OT- Rat bitting and eating the wires

[Tark]

Make better pasta. Your pasta must be pretty bad if the rats would rather eat wire than your pasta.

 

[Mickey]

By the way,whats the brand name of this pasta? I want to make sure I avoid it.

 

[Stationmaster]

It's OK, I found out today that rats aren't all that bad..............I seem to have over reacted (again). Perhaps we SHOULD find out what brand of pasta they make. I don't think I want any but SOME people are OK with rats.

 

[rsdoran]

I would not worry about it too much, just about any facility that handles food and/or chemicals may have some form of rodent problem.

As I mentioned they are not the disease ridden creatures that people believe them to be but they can be smart and destructive. Do not forget that squirrels and over 4000 other species are also rodents.

In most cases its the issue of them chewing wires etc. that can be the most damaging aspect of having them. It has nothing to do with taste that makes them chew wires, they could be trying to clear the path. They may like the texture of the material and want to use it for their nest.

When I first moved into my family home I had a rat (just one) problem, that was one smart critter. He destroyed the wiring in a brand new gas stove.

Anyway, that problem and school got me to do some studies on them, if y'all read up on them you might be amazed. BTW, got rid of that rat and others that appeared later but it is a continuous vigilance to keep them out, as well as other pests.

 

[Stationmaster]

I would like to know from the expert or have an experience with this.

There you go!

 

[PeterW]

When we moved a couple of Spaghetti extruding machines, we had similar problems when they were installed. Rats or mice had made a nest in some conduit and gnawed through the cables.

Even though the machines were coming from a sister plant of a very big food manufacturer, it was decided to fumagate all equipment en-route, so imagine our supprise on the above.

As everyone is saying in Food Manufacturing you cannot have any infestation, not bug, bird nor animal. Protecting the cables is fighting one of the consequences not the cause. Rats bring disease and you could end up killing your customers.

There are very strict building regulations in the UK to protect against this, like insectocuters everywhere, all windows to have mesh, doors to have flaps and all entry points into the buildings to be sealed (usually with expanding foam).

Rat poison is used in the outbuildings, but for Christs sake it cannot be anywhere near food!!!!!

 

[PeterW]

Its not just the chewing!! where do you think their excrement goes, what about the odd rat falling into the production.

ew....

 

[allscott]

Not all rats are full of disease, but they do all poop.

 

[PeterW]

Not all rates are full of disease, but they do all poop.

Just reading some of the other posts and perhaps they are not as full of disease as I thought , always associated them with the black death or whatever. (I wasn't around at the time though ).

 

[Bytesize]

How about a frequency so high the rats can’t stand it and people can’t hear it. Or just bump up your voltage to 480.

Or you can buy my motion detection; radar/heat signature guided mini missile launcher.

 

[SLC_Integrator]

Just reading some of the other posts and perhaps they are not as full of disease as I thought , always associated them with the black death or whatever. (I wasn't around at the time though ).

Black Death was spread by the fleas on the rats, not the rats themselves. just a FYI, some useless Wiki stuff I read one day when I was bored.
Anyways, pests are a real problem.
I worked at a chemical plant making white pigment and it was FULL of pigeons (AKA 'rats with wings'). It was normal for the guys to bring air rifles in with them and wipe out a couple of hundred every few months. They would poop everywhere (yes, just like rats, all pigeons DO poop!) fall into stuff, get squished by machiney etc etc.
Its a very tough thing to control, especially once theyre established.


P.S. what brand of pasta is it ..... ?

 

[rsdoran]

I waited to see if some would read on it first. I agree I do not want to know about rats being around food I may purchase but do know some of the issues involved at food and other plants as well as my personal dealings.

What is unique is these "critters" may not go into the food production areas because they "learn" of traps etc.; so confine theirselves to other areas like break or dining rooms etc., any place that may be a food source.

Another FYI, as mentioned rats were thought to carry fleas that were the real plague carriers. Did you know that people did not bathe regularly back then, for some it was considered a sin.

Anyway that and the fact they also wore animal skins (not fully dried) contributed to humans also being flea carriers. The plague was just as deadly to rats as it was to humans.

 

[neerajpuranik]

I agree with Bytesize. We were effectively using ultrasonic pest controllers in our rooms which were housing Remote PLC IO's for Cement Plant. They were effective against Lizards & rats. The only problem is the effective area covered is very less but good enough for a 10ft by 10ft room.

 

[gas]

Guys, I've been in quite a few food plants in 40 years. They ALL have rodent problems. Some are greater than others. Vermin is not good but there are many many other things that will keep me from eating some manufactured food. I have also watched harvesting operations and seen critters and snakes go into the bin and then on to the plant.

 

[TConnolly]

...I have also watched harvesting operations and seen critters...

Not to mention all the bug juice and spider guts that ends up in your beer and wine.