New breed of poison-resistant ‘super rats’ spreading across the UK

"They eat poison like feed, you might as well be leaving out grain for them."

Dr Dougie Clarke, from the University of Huddersfield, said even poisons used by pest control experts were not strong enough to kill them.

www.news.com.au...

Evolution is alive and well...from bugs to weeds given time there are those who will be immune to antibiotics and poison that kills most however, those who survive and breed will give their offspring resistance. Shame Monsanto couldn't figure that out before their B.S. or the doctors who handed out antibiotics like candy...

reply to post by 727Sky


That's frigging disgusting and they also spread disease. It's worse on the poorer areas where people are less likely to be able to get ahold of small metal cage traps (re-useable, durable, not too cheap) and also less likely to be able to afford the medical care if they do get sick. Ugh.

If you live in an affected area buy your traps now before the price triples.

Let us hope that they do not start to train mutant sewer turtles in the ancient ways of martial arts, too.

Thank you peter hellier.

I, for one, would like to welcome our new poison-resistant 'super rat' overlords.

But all kidding aside. Rats have fleas.
we could see bubonic plague again in the uk if this isn't taken care of.


news.bbc.co.uk...

Evolution? I doubt it. What is more likely is that the dose of poison in the pellets was just on the threshold of being lethal to begin with and these rats are simply developing a tolerance to it like people with drugs will do to a certain dosage over time.

Another possible explanation is that they've figured out how to eat something else to help cleanse their systems the same way that certain monkeys eat charcoal to cleanse toxic plant residues.



They're the same rats with the same genes.

That doesn't make it less problematic, of course.

UK should issue .22LR, i've yet to see a rat that can adapt to a lead
slug in the head.

wont be long and they may be paying for tails.

reply to post by ketsuko


I wish I had that hair do

reply to post by severdsoul


Nah we use a shoe or a cat for them round here

severdsoul
UK should issue .22LR, i've yet to see a rat that can adapt to a lead
slug in the head.

wont be long and they may be paying for tails.

The Department of Work and Pensions has today announced that Trainee Apprenticeships in Rodent Management will be made available through the Work Programme. Government Minister, Ian Duncan Smith, stated in conference "We need to get the long term unemployed back to work, we will eliminate this vermin problem, and the Rat issue whilst we are at it"

/Daily Mail sarcasm

Just clone my cat, she'll take care of those rates with extreme prejudice!

MystikMushroom
Just clone my cat, she'll take care of those rates with extreme prejudice!

Except that they've been trying to poison them.

Have to get rid of all the poison, and give the rats time to clear the poison from their bodies, before they can sic predators on them...

Really big cats and big birds would then be a good idea

reply to post by 727Sky


Ain't evolution wonnerful?

Oh yeah. I forgot. No proof of evolution.



lalalalalala

reply to post by ketsuko

Evolution? I doubt it. ...these rats are simply developing a tolerance

Hmm. Could be "tolerance" IS evolution, kinda like "resistance." ...Did you know that antibiotic resistance in bacteria isn't passed on through the generations, but spreads horizontally, like a cold?

It's old news actually.

Lateral gene transfer and the nature of bacterial innovation

Unlike eukaryotes, which evolve principally through the modification of existing genetic information, bacteria have obtained a signi®cant proportion of their genetic diversity through the acquisition of sequences from distantly related organisms. Horizontal gene transfer produces extremely dynamic genomes in which substantial amounts of DNA are introduced into and deleted from the chromosome. These lateral transfers have effectively changed the ecological and pathogenic character of bacterial species.

SOS response promotes horizontal dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes

Mobile genetic elements have a crucial role in spreading anti- biotic resistance genes among bacterial populations.

i think ketsuko does not understand the concept of evolution.


anyway..... this is some scary stuff. i don't at ALL like the idea of resistant rats.

someone mentioned fleas..... that's another thing that has become resistant. those of us with pets know that the flea medications are becoming ineffective as recently as the last 2 years. resistant rats and resistant fleas. yikes!

reply to post by 727Sky

bring back the weekly bin collection and the problem will cure itself .
two weeks of rotting food in peoples backyards will attract these vermin .
when there is a plentiful food supply vermin of all types will prosper thrive .

pasiphae
i think ketsuko does not understand the concept of evolution.


anyway..... this is some scary stuff. i don't at ALL like the idea of resistant rats.

someone mentioned fleas..... that's another thing that has become resistant. those of us with pets know that the flea medications are becoming ineffective as recently as the last 2 years. resistant rats and resistant fleas. yikes!

I was going to say that too. The flea medications are becoming less and less effective.

Pests and all manner of short lived things are evolved to adapt very quickly, they make up for their short lives by ensuring their offspring are suited to survive, they breed often and immunities can appear from one liter to the next from the same parent(s). That is why treating pest problems with chemicals is ludicrous and offers only temporary relief... get cats and pull weeds and don't take antibiotics for colds!

Poison is one of my least favorite methods of pest control, underneath sticky traps. The best way is to make the area inhospitable for rats. Period.

because it doesn't matter how many you poison, if you live in a tastey environment, they are going to find their way back.

You have to remove food sources, cover trash, cover feed and ziplock your life. Your neighbors too, or all they do is shuffle back and forth between houses.

reply to post by 727Sky


Everyone there needs to get a pellet pistol to carry around with them. A 22 with bird shot works great for rats but the shells are kind of expensive. I never heard of rats being resistant to bullets. Oh yeah, that is right, this is England...no guns...your screwed guys.

reply to post by 727Sky

"They eat poison like feed, you might as well be leaving out grain for them."

This is what happened with antibiotics and bacteria in the early 2000's - the little suckers evolved to thrive on the stuff created to kill them. Seriously stupid to jump on that particular merry-go-round, imho. 'Cuz it IS gonna happen.