My garage had a visit from a wanabee electrician,

First stripping cable ...

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4202.jpg

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4216.jpg

I guess that rubbish (ex-chair stuffing) below the cable could have gone
up in flames had not a RCD taken the circuit out.

-&-

Second, disconnecting switches ...

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4213.jpg

Small failure here. The blighter is obviously confused to the difference
between a torpedo light switch and a nut! I found the switch elsewhere
in the garage. Perhaps keeping for later burial.


The place is now full of bits of shredded cardboard, a bit of cleanup
job is required tommorow :-(

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4201.jpg

I've spent much of today sealing up entry holes around the building,
replacing cable, and also had a few cheeky visits from the intruder. I
find squirrels in the garden fascinating to watch, but when they get
inside, ermmmm ....

--
Adrian C

On 06/12/2011 17:39, Adrian C wrote:

My garage had a visit from a wanabee electrician,

My Sunday lie-in was spoiled by having to jump out of bed and get a
ladder to chase the little s****** out of our loft.

Hasn't been back. I hope I scared it.

Andy

Adrian C wrote:
My garage had a visit from a wanabee electrician,

First stripping cable ...

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4202.jpg

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4216.jpg

I guess that rubbish (ex-chair stuffing) below the cable could have
gone up in flames had not a RCD taken the circuit out.

-&-

Second, disconnecting switches ...

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4213.jpg

Small failure here. The blighter is obviously confused to the
difference between a torpedo light switch and a nut! I found the
switch elsewhere in the garage. Perhaps keeping for later burial.


The place is now full of bits of shredded cardboard, a bit of cleanup
job is required tommorow :-(

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4201.jpg

I've spent much of today sealing up entry holes around the building,
replacing cable, and also had a few cheeky visits from the intruder. I
find squirrels in the garden fascinating to watch, but when they get
inside, ermmmm ....

Pure class photos. Thanks (and also sorry).


--
Adam

* Sometimes I like to lay in my neighbours garden and pretend to be a
carrot *

On Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:39:14 +0000, Adrian C wrote:

I find squirrels in the garden fascinating to watch, but when they get
inside, ermmmm ....

Presumably a grey? They aren't knicknamed "tree rats" without reason.
I hear that they taste OK.

Blocking holes might not be very succesfull, if it wants to get back
in it'll find a weakness and gnaw it's way in.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In article , Adrian C
writes

My garage had a visit from a wanabee electrician,

First stripping cable ...

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4202.jpg

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4216.jpg

I guess that rubbish (ex-chair stuffing) below the cable could have gone
up in flames had not a RCD taken the circuit out.

I wonder if not having an RCD would have stopped the vandalism sooner
(leaving a fried rodent).

I have created an electric mousetrap in the past and it was very
effective.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

In article ,
Adrian C wrote:
I've spent much of today sealing up entry holes around the building,
replacing cable, and also had a few cheeky visits from the intruder. I
find squirrels in the garden fascinating to watch, but when they get
inside, ermmmm ....

My next door neighbour of some time back - a very keen gardener who did
wonders with such a tiny London garden - had one get in his greenhouse
once and wreck everything he was growing for the coming year. Couldn't
believe such a small animal could wreak such havoc.

--
*How do they get the deer to cross at that yellow road sign?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

fred wrote:

I wonder if not having an RCD would have stopped the vandalism sooner
(leaving a fried rodent).

Possibly, but I can recall in the distant past my mother getting an
electric shock from the cooker. When the electricity board investigated
it was found that a rat had eaten through the twin and earth cable
leading to the cooker, allowing the earth to contact the line. The 30A
fuse didn't blow and there was no sign of a fried rat, just the teeth
marks on the cable.

Possibly, but I can recall in the distant past my mother getting an
electric shock from the cooker. When the electricity board investigated
it was found that a rat had eaten through the twin and earth cable
leading to the cooker, allowing the earth to contact the line. The 30A
fuse didn't blow and there was no sign of a fried rat, just the teeth
marks on the cable.

rats dont have nerves in their teeth past a few mm at the very top, their
incisors are a good inch or 2 long, so are pretty insulated as they grow
constiantly and are designed to be worn down... and sharpened by them
grinding their teeth side to side.

they'd only get a shock if their lips touched the live wires (and rats lips
are behind their front teeth, so they can chew on stuff that may be
poisonous and not risk swallowing any),

they seem to be attracted to the magnetic field in wires or something like
that, i keep pet rats, and had one of them decide to bite into the modem
cable once, heard a crack and a squeak, net went down, 10 seconds later
another crack and a squeak as the little bugger had wandered a foot up the
cable and snipped it again,
it being a small cable he'd managed to snip all the wires at once and get a
shock, the shocks didnt deter him,
a few days after i'd replaced the cable, i hung it out of his reach i
thought, but them buggers can jump 3 feet with ease, and he jumped and hung
onto it, then nibbled thru it and swung to the ground tarzan style,

In article ,
"Gazz" writes:

they seem to be attracted to the magnetic field in wires or something like
that,

I think it's the plasticised PVC - just the right texture for gnawing
teeth on to wear them, as is required by animals whose teeth grow
continuously.

Having once cut through an unexpectedly live T&E cable, and having
a copper plated thumb to show for it for a couple of days, I have
this vision of a rat with a gold tooth, or at least, a copper plated
tooth from the vaporised copper resulting from the arc flash.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Adrian C wrote:
I've spent much of today sealing up entry holes around the building,
replacing cable, and also had a few cheeky visits from the intruder. I
find squirrels in the garden fascinating to watch, but when they get
inside, ermmmm ....

My next door neighbour of some time back - a very keen gardener who did
wonders with such a tiny London garden - had one get in his greenhouse
once and wreck everything he was growing for the coming year. Couldn't
believe such a small animal could wreak such havoc.

Conversely a 22 air rifle will knock them stone dead

greys are classed as vermin IIRC.

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
..I have
this vision of a rat with a gold tooth, or at least, a copper plated
tooth from the vaporised copper resulting from the arc flash.


I have a vision of Hazel Blears....

"Adrian C" wrote in message
...

My garage had a visit from a wanabee electrician,

First stripping cable ...

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4202.jpg

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4216.jpg

I guess that rubbish (ex-chair stuffing) below the cable could have gone
up in flames had not a RCD taken the circuit out.

-&-

Second, disconnecting switches ...

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4213.jpg

Small failure here. The blighter is obviously confused to the difference
between a torpedo light switch and a nut! I found the switch elsewhere in
the garage. Perhaps keeping for later burial.


The place is now full of bits of shredded cardboard, a bit of cleanup job
is required tommorow :-(

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4201.jpg

I've spent much of today sealing up entry holes around the building,
replacing cable, and also had a few cheeky visits from the intruder. I
find squirrels in the garden fascinating to watch, but when they get
inside, ermmmm ....

If you want to catch him to release somewhere less of a problem like the
local park just get a squirrel cage (I have one I use for rat catching) and
catch him to release later rather than suffer more damage

On 06/12/2011 20:58, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:39:14 +0000, Adrian C wrote:

I find squirrels in the garden fascinating to watch, but when they get
inside, ermmmm ....

Presumably a grey?

Yup.

They aren't knicknamed "tree rats" without reason.
I hear that they taste OK.

SWMBO has read details on making squirrel curry. Ye can actually buy
them ready prep'ed for cooking. "taste between duck and lamb"

http://www.wildmeat.co.uk/squirrel_meat.htm?ac=HXN5N-U

Blocking holes might not be very succesfull, if it wants to get back
in it'll find a weakness and gnaw it's way in.


With the defences I've put in (concrete and steel wire), he will need to
carry an Angle Grinder with him

--
Adrian C

In article ,
RCW wrote:
If you want to catch him to release somewhere less of a problem like the
local park just get a squirrel cage (I have one I use for rat catching)
and catch him to release later rather than suffer more damage

That would be great round here. There are thousands.

--
*"I am " is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Huge" wrote in message
...
On 2011-12-06, Gazz wrote:

(and rats lips
are behind their front teeth,

Tosh.

????

i'll see if Ruby will let me take a photo of her lips then if you like,

they have facial skin over their mouth, but the actual lips are behind the
front incisors, as mentioned, they are like that so they can gnaw on stuff
and not swallow it/fill their mouth up with shavings.

if they come accross something new that they think might be edible, they
will nibble on it without swallowing (hence the handy lips behind the teeth)
then wait a while to see if they get an reaction to the potential food
source, if they do, they will lay a pile of turds on or by the poisonous
stuff to warn others,

if it's ok with the gnaw test, they will then swallow a little and again
wait, they cant puke so anything bad has to go it's full course through them
and out the other end,

they get caught out by the rat poisons because they dont produce a reaction
untill it's too late, and it's in grains that they are used to eating, it
usually takes a few meals of poisoned grain before it gets them (hence rat
catchers can tell when the poison is being eaten as the green will show up
in their turds)

They are very cautious to new foods, i've introduced rat kittens to older
rats, and they would only eat the food the breeder supplied, it took them a
while of watching the older rats eating stuff they'd not seen before before
they tried it.

Rat's dont actually 'need' to gnaw on stuff to wear their teeth down, their
teeth are made up of a hard enamel surface on the front and a softer
substance on the rear, when they brux (moving their teeth side to side
against each other) they wear down the rear softer stuff, sharpening the
hard enamel to a chisel point, and every now and then they will brux front
to back breaking off excess enamel if needed.

i've kept fancy rats since i was 11 (am 34 now) so have had plenty of time
to study their habits, and i can get up close to them and see things you
just wouldent do with a wild rat, like look in their mouths.... heck, some
people think rats only have the 4 front teeth, they have a set of molars,
but they are right at the back of the jaw.... spaced further back due to the
lip position and you wont see them unless the rat willingly opens it's mouth
wide to open those lips,
They grind all their food to a paste before swallowing, hence they can
safely eat chicken bones as they will never swallow a splinter of one like a
dog can.

anyway, enough of the rat 101, you can tell i love the little buggers, but
it's the fancy rats i like (who are as loyal as a dog), the wild ones are a
different matter, i dont hate them but dont appreciate the dammage they can
cause, and as i now have an aviary, i need to keep wild ones away,

On 07/12/2011 09:39, Adrian C wrote:
On 06/12/2011 20:58, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:39:14 +0000, Adrian C wrote:

I find squirrels in the garden fascinating to watch, but when they get
inside, ermmmm ....

Presumably a grey?

Yup.

They aren't knicknamed "tree rats" without reason.
I hear that they taste OK.

SWMBO has read details on making squirrel curry. Ye can actually buy
them ready prep'ed for cooking. "taste between duck and lamb"

http://www.wildmeat.co.uk/squirrel_meat.htm?ac=HXN5N-U

How bloody much?!?

Blocking holes might not be very succesfull, if it wants to get back
in it'll find a weakness and gnaw it's way in.


With the defences I've put in (concrete and steel wire), he will need to
carry an Angle Grinder with him



--
Unlock Your Phone's Potential
www.UselessInfo.org.uk
www.ThePhoneLocker.co.uk
www.GSM-Solutions.co.uk

On 07/12/2011 10:39, Adrian C wrote:
On 06/12/2011 20:58, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:39:14 +0000, Adrian C wrote:

I find squirrels in the garden fascinating to watch, but when they get
inside, ermmmm ....

Presumably a grey?

Yup.

They aren't knicknamed "tree rats" without reason.
I hear that they taste OK.

SWMBO has read details on making squirrel curry. Ye can actually buy
them ready prep'ed for cooking. "taste between duck and lamb"

http://www.wildmeat.co.uk/squirrel_meat.htm?ac=HXN5N-U

Blocking holes might not be very succesfull, if it wants to get back
in it'll find a weakness and gnaw it's way in.


With the defences I've put in (concrete and steel wire), he will need to
carry an Angle Grinder with him


Just hope it doesn't read this newsgroup of it will come prepared.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

With the defences I've put in (concrete and steel wire), he will need to
carry an Angle Grinder with him


Just hope it doesn't read this newsgroup of it will come prepared.

he might just be panning that, he'd already exposed the source of
electricity he'll tap into to power the grinder

On 07/12/2011 06:19, RCW wrote:
If you want to catch him to release somewhere less of a problem like the
local park just get a squirrel cage (I have one I use for rat catching)
and catch him to release later rather than suffer more damage

(one) He'll be back.
(two) He may be followed by Mr Plod, anxious to talk to you about
releasing alien animals into the UK. Seriously. It's an offence.

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00M..._squirrels.htm

Andy

On 07/12/2011 20:49, Andy Champ wrote:
On 07/12/2011 06:19, RCW wrote:
If you want to catch him to release somewhere less of a problem like the
local park just get a squirrel cage (I have one I use for rat catching)
and catch him to release later rather than suffer more damage

(one) He'll be back.

Mine is back alright, He's crawling like spiderman around all the
outside walls of the garage looking for a way back in!

(two) He may be followed by Mr Plod, anxious to talk to you about
releasing alien animals into the UK. Seriously. It's an offence.

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00M..._squirrels.htm


Interesting link on the particulars of the animal, thanks :-)

Just been reading this about someone who got fined £1500 last year for
killing a grey squirrel, by drowning it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ear...squirrels.html

So say if I catch nutkin in a cage, and by trial of the crime of 1)
messing up my garage and 2) being a caught grey squirrel; I offer him
the death sentence, how do I give him an adequate blow to the back of
the head without bludgeoing the poor critter to death, and risking
counterattack? I don't have a gun. I'd probably have to feed him rat
poison, the effects of which won't be very nice to observe...

Makes me want to build a big wire cage, and keep him as a pet in life
imprisonment.

--
Adrian C

On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:39:46 +0000, Adrian C wrote:

With the defences I've put in (concrete and steel wire), he will need to
carry an Angle Grinder with him

They do. Don't underestimate the damage that a rodents teeth can do.
OK copper is a bit softer than steel but there are marks on your
exposed conductor. Anything less than 1mm dia steel wire might not be
enough.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:26:49 +0000, Adrian C

So say if I catch nutkin in a cage, and by trial of the crime of 1)
messing up my garage and 2) being a caught grey squirrel; I offer him
the death sentence, how do I give him an adequate blow to the back of
the head without bludgeoing the poor critter to death, and risking
counterattack? I don't have a gun. I'd probably have to feed him rat
poison, the effects of which won't be very nice to observe...

You're going to hold down a wild squirrel with ONE hand while
attempting to club it to death with the other? Can you _please_ get
somebody to video this? And arrange for them to post it while you're
having your wounds dressed ;-
My brother in law steps on their skulls (while I throw up) but he's a
river/game warden, rufty, tufty country type.
Ask down the pub for a competent air gunner - not the local kids - one
who is preferably a club member and/or vermin controller too, one
shot, all over. Or borrow an air pistol.

in 1086876 20111207 094713 Huge wrote:
On 2011-12-07, Tim Streater wrote:

AIUI, releasing a grey squirrel once caught is illegal.

Correct. Greys are legally vermin.


Red squirrel = protected species
Grey squirrel = condemned species

Racism or playing God?

In article , Harry
scribeth thus
On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:26:49 +0000, Adrian C

So say if I catch nutkin in a cage, and by trial of the crime of 1)
messing up my garage and 2) being a caught grey squirrel; I offer him
the death sentence, how do I give him an adequate blow to the back of
the head without bludgeoing the poor critter to death, and risking
counterattack? I don't have a gun. I'd probably have to feed him rat
poison, the effects of which won't be very nice to observe...

You're going to hold down a wild squirrel with ONE hand while
attempting to club it to death with the other? Can you _please_ get
somebody to video this? And arrange for them to post it while you're
having your wounds dressed ;-
My brother in law steps on their skulls (while I throw up) but he's a
river/game warden, rufty, tufty country type.
Ask down the pub for a competent air gunner - not the local kids - one
who is preferably a club member and/or vermin controller too, one
shot, all over. Or borrow an


air pistol.

What for?, to whack them over the head with whilst holing them in the
other hand?...

U should get out more;!...
--
Tony Sayer

In message , tony sayer
writes
In article , Harry
scribeth thus
On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:26:49 +0000, Adrian C

So say if I catch nutkin in a cage, and by trial of the crime of 1)
messing up my garage and 2) being a caught grey squirrel; I offer him
the death sentence, how do I give him an adequate blow to the back of
the head without bludgeoing the poor critter to death, and risking
counterattack? I don't have a gun. I'd probably have to feed him rat
poison, the effects of which won't be very nice to observe...

You're going to hold down a wild squirrel with ONE hand while
attempting to club it to death with the other? Can you _please_ get
somebody to video this? And arrange for them to post it while you're
having your wounds dressed ;-
My brother in law steps on their skulls (while I throw up) but he's a
river/game warden, rufty, tufty country type.
Ask down the pub for a competent air gunner - not the local kids - one
who is preferably a club member and/or vermin controller too, one
shot, all over. Or borrow an


air pistol.

What for?, to whack them over the head with whilst holing them in the
other hand?...

U should get out more;!...

I still can't believe that the RSPCA brought a prosecution against
someone for drowning a trapped Squirrel.

regards

--
Tim Lamb

On Dec 8, 7:43*am, Harry wrote:
On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:26:49 +0000, Adrian C

So say if I catch nutkin in a cage, and by trial of the crime of 1)
messing up my garage and 2) being a caught grey squirrel; I offer him
the death sentence, how do I give him an adequate blow to the back of
the head without bludgeoing the poor critter to death, and risking
counterattack? I don't have a gun. I'd probably have to feed him rat
poison, the effects of which won't be very nice to observe...

You're going to hold down a wild squirrel with ONE hand while
attempting to club it to death with the other? Can you _please_ get
somebody to video this? And arrange for them to post it while you're
having your wounds dressed ;-
My brother in law steps on their skulls (while I throw up) but he's a
river/game warden, rufty, tufty country type.
Ask down the pub for a competent air gunner - not the local kids - one
who is preferably a club member and/or vermin controller too, one
shot, all over. Or borrow an air pistol.

This thread is sounding more and more like the "Death Wish" sequel
that Charles Bronson should have made...

--
Halmyre

On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:26:49 +0000, Adrian C
wrote:

Just been reading this about someone who got fined £1500 last year for
killing a grey squirrel, by drowning it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ear...squirrels.html

"It is therefore illegal to kill a squirrel by drowning, asphyxiation
or bludgeoning to death. "

What a load of ****ing cock.
A nice hose of CO would do the job, painlessly and quickly.

On Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:11:36 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:


Red squirrel = protected species
Grey squirrel = condemned species

Racism or playing God?

****ing greys brought it on themselves, coming over here, stealing our
jobs... *******s.

Here, in Ireland, the grey is encroaching but not as much as in the
UK. I've seen plenty of reds, but the battle is still being fought.

wrote:
On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:26:49 +0000, Adrian C
wrote:

Just been reading this about someone who got fined £1500 last year for
killing a grey squirrel, by drowning it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ear...squirrels.html

"It is therefore illegal to kill a squirrel by drowning, asphyxiation
or bludgeoning to death. "

What about having its neck broken by Small Furry Animals (TM)

What a load of ****ing cock.
A nice hose of CO would do the job, painlessly and quickly.

Exactly so.

On Dec 6, 9:42*pm, fred wrote:

I wonder if not having an RCD would have stopped the vandalism sooner
(leaving a fried rodent).

I have created an electric mousetrap in the past and it was very
effective.

I was thinking that.
How would you fix it safely to let fly and not do worse quicker
though?