Rat Poison Found At Cache

[+Garmin Guy]

I was just wondering if anyone else has found such a thing at a cache before? I was amazed to find this small bag of pink wheat which was obviously purchased from a shop as it had a printed label with "Rat Poison" on it.

Fox's Cousin What amazed me even more was that the owner had placed it in there at the start! He called it "Fox Bait". Anyhow I removed it and binned it straight away.

[+reveritt]

That was a totally inappropriate thing to put in a cache. You did the right thing.

[+Agent K]

Let's hope there were rats in there!

[+Renegade Knight]

I've seen a lot of poison left out for mice and rodents since caching. It's a widespread practice when a business is interested in keeping the mice out. Until caching (and looking in odd spots) I'd never seen such a thing. Rat poison in a cache though is another thing entirely. Makes you think even more that food in a cache is a bad idea.

[+BlueDeuce]

Send a note to contact@Groundspeak.com

 

It is always best to have a history.

 

Some people in charge won't take action without it and you don't want to be one of five who knew about the poison but didn't mention it until after somebody died.

[+Wily Javelina]

Probably should remove it and post note. Also, do not eat it and wash hands after handling.

[+Rick618]

Did someone think to contact the cache owner and ask about the contents? It says fox bait and that may be a local joke but, still not good for swag and advise against leaving that type item again.

 

Owner appears to be a new cache hider so may have glossed over that part of the guidelines. The right and tactful approach should solve the problem.

[+The Leprechauns]

Wow! I hope that the listing page used the "No hamstercaching!" attribute icon!

[+dogbreathcanada]

Send a note to contact@Groundspeak.com

Don't bother. I reported someone in my area who had admitted to spraying Raid and leaving mothballs at one of her cache sites. Geocaching did nothing about it.

 

BTW, I don't think the rat poison was in the cache, but was next to the cache. Which, imo, makes it an even worse offense. (Although leaving rat poison as a cache gift is pretty bad to begin with.)

[+deimos444]

That sucks.

[+ATMA]

That is pretty whack-o. Maybe he wanted to protect the cache container in case someone left some SPAM in it.

[Second of Bestest Duo]

I find it funny that I ran across this post because just today I ran across a small mouse (or rat--didn't stick around to find out!) at one of the caches! [Come to think of it, he wasn't moving very fast.....] Even so, I can't believe someone would put rat poison in or near a cache....too many young kids geocache with their parents!

[+Robespierre]

I have one cache in a wooden box, and a mouse raised a family therein this spring, and continues to surprise cachers...... and I'm debating what to do. It hasn't gotten inside the tupperware or hurt anything, but some people find it creepy. suggestions?

[+Frodo13]

It hardly seems necessary to condem rat poision, or any substance that could cause harm to unsuspecting people, kids, geocachers, etc. Even if the poison was outside the cache to "protect" it, its bad news. I think reporting it as well as posting a note on the cache log page warning people about it is a good idea.

 

I emptied a bottle of kids toy bubbles that had leaked inside a waterproof cache container and ruined everything, seems sorta mild in comparison.

[BVCY Swim]

I have one cache in a wooden box, and a mouse raised a family therein this spring, and continues to surprise cachers...... and I'm debating what to do. It hasn't gotten inside the tupperware or hurt anything, but some people find it creepy. suggestions?

We found your cache with the mouse, but didn't find it creepy. The mouse was rather cute. We logged the cache, returned any straw bedding, and replaced the cache. He's been there for a while according to previous cacher logs. So I'd say he's found a nice & safe home and I'd just let him stay.