Overkill: noun 1 -- the amount by which destruction of the capacity for destruction exceeds what is necessary. 2 -- excessive treatment or action: too much of something.
That's the Oxford Dictionary's definition of overkill, and there are some that may say that it applies to a new mouse-trap devised and ready to go on sale this week. Made by Rentokil, a pest control agency, the Rodent Activated Detention and Riddance Unit (Radar) is definitely a device that will go down well with animal-rights advocates.
According to Rentokil, the trap is the most humane, and the smartest ever to go on sale.
"It is James Bond technology," said Jed Kenrick, Rentokil's managing director. "We have used the strategies applied by the security industry for dealing with intruders in buildings, but this trap is just 10 inches long."
The trap is a 10 inch long tunnel, which preys upon a mouse's natural inquisitiveness, luring it in with the hope that there will be food inside. Passing through the tube, it sets of one, then a second infrared beam, the second of which will initiate doors at either end to seal.
The overkill aspect sets in now, when the chamber our little mousey friend is trapped in is pumped full of carbon dioxide. The CO2 displaces the oxygen, and ends Mousey's life in about 65 seconds. Also, just in case you're of the absent minded type, a sensor on the trap will then send you a text message to indicate the loss of Mousey's life.
Some hundred times more expensive than your average 10 cent trap, the device is the final in a list of choices Rentokil looked, involving a similar device that, instead of pumping the mouse full of carbon dioxide, injected it with a bubble of air and subsequently caused an embolism.
The Radar can be safely deployed in homes however, unlike other less humane traps which often rely on poisons, and cause harm to unwary children. So, though it may be overkill, it would seem that the Radar is a step back to the days of humane animal killings. Personally though, I'll just be letting my cat do the job for me -- seems a little cheaper.
Joshua Hill, a Geek’s-Geek from Melbourne, Australia, Josh is an aspiring author with dreams of publishing his epic fantasy, currently in the works, sometime in the next 5 years. A techie, nerd, sci-fi nut and bookworm.
