Topic: Coronavirus thread

[Florestan]

Thank you all, gentlemen!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

While the people are away, the "mice" will play....

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/25/uk/rats-rise-lockdown-london-intl-gbr-scli/index.html

Shudder!  I'm glad that I'm spying more hawks in my neighborhood (or at least noticing the regulars more often).  As much as I enjoy seeing some of the birds at my neighbors' feeders, I also see a number of squirrels taking advantage of them....and I'm sure that there are other creatures taking advantage of the fallen seeds too.

I suspect that London isn't/won't be the only city or town dealing with an increase in vermin. 

PD

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

While the people are away, the "mice" will play....

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/25/uk/rats-rise-lockdown-london-intl-gbr-scli/index.html

Shudder!  I'm glad that I'm spying more hawks in my neighborhood (or at least noticing the regulars more often).  As much as I enjoy seeing some of the birds at my neighbors' feeders, I also see a number of squirrels taking advantage of them....and I'm sure that there are other creatures taking advantage of the fallen seeds too.

I suspect that London isn't/won't be the only city or town dealing with an increase in vermin. 

PD

Speaking of squirrels, not only are there more of them in my neighborhood than I can remember, ever (the result perhaps of fewer of them being run over during pandemic?), but they do not keep the distance from me they were wont to do pre-Covid.  It is not unusual now to have them come within two to three feet of me; perhaps a neighbor is feeding them out-of-hand.  Also, and this is going to sound peculiar:  pre-Covid squirrels seemed oblivious to human activity, though surely they were conscious of it.  Now I'm conscious of being observed.   

[ultralinear]

Now I'm conscious of being observed.   

Observed is OK.  The time to worry is when they start holding meetings about you.   (I also have squirrels...)

[Benji]

While the people are away, the "mice" will play....

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/25/uk/rats-rise-lockdown-london-intl-gbr-scli/index.html

Shudder!  I'm glad that I'm spying more hawks in my neighborhood (or at least noticing the regulars more often).  As much as I enjoy seeing some of the birds at my neighbors' feeders, I also see a number of squirrels taking advantage of them....and I'm sure that there are other creatures taking advantage of the fallen seeds too.

I suspect that London isn't/won't be the only city or town dealing with an increase in vermin. 

PD

I can confirm that this is very much true. The rats in my local park have multiplied noticeably and are now bold as brass. They just go about their business feet away from people with little fear. I have two regulars in my garden - a small one and a gigantic one. It is a constant struggle to keep them out of the compost bin - I have had to relocate it and essentially place it atop a couple of layers of steel mesh. Seems to be doing the job of stopping them burrowing in from beneath. I also switched to the bokashi method for food scraps, so nothing goes in the compost until it's well fermented. The rodents don't seem to like the pickled smell. I'm also switching my bird feeders to ones that don't allow for spillage onto the ground. I'm sure the squirrels will take up the challenge - they are smart things. Last summer one was trying to get into my house through a slightly ajar window, whilst I was right there watching it. Not sure what his game plan was once he was in (I did ask but, you know...). 

[André]

Squirrels galore here too. Including a probable intruder in the attic space. We can hear the busy critter up there...

[Que]

While the people are away, the "mice" will play....

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/25/uk/rats-rise-lockdown-london-intl-gbr-scli/index.html

Shudder!  I'm glad that I'm spying more hawks in my neighborhood (or at least noticing the regulars more often).  As much as I enjoy seeing some of the birds at my neighbors' feeders, I also see a number of squirrels taking advantage of them....and I'm sure that there are other creatures taking advantage of the fallen seeds too.

I suspect that London isn't/won't be the only city or town dealing with an increase in vermin. 

PD

I read there is a similar problem with rats in Rotterdam...

[Pohjolas Daughter]

As someone else here mentioned, I think that part of the problem (particularly re squirrels) is less car/vehicle traffic, but I also suspect that more people have put up bird feeders during this pandemic.  I do know, for example, from what Cornell has reported, that there are a lot more people bird watching these days....which I suspect would probably also have lead to a rise in people putting up feeders.  Good for the birds, but also good for other 'critters' too.

PD

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Could be Mother Nature reckoning, "Man's fouled up times enough, let's give the squirrels a chance."

[Irons]

As someone else here mentioned, I think that part of the problem (particularly re squirrels) is less car/vehicle traffic, but I also suspect that more people have put up bird feeders during this pandemic.  I do know, for example, from what Cornell has reported, that there are a lot more people bird watching these days....which I suspect would probably also have lead to a rise in people putting up feeders.  Good for the birds, but also good for other 'critters' too.

PD

I have cracked it! After years attempting to outwit squirrels and failing miserably I have come up with a sure fire winner, dried mealworms. Birds love them and squirrels are not interested. 

[Mirror Image]

One thing I’ve noticed since the pandemic has hit has been the abundance of deer where I live. Some of them aren’t scared of humans either as I saw someone out jogging and a deer walked right past this person like she was one of them.

[steve ridgway]

That’s nice. We’ve seen a few foxes although they go the other way when they see the dogs.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I have cracked it! After years attempting to outwit squirrels and failing miserably I have come up with a sure fire winner, dried mealworms. Birds love them and squirrels are not interested.

Dried mealworms?!  I'll ask you more about your solution, but I'll post it in the bird thread.

[Mandryka]

That’s nice. We’ve seen a few foxes although they go the other way when they see the dogs.

I hate them. One of them has managed to chew their way through the cable in the garden lighting, another has chewed through an irrigation pipe, a few weeks ago I was woken up by a foxy orgy. Honestly I’d get a gun and shoot the bastards if it wasn’t for  having to sweep up the bodies and put them in the bin afterwards.

[Holden]

I hate them. One of them has managed to chew their way through the cable in the garden lighting, another has chewed through an irrigation pipe, a few weeks ago I was woken up by a foxy orgy. Honestly I’d get a gun and shoot the bastards if it wasn’t for  having to sweep up the bodies and put them in the bin afterwards.

You'd also need a gun and from what I can gather gun ownership is very strictly controlled in the UK.

[Mandryka]

Interesting documentary (BBC) for those who are curious about the possibilities in 2022 and after -- a bit British-centric maybe, but still interesting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p093wpgw/cant-get-you-out-of-my-head-series-1-1-part-one-bloodshed-on-wolf-mountain

[steve ridgway]

You'd also need a gun and from what I can gather gun ownership is very strictly controlled in the UK.

Yeah, I once went on a visit to a gun club and made the mistake of telling a member the simplest method of screening would simply be to deny a licence to any man still living with his parents. Oops.

[DavidW]

Teachers in my state are eligible to receive the vaccine starting next week!  (I'm a teacher so this is good news for me)

[BasilValentine]

Squirrels galore here too. Including a probable intruder in the attic space. We can hear the busy critter up there...

Kill it quick. I've seen those little buggers ransack and defile homes. A neighbor, after being gone for a week, returned to find their mess all over and had to hire a cleaning service.

[MusicTurner]

- there's a real lot of talk about vaccines being delayed here in DK (Pfizer, Astra Zeneca) but in reality it seems to be only for a few weeks, and media are not really mentioning the other vaccines that will be coming quite soon, such as Johnson & Johnson.
(...)

Rumours were a bit too optimistic about J&J, but now at least an approval of it is expected around the 11th of March. The EU, including DK, has massive orders waiting.

- Our PM Frederiksen is causing a stir with going, together with Israel and Austria, into a project for producing second-generation vaccines - that is, apparently outside EU cooperation.

- apparently, following the ebb-and-flow first weeks, vaccines, including Pfizer, will now be arriving on a quicker and larger scale here than expected, possibly giving hope for earlier vaccines.

- some local outbreaks causing special measures such as massive testing there, etc. Infection levels generally stable here, they say that the partial opening up since yesterday might cause a rise in a week or two.