Our new Wallyhood Story Ideas link has begun to pay off. Today’s neighborhood tidbit comes from Ed P., who tipped us off that Stoneway Hardware (the “fastenerds”) sell more electric rat traps than any store in the country.
Stunned and amazed that Wallingford could have quietly won this crown without our knowing, we were lucky enough to buttonhole a Stoneway rep at yesterday’s Wallingford Chamber of Commerce to confirm. Yes, it’s true, he told us, Wallingford recently unseated a store in Queens, NY. He said that he got phone calls and e-mails all the time with testimonials from happy users (the humans, that is, not the rats).
When asked why, he speculated that it was the fine conditions offered by Greenlake, although we suspect Wallingford’s long-time devotion to backyard composting and our many blackberry bushes may contribute as well.
New York ain’t got nothin’ on Wallingford! We’re #1! We’re #1!
I used to live by Ravenna Park and when we had big spring rains, the ground at the park would get flooded. Rats would flee the park and enter the nearby houses to hide out until the ground dried out again.
We have 3 rat zappers. Love them. We considered making a rat-shaped rubber stamp to track our kills on the side of the house, but figured the neighbors might be grossed out.
Wally rats are no joke: I know 2 people who had the wiring in their vehicles gnawed away.
We had a rat infestation 3 years ago, 2 months before our daughter’s wedding. I about had a stroke, with relatives coming into town for afar…… Quite a distrubing noise hearing them race around the attic.
Got the place de-ratted and rat proof in short order. I think they were using the alder trees alongside the house to get to the roof & gutters….
Ivy and chickens are rat atrractors as well. Our neighbors had both for a while and we saw rats the size of squirrels dropping from trees at night to get to the chicken feed and to search for eggs. Once the chickens went away the rat problem improved, but it got even better once the nice ivy ground cover was eradicated.