infestation, our RODEXIT door sweeps will prevent future rodents getting in. Safer than poison – if not deployed and managed correctly, easy to implement! Elimnating poisons for pets or children to get into, less to worry about. Preventing that kind of emotional pain is of utmost importance to every pet owner.