commensal

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Bailey
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commensal

Postby Bailey » Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:19 am

com·men·sal (k-mnsl)
adj.
Of, relating to, or characterized by a symbiotic relationship in which one species is benefited while the other is unaffected.
n.
An organism participating in a symbiotic relationship in which one species derives some benefit while the other is unaffected.



[Middle English, sharing a meal, from Medieval Latin commnslis : Latin com-, com- + Latin mnsa, table.]



com·mensal·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
House Mice and rats are considered to be commensal creatures that pretty much depend on Human food sources.

mark doesn't-like-the-sharing-of-my-table-sort-of-thing Bailey

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Make the most of it...
kb









sluggo
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Re: commensal

Postby sluggo » Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:15 am

com·men·sal (k-mnsl)
... in which one species derives some benefit while the other is unaffected.
... House Mice and rats are considered to be commensal creatures that pretty much depend on Human food sources.

mark doesn't-like-the-sharing-of-my-table-sort-of-thing Bailey
Such mice are the presently dominant population in this old house. As an unwilling participant in such a rodentical deal I'd protest my unwillingness therein. Symbiotic seems to imply mutual benefit or interdependence. I'm growing to hate meeces to pieces, so it would seem I'm not unaffected.

Slug-fair-warning-about-to-bring-home-many-cats-go
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:41 am

Yes, we, too, are affected by mice. They nest in places, leave their droppings in inconvenient places, and are generally a pest. Deer mice in the Amercan Southwest are known to carry the hantavirus. Since I'm allergic to cats, traps suffice for mice. A little peanut butter is generally irresistable. There are newer traps that are easier to load than the older style but are nonetheless just as effective. Around our house the motto is caveat mus!
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

sluggo
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Postby sluggo » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:58 pm

Around our house the motto is caveat mus!
Very good.
If only my tenants spoke mouse-Latin :cry:

I swore off peanut butter years ago but they seem to like the real nuts quite a lot. Still, the only thing I've trapped is my left hand. Other than that they love any grains of coarse, so all of that stuff is kept under tight seal. Last week they attacked what I thought an unlikely target -a stray piece of tomato.

I've read that mice dislike both mint and cayenne pepper, so I've taken to spreading both of those around. Has to be kept refreshed though. On the other hand they've never gone anywhere near the coffee...

If Bailey's dependence statement is to be believed, it would seem depriving their food source would be the answer. Would that it were that simple. I'm trying to lead them toward the back yard, where at sunset I can hear the owls awaken. :twisted:
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

Bailey
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Posts: 2114
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:51 pm

Postby Bailey » Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:39 pm

The only good mouse is one I never see; it or it's droppings.

mark kill-it bailey

I have a cat named D-Con.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Make the most of it...
kb









Stargzer
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Posts: 2578
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:56 pm
Location: Crownsville, MD

Postby Stargzer » Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:14 pm

Around our house the motto is caveat mus!
Very good.
If only my tenants spoke mouse-Latin :cry:
Eaksquay!
I swore off peanut butter years ago but they seem to like the real nuts quite a lot. Still, the only thing I've trapped is my left hand.
Look for one of these from D-Con to keep your hands safe. They cock easily via the lever on the back and you just lift up the cover and re-cock it over a trash bag to evict the previous intruder and set up for the next one.

This style doesn't have a cover but it's also easy to cock, evict the unwanted intruder, and reload. Victor makes a similar quick-set trap.

I've found both styles in grocery stores and hardware stores. Much easier on the fingers, and all those extra plastic grocery bags that you don't end up using on doggie potty patrol make great coffins to transport mice to their next-to-last resting place in the trash can.
... I'm trying to lead them toward the back yard, where at sunset I can hear the owls awaken. :twisted:
You need to get a copy of Tom Rush's Trolling for Owls CD! (OOH! He's got a cover picture for it now! Mine is an early copy with just the CD that I bought, with an autograph, mind you, at a concert in Annapolis.)


Star-"I hates those meeces to pieces!"-gzer
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee


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