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Brooklynian » Forum » Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts Gardens »
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Yeah, the cicadas sure are creepy also. Apparently the cicada killer wasps (as the name implies) are their winged predators. Eek. Ick.
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Oh! I didn't know that. Whoa.
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Dang. Just saw a mouse in my apartment...
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http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=55255&highlight=&sid=0137e741eed3a52559042b8da5c4689e you should ask lnelson for help, you two have a lot in commonFor better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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I don't know if this is allowed. There was a Raccoon sighting in Sunset Park. I thought I would include the link here: http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=58449
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I saw a dragonfly whizzing over a car today. It's my understanding that the presence of dragonflies may mean a waning of summer. I have not verified this, but this is the first dragonfly I've seen this year. Also, I've been told that the presence of mice also may signal a change in season, in the same way bird migrations mark the change in seasons.
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Saw a big raccoon in front of the Old PS 9 building on Sterling & Vanderbilt just now.
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Is it me or are there more rats about? I mean, I have never seen so many rats before galloping about.
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Someone on Lincoln or St. John's keeps pidgeons. I saw a flock swirling about earlier today. It was beautiful.
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Saw a HUGE rat last night gobbling garbage out of a discarded bag. Yuck
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MHA. i think its time for you to invest in a slingshot, or a blowgun. Or maybe a trained hawk (since the other two are actually illegal in NYC). I think you could do some damage to the local rat population.
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Ha! That's a good one! Coincidentally, as a kid I would accompany friends on pidgeon hunting safaris in our suburban Caribbean neighborhood. We fashioned slingshots out of wood and used them at any opportunity. I was never a good shot however. In error and horrid aghast, I once accidentally killed a hummingbird. The only benefit of that crime was to hold the incredibly light bird in my hands, and to stroke the irridescent green pelt of its fine chest. I thought that the gods were definitely disappointed in me that day. It's a sign of the times that today's kids don't seem particularly interested in engaging insuch Tom Sawyer-type activity. Must be the urban environs that limits their imagination.
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They're taking over Grand Army!!! It's bad over there....esp around the trash cans on Plaza Street. I'm up for the hunt whenever you are, MHA (although I DID see a pair of hummingbirds last week...so be careful). http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/17/2010-09-17_rats_havin_grand_time.html
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My pitbull is especially adept at killing rats. It is one of his greatest joys. Killing basketballs seem to his first love. Terriers are bred to kill rodents.
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I just saw the biggest fucking rat I've ever seen; actually, I saw two of them. This thing ran right by me. By 'right by me' I mean at least two inches away from my feet. I called out for Jesus, like he would help me. There were some of the neighborhood color skulking about, and I exclaimed to the two of them, "Did you see that??!" And one of them said, not skipping a beat, "Yeah, they're my friends." Friends indeed. And then the second one scurried by about ten feet away. They were both at least a FOOT long, NOT including the tail; word is bond.
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Word. I saw a huge one at GAP last night, I thought it was a squirrel with a non fuzzy tail at firstFor better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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Maybe it was a sign. Was it male? Did it command that you to commit upon it a rude act?
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If it did, it was Not in a language I could understand.For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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Oh? You don't speak Rat? Jeez, that's not what I heard...
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Don't believe the media. They are always casting me as dumb and ignorantFor better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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I heard that you spoke Rat. That you are always ratting people out. That's what I heard...
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MHA » I heard that you spoke Rat. That you are always ratting people out. That's what I heard...
Not me yo Snitches get stitches. I ain't down wit 5-0For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
I don't know about FIVE-0, but I do know you be down with TOO-5, TOO-O
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Check your sources. Meanwhile, I think the Botanical Gardens is in CH. I like the Japanese part. It is very peaceful and there is wildlife. Coy and turtles are everywhere in the pondFor better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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Starry night; constellations and all. The less cloud coverage, the colder it will be. Remember that. Where do fruit flies come from?
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Walking home last night I felt a little uneasy with the piles of garbage all about on the sidewalk. Whenever there is garbage, there are rats a-feasting. I am prone to walk down the center of the street because I am terribly uncomfortable walking inches away from garbage bags. I preface with this to say as I made my way on to the sidewalk I saw a HUGE effing rat -- I mean HEW-Ja! scurrying about atop a garbage container. Its eyes gleamed in the overhead streetlight. There are so many effing rats around here it ain't funny.....
I wonder if there is some correlation between the new hipster demographic and rat population growth? There are more rats now than there were two years ago. I cast no aspersions here; seriously. Maybe the better garbage has led to more food for rats to consume?
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Not 100% a direct correlation, but there are certainly more TNR folks in the hood than there were 5 or 10 years ago. Since outdoor cats have short lifespans, get rid of the natural predators and what happens?
Disclaimer: I am not disparaging new folks, hipsters, TNR folks or rats, just noting there may be a correlation.
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TNR (The New Rich?)
I am really disturbed by the rat population increase. It is REALLY very high. There are great deal of rats about. It really freaks me out.
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Trap, Neuter, Release. Its a method of dealing with feral cat populations that doesn't result in them either procreating or being euthanized by animal shelters.
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Oh dear god....
Why do you people care so much about cats? We need 'em to have kittens so that they can deal with these RATS! Why don't y'all TNR the rats out here!?
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Or, as to the rats, TKR, right? (Trap, Kill, Remove)
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MHA, how will letting feral cats have kittens solve the problem of improperly disposed garbage that attracts rats? The cats also rip up garbage bags to get to food because nobody is taking care of them. If the cats are having kittens, then they need to take care of kittens, which means they wont be trying to catch rats, unless the rat is trying to attack the nest.
Your "solution" is extremely shortsighted, is very expensive in the cost of lives of the cats and just doesn't work.
As a registered animal rescuer, I do TNR and have picked up cats that some of my neighbors dump with alarming regularity. The pet overpopulation problem, the incredible indifference to life (both human and animal), well I can't fix everything but I do what I can to help the animals because they are innocent and we as humans are responsible for domesticated animals.
Why do I care so much about cats? I dunno, why do people care so much about babies and children? why you so fixated on racism? why do people care so much about sports? Everyone has their own interests. -
Hey, aren't we supposed to be "overrun" by possums by now?
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/rat_bastards_f5onjzgcqxm0fu3RFz3ySL
I am disappointed.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
I think when most people use the word "innocent" what they really mean is "harmless". So, cats are innocent. Small children are innocent. And Africans carrying your bags up Kilamanjaro are innocent. It's the word of choice for the powerful who want to feel benevolent over the powerless.
Any self-respecting cat would be appalled to be called innocent. Ever watched a cat toy with a mouse as a preliminary to the kill? Vicious. In human terms, the cat would be called sociopathic.
Very un- "sivilized". -
Honey you make up any kind of interpretation you want, its your right.
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Actually, the new version of the DSM is almost ready to go to press.
It limits the amount of interpretations one can make and remain a respected professional.
http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx
....which kinda sucks
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
MHA, I thought of you last night as I watched Hoarders. A guy whose wife died went out and purchased three domesticated rats as pets for company. The rats got out of the cage and multiplied and by the time he realized he needed help he had over 2000 rats in his home (most of whom he knew by name). The humane society came in and trapped most of them, then set up an adoption program with local pet stores.
So start naming your neighborhood rats and get cracking on that adoption program...
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LOL!
Homeowner I think I may have inadvertently named some of them, as when one runs by inched from my person, depending upon size, I scream out, 'Oh Sweet Jesus' 'Jesus Christ' 'Oh My F--in God', 'What the F---?!' and some Jamaican cusswords I have no letters for.
I don't know if I am able to come up with 2000 names though. But this does raise an intriguing point: Does a homeowner aware that there is a rat den within the confines of their property have an obligation to get rid of it? I know for certain that a number of the rats I see scurry about live in a hole in the garden space of a specific property. I saw one two nights ago hanging out on top of a garbage can near the rat hole ripping into Hefty's best.
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I don't know about an obligation, but based upon what I saw on Hoarders, the animals pretty much ATE HIS ENTIRE HOUSE! Everything was chewed up to be used as a nest, and the guy said he even had to move out of the house after the rats started ripping the hair out of his head so they could use it for nests. The rescuers eventually ripped out all the walls down to the studs and many of the fixtures to get the animals out.
After watching that, I'd say if you have rats on your property its best to get rid of them because they will find their way inside and then you'll never be rid of them.
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Depending upon the level of infestation, the city will tell the property owner to exterminate them. If the property owner refuses to comply, the city will exterminate them and then bill the property owner. 20 minutes on the phone with 3-1-1 would start the process.
....you can also go to Housing Court and state that having a landlord who does not exterminate the rats makes your apartment "unfit for habitation". You don't need a lawyer for such matters.
If you decide to do neither, and keep them instead as pets, please name the one you see most often "Whynot".
k thx
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Whynot, I think we've had a discussion before regarding you and rats, but that's last year's news, and I am moving onward and upward.
I am pretty sure the household in question is aware of the rathole on their property. I've often passed it and heard the rats having congress underneath the rose bush. It's fucking creepy -- pardon the curse. I've thought of indulging in a bit of guerrilla pest control by furtively sprinkling rat poison by the rosebush. But maybe it would be better to call 311 and have them deal with it.
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Anyone see the news about that rat on the train?
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...it crawled over the guys face.
The rats are everywhere lately. I think it is a result of trash bags not being picked up due to the snow.
Maybe they burn more energy to stay way in the cold, and that makes them take more risks Re: me stomping them.
....regardless, I saw 4 of them yesterday, and was only able to kill 1.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Dude, you used your SHOE to stomp on a rat?! I seriously hope you pored a disinfectant on that shoe.
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You can give us advice, but my dog and I have a refined routine.
Upon seeing them, he gives chase.
The dumb rats then decide that running toward me is wiser than trying to out run the dog.
They then meet the shoe.Don't worry, most rats are not dumb.
They somehow know that my dog is on a leash and the smartest thing to do is run way from both the dog and its owner.
While I appreciate your concern for my health, dog owners have a different threshold for what germs we fear. At this point, ebola is one of the few germs I worry about.
(you have my permission to can add this to your current list of reasons that u will never shake my hand)
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
I discovered a another rathole near my domicile. It happens to exist behind the garbage cans of an apartment building. I saw these HUGE rats in the daytime. Whenever you see rats scuttling about in the daytime, that is recipe for trouble and disaster.
Still, stomping on rats is another recipe for disaster. Rats still carry the plague, dude. The Plague.
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This sounds like a excellent reason to kill them while I am wearing my winter boots.
....perhaps there will less of them by the time the weather warms up and I am wearing sandals again.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
'Whynot, Da Ratstompa'! I Love it! That's a great moniker dude! You should write a few rhymes and spit a few lyrics. You're guaranteed a record deal![s]
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I don't know if anyone can confirm my perception but I am noticing that there are more rats about this year than there were last year. Case in point: It has become the norm that I encounter holes in garbage bags as I put out the garbage on the eve of pickups, and, to my horror, I see rats burrowing into garbage bags in the broad light of day. Also, I see a great deal of rat fecal matter about. I mean, a great deal of it. This never happened last year.
The typical reasons I have heard for this increase has been that the increase in construction in the neighborhood, and even latently, on the would-be stadium on Atlantic is pushing rat populations southward. It would be fascinating to see if there are any correlating studies on this -- gentrification and rat populations. I believe I read somewhere that the city has cut back on its pest control operations, and that too is a cause of an increase in rat populations.
A co-worker of mine has pet rats and in conversation with her she swears that rats are more afraid of us than we are of them, and I am sure that they are, by virtue of how they scurry away when they perceive threat, however, it's the inadvertent hazards I worry about, namely the potential for disease in what parasites inhabit there skin as well as the germs in their fecal matter.
Alas, this is not pleasant conversation.
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Great article in the most recent Atlantic Monthly about the dangers of cat feces.... (The one with Obama on the cover...)
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