# US gov't to air-drop toxic mice on Guam snakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 22, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104 "2013-02-22T20:11:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/21 "2013-02-22T22:34:55Z")
Here’s the USDA web page about this. Along with the toxic mice (acetaminophen is very toxic to brown treesnakes) they’re testing or considering a number of different ideas, including snake contraception. [http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife\_damage/nwrc/research/bts/index.shtml](http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nwrc/research/bts/index.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/22 "2013-02-22T22:39:20Z")
“With god as my witness, I thought mice could fly.” – apologies to Les Nessman ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/23 "2013-02-22T22:40:34Z")
Ecuador has been poisoning rats in the Galapagos Islands, as the rats are an invasive species. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/24 "2013-02-22T22:49:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Ecuador has been poisoning rats in the Galapagos Islands, as the rats are an invasive species. So do snakes eat rats as well as mice? We may have a winning combination here… ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/25 "2013-02-22T23:47:37Z")
It sounds like they are starting this near an airport to help prevent the snakes from island-hopping on aircraft, to places like Hawaii. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/26 "2013-02-23T02:18:00Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > It sounds like they are starting this near an airport to help prevent the snakes from island-hopping on aircraft, to places like Hawaii. So they’re trying to avoid…_Snakes On A Plane!_ ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/27 "2013-02-23T03:09:01Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Laser-guided smart mice. Mice with frikin’ lasers attached to their heads? That’s just evil. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/28 "2013-02-23T03:13:26Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > It sounds like they are starting this near an airport to help prevent the snakes from island-hopping on aircraft, to places like Hawaii. Pfff… silly, they just need to set up a state-of-the-art passenger screening system in the airport and the snakes will be discouraged from air travel altogether. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/29 "2013-02-23T03:23:11Z")
…are you pondering what I’m pondering? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/30 "2013-02-23T03:45:08Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > There has to be a better way to deal with this problem. Dropping poisoned mice? Really? [del] Every other hungry animal on the island is as likely to eat the bait as the snakes are.[/del] OK, I see they are adding mini-parachute like things to hand the dead mice in tree branches. Adds comedic value. > > Why not pay a bounty for dead snakes? Let the locals solve the problem and earn a buck in the process. [They tried a test program for a bounty system](http://www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/resources/faq.asp#q8). Didn’t work, as people wouldn’t pursue the snakes into the jungles, and these provided a resevoir to repopulate the areas people did successfully hunt out. They’ve been dealing with this forever, so its probably a pretty safe bet that pretty much any solution that occurs to you after thinking about the problem few minutes has already been considered and tried. Unless airdropping mice with small parachutes stuffed with pain-killers occurs to you, in which case that hasn’t been tried, but that oversight will be remedied shortly. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/31 "2013-02-23T05:49:12Z")
Hire mercenaries. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/32 "2013-02-23T08:20:09Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Hire mercenaries. Well, [those snakes](http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-01-14) are green, but they do wear brown…trousers? I’m sure the good Sergeant can be flexible on this. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/33 "2013-02-23T08:35:02Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > …are you pondering what I’m pondering? Uh, I think so MacTech, but if you fill mice with aspirin, cats won’t get headaches anymore.Narf! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/34 "2013-02-23T12:09:14Z")
Did these mice enlist willingly? Or were they drafted? Were they sent to Fort Benning’s jump school for proper training? Or will they simply be shoved out the hatch? Anybody remember the old Michael Jackson song, Ben? (singing) _**Ben, you’re always running here and there You feel you’re not wanted anywhere If you ever look behind And don’t like what you find There’s something you should know You’ve got a place to go**_ \ (/singing) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/35 "2013-02-23T12:14:43Z")
I used to sing cadence when running the platoon… (singing) \*\*\*C-130 rollin’ down the strip Guam-bound mousies gonna take a little trip Stand up, buckle up, shuffle to the door Jump right out and shout, MARINE CORPS!! If my 'chute don’t open wide I’ve got another right by my side If that 'chute don’t open round I’ll be the first mousie on the ground Singin’ lo right-a layeft Lefty right-a layeft Lo right-a left right I love to double time\*\*\* (/singing) Do mice sing? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/36 "2013-02-23T12:24:10Z")
> [@echo7tango](#): > > Do mice sing? [Here ya go!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLu37VvCozw) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/37 "2013-02-23T12:48:49Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > [Here ya go!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLu37VvCozw) Thanks. At first that mouse sounded a bit like Flipper the dolphin! ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/38 "2013-02-23T12:58:15Z")
Sounds like a load of old cobras to me. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/39 "2013-02-23T16:43:49Z")
\*\*\*Fighting rodents from the sky Fearless mice who jump and die Mice who mean just what they say The brave mice of the Green Beret Silver wings upon their chest These are mice, America’s best One hundred mice will test today But only three win the Green Beret\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104/40 "2013-02-23T16:51:18Z")
Wait, do snakes eat dead mice? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-govt-to-air-drop-toxic-mice-on-guam-snakes/651104.md?page=3)