You see the same old urban myths posted month after month on the rodent control threads, posted by well meaning but clueless members. This topic reminds me of people and politics, always looking for the magic bullet instead of cold hard decisions that put the public good ahead of those that pay politicians for rent seeking legislation or to further their agenda regardless of common sense.
One of the posts lately had a discussion about predator pee, another of smelly stuff like essential oils. Many posts have been replied to with concoctions of plaster of paris or cement powder. So when I ran across this article, not a peer reviewed study but one well documented with scientific studies and given at a conference at a college I thought it was interesting and would hopefully put an end to some of the useless but well intentioned advice that gets handed out. Click here to read the article. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=vpc14
It is well written, somewhat humorous, especially the old practice of writing letters to rodents and the lawyer that succesfully defended the rats that were sued, getting their case dismissed. It lays to rest the idea that waste products from predators works and even suggests that the scent draws even more predators to the area and might well upset the prey species, or that plaster of paris or cement is going to harden inside a rodent. Soda pop? In one study the mice were given only soda for two weeks with no ill effect.
The only side effect of plaster of paris turned out to be sore rat rectums from spectacularly sized bowel movements thanks to the abundance of grain mixed with the plaster of paris.
I don't recall peppermint oil being brought up but they mentioned everything else and the conclusion, not surprisingly, was they all were ineffective.
Think people, think, before passing along well meaning but questionable advice. Rebuttals in the form of scientific studies are more than welcome and might even change my mind.
One of the posts lately had a discussion about predator pee, another of smelly stuff like essential oils. Many posts have been replied to with concoctions of plaster of paris or cement powder. So when I ran across this article, not a peer reviewed study but one well documented with scientific studies and given at a conference at a college I thought it was interesting and would hopefully put an end to some of the useless but well intentioned advice that gets handed out. Click here to read the article. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=vpc14
It is well written, somewhat humorous, especially the old practice of writing letters to rodents and the lawyer that succesfully defended the rats that were sued, getting their case dismissed. It lays to rest the idea that waste products from predators works and even suggests that the scent draws even more predators to the area and might well upset the prey species, or that plaster of paris or cement is going to harden inside a rodent. Soda pop? In one study the mice were given only soda for two weeks with no ill effect.
The only side effect of plaster of paris turned out to be sore rat rectums from spectacularly sized bowel movements thanks to the abundance of grain mixed with the plaster of paris.
I don't recall peppermint oil being brought up but they mentioned everything else and the conclusion, not surprisingly, was they all were ineffective.
Think people, think, before passing along well meaning but questionable advice. Rebuttals in the form of scientific studies are more than welcome and might even change my mind.
