esrosedotblog

RATRICIDE

Two mornings running now I have found a dead rat out behind the pool equipment pad.

To be accurate, I have found one and one half rats out there. Today's rat had its front third removed. Only the belly and ass remained.

Something (cat, owl, coyote, or other) is leaving them there.

I once found a hawk eating a dove out in the same spot. It is sort of hidden from the rest of the yard. But, I don't think that hawks eat at night. They sleep.

I don't want Franklin getting into the dead rat thing. So far, he has shown no interest except to sniff all around the area; I think for the animal or bird that ate the rat.

So now there is something else to take a look after.

I don't mind. I take the dead thing by the tail and loft it over the fence into 'no mans land'.

There is a pocket here that borders between three neighbors' walls. It belongs to someone but we are not too sure who it is. No one cares.

I assume that the predator whose rats these are can find their work on the other side of the fence as well as on this one.

Maybe it will take the hint and start eating the rats over there where no human will bother it.

I like that something is killing the rats. There are a lot of them in the trees up the hill. They are not a problem for us but they drive Franklin nuts with their scurrying noises. All that dry palm.

Not a reason to exterminate them which I would not do in any case.

But, now. Letting nature take its course.

That is OK.

I just wish it would take its course a little more completely and let the thing eat all the rat.

No leavings.

A clean plate.