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Post by Bean on Aug 1, 2020 5:53:45 GMT
Here we are in August already. We had a pretty busy month planned, but will now be mostly relaxing at home with things being cancelled. I hope we get some nice weather to help that holiday feeling!
Parts of our region have had to return to some of the lockdown measures, rather than just social distancing, because of increased rates in those communities. The reopening of businesses like cinemas and bowling alleys has been postponed for at least another couple of weeks nationwide too. At the start of this, everyone thought things would be back to normal by now, but now no one can imagine things being normal again!
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 2, 2020 2:00:15 GMT
Happy August Fools Day π€ I wonder why only April gets one?
The states that reopened completely have since started requiring masks be worn, reclosing businesses that can't control crowds, etc. We seem to be learning the hard way π’
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Post by Bean on Aug 2, 2020 6:45:54 GMT
One fool's day is enough, thanks!
We've had some lovely weather, so the news is full of pictures and stories about coastal areas being swamped with record sized crowds, and no social distancing taking place. Many locals are unable to leave their homes to shop, exercise or just enjoy the weather because it's so packed with tourists.
Yet we've still got the government harping on at us to get out and about and spend out money to save the economy.
They've also said that in order to reopen schools in September, there may have to be a trade off, such as closing pubs back down. That one's not popular with a lot of people haha!
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 2, 2020 18:58:17 GMT
No one had a decent closing strategy, and no po ne has s decent reopening strategy. One of my British friends commented that they were allowed to go to pubs, but not to each other's houses. Either that is totally economically driven, the government knows it can't control social distancing in private homes, both, or the government is just screwed up. One difference between our countries is that we have 50 state governments that make a lot of their own decisions. You are one country/one state/one government. We have 50 versions of reopening happening over here. Although we're a Republican majority state, with a Republican governor, we're not reopening according to our Moron in Chief's plans. Not everything has reopened, and what has is at partial capacity, much with reservations required, as we do for swimming. Our virus numbers are slowly decreasing, and I think our governor has a good rating with most people. He also owns businesses that have taken major financial hits, but is also figuring how to bring those businesses back, right along with everyone else. No one is saying 'What does he care. It doesn't effect him the way it's affecting us. Yes, he has money, and isn't totally depend on the businesses to survive, but he's still hurting. I think we're setting a decent model for reopening. Time will tell if we do as well with school reopening. Beautiful orange begonia growing in a pot in the backyard.
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Post by Bean on Aug 3, 2020 8:18:52 GMT
That's really pretty.
Our government is definitely motivated by money, not common sense. There are so many ridiculous contradictions in what you can and can't do, but whether or not it involves you spending money always helps to clarify confusion! We keep getting the excuse that this is a new thing and everyone's learning at the same rate. Yet some countries, such as Australia, have managed to have very few deaths while we have tens of thousands. So it's not like it was impossible to do better, either then or now.
Anyway, we're stuck with the oafs for now, so I shall carry on trying to tune most of it out and just enjoy our lives on a smaller and less eventful scale in the meantime!
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 3, 2020 19:07:59 GMT
That's where our states are good, as each governor, assuming he/she is a good governor, and has a brain, decides a lot of these things. Trump tried threatening the republican governors who wouldn't just reopen everything, our's being one, and the governor of Maine being another. The Maine governor told him off royally in a Tweet, as being female, he blamed her sex for her being too stupid to know that she had to do what he told her. He was the big boss. Not with the states, he's not. Also, our governor, along with his panel of actual experts, set a series of requirements for schools to reopen, and left it up to each school district to decide if they could, or if they'd continue with remote learning. Of course, Trump said all students had to go back to the school buildings, even if 2% of them died of the virus, as after all, 2% isn't very many So each school district is deciding on a reopening plan based on finances, space, and other requirements. In Florida, one of the trump states, all schools are opening, period Florida did close its clubs, where too many people gather in close quarters, as the contact traces for a lot of the sick led back to them having been out clubbing. Please, please let this be his downfall. Please, please let enough people vote against him in November to get him out of office. Will Joe Biden be any better, he's a light weight, but he listens to reason, and he listens to the experts. All digits crossed! I sent a Facebook friend pictures of the different begonias in our backyard, as she commented that the orange one didn't look like any begonia she'd ever seen. It doesn't look like any one we've ever seen, either, but researching them, there are hundreds of varieties of begonia, including foliage begonia. We have one of those, too. I'll post a picture, as it really is different.
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Post by bazookagoof on Aug 4, 2020 0:31:11 GMT
We have a rat sneaking around our yard. It's definitely a rat; no mouse would be so bold. Yesterday we found droppings on our back porch, so my wife got repellent and I got traps. The traps are going in the garage, but one will be left on the porch. I'm hoping a squirrel won't be so bold as to try for the bait.
I'm also hoping the repellent will work, too. My boss offered me some traps that will catch the rat, but not kill it. THAT is left up to me, where I would have to stick the trap in water and drown the rat. Since I can't see myself doing that, I'm opting for the snap-trap variety. My boss says they aren't as humane, but I'm not sure if I believe that. I can't see drowning better than a quick snap!
Again, I'm really hoping the repellent will do its work instead of more extreme measures.
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Post by Bean on Aug 4, 2020 7:19:41 GMT
I think the snap is effective if it gets the right bit of the rat straight away, but I don't think it often does. They're big, strong creatures. I think I'd opt for a humane trap and drowning if I had cause to need to get rid, but we just have the odd one passing through and that doesn't cause any bother, so I leave them be!
I do often wonder why rats get such bad rap with people who don't mind grey squirrels - I've been similarly brainwashed, but there's really not much difference between them. We have lots of young squirrels about at the moment and it's so lovely watching them all frolic and roll around with each other around in the garden.
3piggles, I think most of the sane world has its fingers crossed for you getting rid of Trump. Whatever comes next cannot be worse.
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 4, 2020 19:53:32 GMT
I wish most of the sane world could vote.
First, the snap traps are intended to snap when the rat pulls on the food, breaking its neck and killing it. Unfortunately, rats and mice are very clever, and rarely get killed instantly by the snap lever. They get an as rma or leg caught, broken backs, and slow, painful deaths. You may have to kill them, anyway π’
If you use the humane trap, just relocate the rat to a wooded area. No killing needed. I know there are restrictions on where you can release them. Near a food source is a good option. No killing. No maiming. No guilt. No rat.
Also, try to determine what attracted the rat, and remove it.
I'm surprised we don't have any around here unless the foxes keep them out. We have chipmunks, little red squirrels, and grey squirrels, which we love to watch. They're around for the garden and all the plants with lots of seeds. I watched one going from plant to plant on the berm. The plants were flopping about as he ate the seeds π€
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Post by bazookagoof on Aug 4, 2020 20:40:17 GMT
Bean, rats over here get a bad rap because they tend to be far more aggressive than squirrels. Also, in the city they also tend to be much larger- I've seen dead rats that could have fought off a cat!
I talked about setting it free in the forest preserve by our house, but my boss is of the opinion that unless the area is VERY far away, the rat will just return. After all, it's not as if it has anything else to do.
Actually, my wife has informed me that if it's only one rat, this discussion has become academic- she saw a flattened rat in the street on the side of our house. I'm going to monitor the area for droppings, and if there are more, it means the intruder was not alone.
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 5, 2020 17:59:13 GMT
Poor ratπ’ They're just trying to survive in a world where humans have taken all their habitat π’ Still, they're not safe around children or food, and can't really coexist with us. I always feel badly for animals that die because of us π’
I googled relocating rats, and the pest control site said to relocate them at least 2 miles from the old location, and near a good food source. They're only looking for food. If they find it elsewhere, they'll happily stay there.
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Post by bazookagoof on Aug 6, 2020 0:24:50 GMT
Poor ratπ’ They're just trying to survive in a world where humans have taken all their habitat π’ Still, they're not safe around children or food, and can't really coexist with us. I always feel badly for animals that die because of us π’ I googled relocating rats, and the pest control site said to relocate them at least 2 miles from the old location, and near a good food source. They're only looking for food. If they find it elsewhere, they'll happily stay there. Yeah, the local forest preserve is too close. I would say less than a mile. If we catch a rat (it is possible there are others, if one is spotted) I suppose it's possible that it might find another source of food as it makes its way back to my house, but that's no guarantee.
I do feel bad, though. There's no way to make everyone happy in this situation, including the rat.
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Post by Bean on Aug 6, 2020 7:18:07 GMT
I'm always grateful to not see anything than the odd rat passing through as I'm not sure what I'd be able to do if there were serious numbers or they were causing damage. Most people seem to put down poison, but that's a horrible way for them to go, so I know I wouldn't do that.
Ants are having a very good year this year - they're everywhere! If you eat outside and put your plate (with a few crumbs on) on the grass after, there's a party within minutes! We're leaving them to it (although I did put down some white vinegar on the floor when they started coming inside while we were having work done) and admiring how efficient hey are, but some of my neighbours have taken to pouring disinfectant on them?
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 6, 2020 23:15:48 GMT
Ugh! I think ants are worse than rats, though I'm not sure I'd want to confront a rat in the shed, where it feels trapped! Baz, I think it depends on what's between you and the forest preserve, and how much territory and food there is in the forest preserve. It's very possible the rat was born around your location, and doesn't even know about restaurants with lots of garbage, the forest preserve, etc. It's our nature to think they must have come from the wild, but that's not always the case. If there are neighborhoods, shopping areas, restaurants between you and the forest preserve, the rat probably wouldn't have any reason to come back to your house. It will go as little distance as possible for the greatest food rewards, and for save breeding territory. I think it's always better to humanely trap an animal, if you can, and relocate it. I doubt it has any homing instinct for your place, but was just passing through, looking for the best place. If that's the same rat seen dead in the street, it obviously looked a bit too far I'm not implying you're a bad person for killing for it, it's just not something I could do. We're overrun with chipmunks, and they're getting into the gardens. Some of our neighbors tried trapping them, but it didn't work. Clever little cusses So they've given up. Also, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, all want food for as little work as possible. Make it hard word. Put any seed or feed in metal trashcans they can't gnaw through, and they'll move on to someone else's house with easier pickings.
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Post by bazookagoof on Aug 7, 2020 0:24:07 GMT
Ugh! I think ants are worse than rats, though I'm not sure I'd want to confront a rat in the shed, where it feels trapped! Baz, I think it depends on what's between you and the forest preserve, and how much territory and food there is in the forest preserve. It's very possible the rat was born around your location, and doesn't even know about restaurants with lots of garbage, the forest preserve, etc. It's our nature to think they must have come from the wild, but that's not always the case. If there are neighborhoods, shopping areas, restaurants between you and the forest preserve, the rat probably wouldn't have any reason to come back to your house. It will go as little distance as possible for the greatest food rewards, and for save breeding territory. I think it's always better to humanely trap an animal, if you can, and relocate it. I doubt it has any homing instinct for your place, but was just passing through, looking for the best place. If that's the same rat seen dead in the street, it obviously looked a bit too far I'm not implying you're a bad person for killing for it, it's just not something I could do. We're overrun with chipmunks, and they're getting into the gardens. Some of our neighbors tried trapping them, but it didn't work. Clever little cusses So they've given up. Also, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, all want food for as little work as possible. Make it hard word. Put any seed or feed in metal trashcans they can't gnaw through, and they'll move on to someone else's house with easier pickings. I'm not offended.
There aren't any restaurants close to my area, so I don't know where the rat came from. I do know that for a while, when the restaurants closed due to the trumpvirus, rats had no food source and started traveling outwards towards the suburbs.
I have a soft spot for ants, too. When I lived in an apartment, there was a nest that came out of my tub. Once there was a dead moth in the tub, and the ants found it- I held off on showering for a few hours just so the ants could finish carrying away the carcass to their lair. (Yes, I'm THAT much of a softy.)
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Post by Bean on Aug 7, 2020 6:35:06 GMT
Oh you are a big softy, it's great!
The kids had us all carefully sweeping up each ant that came in the house and relocating it gently outside. At one point (after my son dropped a bit of syrup on the floor) there was a bit of an ant party (a short one), and there was some sadness for the unavoidable casualties caused by walking into the room!
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Post by bazookagoof on Aug 8, 2020 0:46:25 GMT
As a child, I used to be fond of ants that could be seen carrying items. I called them "working ants", as they were plainly busy as opposed to the random ant you might spot who's simply going from point A to point B.
On the flip side, I have seen my own mother stomp on ants in her backyard for no reason other than she doesn't like them. My daughter has witnessed this, and I have taken her aside to tell her that the ants aren't bothering anyone and should be left alone. If they end up in the house, it's easy to catch them and put them outside. (I don't ever remember my mother doing this when I was a child; these episodes have happened in the past few years.)
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 8, 2020 2:01:10 GMT
So sad your mother killed the ants in their outdoor habitat π’ A lot of people consider everything around them to be theirs. They worked for. They paid for it. No creatures of any kind are going to spoil it for them π’ They don't even consider that the creatures were here, first, and we took their habitat. Nope! Only humans matter π’
We spent our Spring capturing wasps and putting them outside, we keep a pint mason jar with the flat inner cap, so we can catch flying things that get inside, and take them back outside. Mosquitoes excluded. Bite me and die.
Rats love good foraging places, and places to make nests, like garbage dumps, which are great rat habitats I'm not suggesting you drop him off at a dump, just saying there are places they prefer even more than restaurants. Unless homes have a really good supply of food and nesting, they're probably checking out the whole neighborhood. If they don't find what they need, they'll move one.
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Post by Bean on Aug 10, 2020 6:18:57 GMT
This reminds me I must put my wildlife camera out again soon and see what's going on at night. I've seen hedgehogs a couple of times so will hopefully capture some action.
We've seen a few ants carrying other dead ants back to base. Apparently whether they take them back to base or elsewhere relates to how they died - they don't want to contaminate the nest. They're fascinating creatures.
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 10, 2020 23:38:23 GMT
They really are fascinating creatures. Just need to get ant colonies in unbreakable containers, lol You're back. You survived, which is good It must be nice to get back to the new renovation. You really didn't have much time in it before going away for the weekend. Did you take pics for them to see, or had they already seen pictures of it?
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