Pest Control in the Barn

Everyone (including me) is always looking to build a better mouse (rat) trap.  The chicken snake we talked about last night are pretty good at killing rats.  Trouble is, they always opt for eating eggs and we have to get rid of them.  The rat population expands and then it is time to do something about them.  Two nights this week I walked out to the barn to eradicate (or e-rat-icate) them.

For the task I use the old trusty Marlin lever action .22 rifle, a headlamp with a red light, and Pest Control load.  I call it rat shot.  It is a .22 long rifle bullet that has a tip with lots of little bb's.  When you fire it at the rats, it is like a shotgun blast.  It takes out the rat, but doesn't have the power to go through the side of the barn.

I generally wait until around 10 pm.  I walk out to the barn quietly and turn the red light on.  Leaving the light off in the barn, I stealthily open the gate.  The rats see the light and scurry across the rafters of the barn, their eyes glowing in the red glare.  Pop!  One rat tumbles to the ground, flopping on the ground.  Staying focused, I look around and spot another.  He thinks he's hiding, but his eyes give away his position.  Pop!  Another rat in a death-roll.  

Then there's dead silence.  There's more rats out there, but they've gone incognito.  I'll give them a few days to get over the carnage and then I'll go rat hunting again.  

People on the TV show, "Alone" would skin this rat up and eat it.  Not me.  Tonight I'll have leftover smoked meatloaf and smoked macaroni and cheese for supper!