Mutant rats not affected by standard rat poisons, eat them like candy

[Dipper]

[quote]Three quarters of rats in parts of West 'resistant to poison'

An increasing number of rats in areas of the west of England are mutating to become more resistant to commonly sold poisons, a university study has found.

Scientists at Huddersfield University said about 75% of rats in Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire had built up a resistance.

The most serious mutations have affected rats in Bath and Wiltshire.

Experts have blamed the rise on the incorrect use of poisons where dosages which are too low have been used.

Rats which are resistant to the poison are fattened up by the bait. Those that survive then mate with other resistant rats, allowing a generation of rats resistant to existing poisons to build up.

Mutations have previously been found in many parts of the UK but the Huddersfield University study is the first time the extent of resistance has been measured in the West.

'Sugar Puffs'
Dr Dougie Clarke, head of biological sciences at Huddersfield University, said: "Some pest control companies are still using the same rodenticides - Bromadiolone and Difenacoum - in areas where there are resistant rats and things need to change.

"We're wiping out the normal susceptible rats and we're going to be left with resistant rats only in this area so alternatives have to be found so we're not using these poisons."

Fears are also growing over the risk to wildlife and cats which may hunt the rats.

Rat catcher Andy Beddows, from Gloucester, said: "If you're putting poison down and it's one of the mutant strain, if it takes a belly full of rodenticide you may as well be giving it Sugar Puffs."

He said the poison, which stays inside the rat, could then be passed on to other animals, such as birds of prey and cats, which eat rats.

The study aims to survey 25 councils across the country and test samples from 600 rats. So far, about 300 samples have been tested.

Although the research is not complete, the scientists said within 10 years all rats in the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol areas could be resistant to poisons.[/quote]

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19974261[/url]

[Whomobile]

No rats are resistant to rat traps right?

[I]right?[/I]

[yawmwen]

[QUOTE=Whomobile;38109358]No rats are resistant to rat traps right?

[I]right?[/I][/QUOTE]

In my area they are nearly completely ineffective.

[Kaihong]

[QUOTE=Whomobile;38109358]No rats are resistant to rat traps right?

[I]right?[/I][/QUOTE]

So far.

I think. Nothing science can't fix right?

[Joey Skylynx]

Welp. Time to start using Daisy BB Guns again.

[Saintsin]

I live on 6 acres and rats are common, I just throw out some rice or other food and sit and wait with a .22. Best solution for me

[Rocksalt]

[QUOTE=Saintsin;38109466]I live on 6 acres and rats are common, I just throw out some rice or other food and sit and wait with a .22. Best solution for me[/QUOTE]

THe rats they're talking about are the rats that hang around in cities and fight dogs to the death for the shits and giggles of it.

[scout1]

[QUOTE=Whomobile;38109358]No rats are resistant to rat traps right?

[I]right?[/I][/QUOTE]

Not the mechanical action of them, but they DO learn how to avoid them.

It's scary, yo. Evolution at work.

[Jarey_]

Think it's cause they're like every other animal, they can communicate and talk, guess they've learnt and spread the word about what's dangerous and such.

[Chronitonity]

Mutant rats can eat eat poison with no problem.
Has science gone to far?

[fancy ghost ☂]

[QUOTE=EnlightenDead;38109777]Mutant rats can eat eat poison with no problem.
Has science gone to far?[/QUOTE]

not until they grow human arms

[Professer Trall]

[img]http://cdn.gamerant.com/wp-content/uploads/Dark-Souls-Undead-Rat.jpg[/img]

Soon

[laserguided]

Still not immune to good old fashioned non-lethal cage traps.

[TurbisV2]

We should mutate rats with electrical traps and then train them to fight other animals with electricity

[Gekkosan]

[QUOTE=Whomobile;38109358]No rats are resistant to rat traps right?

[I]right?[/I][/QUOTE]

Why not just make sure the fucker's dead by shooting it?

[Sobotnik]

Evolution is honestly terrifying.

No matter how much we try to wipe out pests or rodents and various diseases, they keep finding out ways around it.

[Awesomecaek]

All what's missing is now a for human deadly bacteria immune to antibiotics which the rats would carry but would be immune to.

Also black magic.

I think we are a bit scarce on whales already, tho.

[chinatown]

Just set the sewers on fire. At least thats what the death squads do in Columbia, but instead of dirty rats its homeless kids :smith:

[geoface]

[QUOTE=TurbisV2;38110128]We should mutate rats with electrical traps and then train them to fight other animals with electricity[/QUOTE]

someones been playing too much pokemon again, haven't they

[Nerts]

[QUOTE=Saintsin;38109466]I live on 6 acres and rats are common, I just throw out some rice or other food and sit and wait with a .22. Best solution for me[/QUOTE]

This is mostly about rats in English cities, sitting up all night in a subway station or alley with a rifle isn't really going to work.

[Angry pepper]

[QUOTE=scout1;38109653]Not the mechanical action of them, but they DO learn how to avoid them.

It's scary, yo. Evolution at work.[/QUOTE]

Indeed, i imagine "Evolution 2" will be coming out when hollywood hears about this...

[GreenLeaf]

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;38111480]Evolution is honestly terrifying.

No matter how much we try to wipe out pests or rodents and various diseases, they keep finding out ways around it.[/QUOTE]

We're doing great with eliminating species we would like to keep like Rhinos, polar and panda bears but we absolutely suck at killing off rats!

[TCB]

Now all we need is mutant turtles.

[der_crow]

[QUOTE=angrypepper;38111751]Indeed, i imagine "Evolution 2" will be coming out when hollywood hears about this...[/QUOTE]

the last thing the world needs is another fucking 2 hour shampoo comercial again

[BorisJ]

[QUOTE=TurbisV2;38110128]We should mutate rats with electrical traps and then train them to fight other animals with electricity[/QUOTE]

[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5bE5aD3ZLpU/TF-e1N3bSQI/AAAAAAAAEZE/JbB5PM_P0LQ/s1600/pikachu-rat.jpg[/img]

[Maruhai]

It was bound to happen, humans progressively change to adapt to things dangerous to them.

Scientists are going to find a new poison against these rats and then in 200 years the new rats will be immune to said poison.

[Nerts]

Clearly we need to invent small robots that can chase them through cracks and crevices with two prongs on the front that deliver a fatal electric shock.

[Angry pepper]

[QUOTE=TurbisV2;38110128]We should mutate rats with electrical traps and then train them to fight other animals with electricity[/QUOTE]

Or have somebody create a recombinant mix between electric eel and rat... tho the rat might have to live underwater to use electricity...
Is'nt science a kick in the nuts?

[Simplemac3]

The rats we got last winter completely avoided every trap we set, and only left when I took my pellet gun and started killing them as they came out at night.

Wasn't pleasant.

[Chex]

Won't be immune to a [I]fucking baseball bat covered in nails kill it with fire oh my god[/I]