Exterminating Rats With Deadly Automobile Exhaust Gas (Jul, 1931)
Filed under: Animals, Automotive — @ 10:49 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1931
| Buy on Ebay
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1931
| Buy on Ebay
Exterminating Rats With Deadly Automobile Exhaust Gas
“IF THE fumes from an automobile exhaust can kill humans, they should have the same effect on rats,” said the head of the Department of Health of Highland Park, Michigan. And so onto the exhaust pipe of a dilapidated Model T Ford discarded by the police officials, the health officers rigged up a rubber hose and established themselves as modern pied pipers.
The “hunters” first seal all the holes of the building to be operated upon, leaving just two openings. The hose is then inserted into one of these, the engine of the Ford coaxed to wheeze a bit, and the carbon monoxide does the rest.
But then they just leave the dead rats in the building to decompose…
Comment by Rick Auricchio — May 14, 2009 @ 12:50 am
But that is what happens to termites too when they tent your house………
Comment by Tracy B. — May 14, 2009 @ 3:49 pm
No, with termites they send rats in to eat the bodies.
Comment by Toronto — May 14, 2009 @ 4:01 pm
I get this bad feeling in my gut that Hitler saw this article, called up Himmler and said “Hey Heinrich! I just got a great idea…”
Comment by John M. Hanna — May 14, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
Don’t laugh: in Alberta, if a house along the border is found with rats and they can’t exterminate them, they’ll blow the house up. They are serious about rat control.
Comment by Charlene — May 14, 2009 @ 8:55 pm
This is such a cheerful little story.
Comment by Torgo — May 14, 2009 @ 9:04 pm
A big plate of stuffed cabbage and a garden hose I could achieve the same result
Comment by fred — May 16, 2009 @ 6:08 pm
We did this around 15 years ago to rats underneath a concrete slab with an old pick up truck. At first you could hear the rats cough a bit, then they kept blocking the tunnels with dirt. We had to shove a rod in a couple times to unblock the holes. Goes to show how smart rats are.
Comment by john — May 24, 2009 @ 2:19 am