Being out of work for the past 2 weeks due to my accident and noticing the rat population increasing along my property line next to my in-laws I decided to take some action.

First I set some rat poison out and the first couple of days they ate it, but then they wouldn't touch it. Also, due to the fact that my in-laws have an extreme fear of any kind of snake they kill them every chance they get which doesn't help keep the rat population down.

So, I started laying in wait for the vermin and shooting them with my Ruger 22/45 pistol. Being in a residential neighborhood and not being a dumbass...okay that's debatable...I made sure I was firing in a safe direction, but kept an ear out on the scanner. Sure enough, yesterday someone called the law and I high tailed in back inside and locked the pistol away in the safe. Saw the police ride by about 30 minutes later but they didn't stop.

After sun down last night I decided I'd try the blow gun. Unfortunately you need some light and the rats tend to shy away from the drop light even when you leave some good grub out for them. Managed to peg a couple of them but they just run off squeling with the dart sticking through them and I'm not sure they if will end up dying or not.

I've tried to get the county to do something about the neighbor two houses up and all his chickens but they just don't seem to want to take any action even though there are codes forbiding farm animals in a residential neighborhood. He's got some goats too!

So what am I suppose to do? Any suggestions?

Sweep, under no circumstances should you insulate the barrel and receiver of a .22 single shot longgun with plumbers insulation, and you should NEVER use ratshot as a load.

I think that might just be the answer!

Living next to the in-laws has it's advantages, we get along okay despite our differences...just wish they wouldn't kill all the snakes that come in to eat the rats!