# Rats in the garden



## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

Anyone had issues with rats in their garden.

i had one get through a repired hole around my waste pioe and get into the wall cavity And climb the cavity up into the attick…..he’s dead now and the hole repaired, bait boxes put out around the edges of the garden between the fences and planter boxes. Since last thursday 8 bait blocks have been eaten and the ones in there now have been nibbled at.

bloody neighbours and their chickens gggrrrrrr


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## Profpointy (17 Nov 2021)

My view on rats in the garden is live and let live, so long as they're not in the house. There are rats pretty much everywhere, but I doubt killing them has any value as there'll be a number of rats the area will support and however many you kill will be replaced, so might as well accept them.

The only rats we get in the house have been brought in by this girl


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## HMS_Dave (17 Nov 2021)

I personally wouldn't accept these pests in the garden. They'll chew everything and breed like forced buggery if they get into a shed or shelter...

My old man had everything chewed in his shed. Wires to nearly all of his electrical items, drills, mowers, strimmers. They got another cat in the end (a cat the could be bothered to hunt) which if nothing else, seemed to scare them away. 

They didn't want to use poison so no experience there, but probably not wise if there are other animals about...


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## lazybloke (17 Nov 2021)

You neighbour's chickens might attract the rats, but something draws them to your property; possibly worth a good look round to see if there's any ratty temptation you can remove from your house & garden. 

We certainly get field rats nesting in our compost heap, but they never come near the house so we leave them undisturbed (until we turn the heap).

Possibly our two cats keep the rats at bay, although one only ever hunts earthworms, and the other is too old & arthritic to do anything so energetic.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

HMS_Dave said:


> I personally wouldn't accept these pests in the garden. They'll chew everything and breed like forced buggery if they get into a shed or shelter...
> 
> My old man had everything chewed in his shed. Wires to nearly all of his electrical items, drills, mowers, strimmers. They got another cat in the end (a cat the could be bothered to hunt) which if nothing else, seemed to scare them away.
> 
> They didn't want to use poison so no experience there, but probably not wise if there are other animals about...


i have two cats, but are both indoor only.....although there are many other cats that frequent the garden area.

the poisons are in proper lock boxes and cant be accessed by other pets or animals, except for mice and rats. The poison blocks are secured on a 3mm threaded bar, so they can just nibble away at them and not take them away.

I havent had any items damaged luckily enough. But my garden is fence off with solid fences to 2 sides, which have no gaps, holes or tunnels around them.....but side 3 is the neighbours fence and its slatted, so they can get in through that area. ive placed the bait boxes in between that area and my large planter boxes, so its like a hidden secure run for them.


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## Arjimlad (17 Nov 2021)

I zap them with the air rifle. 

We don't get many in, usually after the bird feed, and it's not easy to be there at the right time & place. 

We've also got a cage trap under the rabbit hutch but they seem wise to that. 

A friend has chickens and when the number of rats around the pen get too big he does the same.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

lazybloke said:


> You neighbour's chickens might attract the rats, but something draws them to your property; possibly worth a good look round to see if there's any ratty temptation you can remove from your house & garden.
> 
> We certainly get field rats nesting in our compost heap, but they never come near the house so we leave them undisturbed (until we turn the heap).
> 
> Possibly our two cats keep the rats at bay, although one only ever hunts earthworms, and the other is too old & arthritic to do anything so energetic.


yeh the hole was in the brick shed connected to the hose and its the waste pipe from the kitchen sink. it was all sealed up tight inside the house, so only got into the cavity, but it could probably smell some nice lovely food stuffs. i put bait in the shed and it took at least 200 grammes before feeding stopped and then i sealed all under the shed door so no more could get in again and then did the external boxes around the garden. 

i hate the damn things and dead is better than alive for me.....i will keep baiting the boxes year round to make sure they are kept under control.


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## Sharky (17 Nov 2021)

Have you tried the sonic devices
4 X Woodside Solar Powered Garden Sonic Wave Mole/Rat/Rodent Repeller Repellent | Woodside Products 
lots of similar products on the market.


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## SpokeyDokey (17 Nov 2021)

As long as they don't come in the house we are ok with the odd one that turns up in the garden.

Mrs SD has been known to throw a cheese slice or two out for the smaller ones.

Our Lakeland Stone Walls in the garden are full of mice which freaks out some of our guests - we like them and feed them regularly; part of country living for us.


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## lazybloke (17 Nov 2021)

Sharky said:


> Have you tried the sonic devices
> 4 X Woodside Solar Powered Garden Sonic Wave Mole/Rat/Rodent Repeller Repellent | Woodside Products
> lots of similar products on the market.


Took ages for those to get rid of moles from my garden but did eventually work. Hopefully quicker-acting against rodents.

Used to get squirrels and mice nesting in the loft above my bedroom when I was a nipper. Barely noticed the mice but squirrels made lots of noise & mess, including the "waterfall of urine" through the ceiling.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

Sharky said:


> Have you tried the sonic devices
> 4 X Woodside Solar Powered Garden Sonic Wave Mole/Rat/Rodent Repeller Repellent | Woodside Products
> lots of similar products on the market.


i got 2 now in the house that uses the electric cables to detur them....but nothing in the gardens


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

The bait boxes are around 10mtrs from the house, so as long as they feed down there out of the way and dont come further up im ok........but once they've had a good nibble on the poison, they will be dead in a day or two anyway and hopefully down in their nests out of the way


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## T4tomo (17 Nov 2021)

I saw one in ours the other day, it came out of hole in the fence that leads under next door decking - a favourite place for rates to live apparently. It / they doesn't seem to eat the bait in the rat box 'cos the women 2 doors the other side put out loads of food for birds, but not in bird only feeders 
Hole is blocked up to encourage the buggers to stay that side of the fence.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

T4tomo said:


> I saw one in ours the other day, it came out of hole in the fence that leads under next door decking - a favourite place for rates to live apparently. It / they doesn't seem to eat the bait in the rat box 'cos the women 2 doors the other side put out loads of food for birds, but not in bird only feeders
> Hole is blocked up to encourage the buggers to stay that side of the fence.


yeh i check all around my decking regularly to make sure there no holes or burrows.........but even if i found a hole i would remove the piece of deck, put poison behind it and seal it back up.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

one of the problems we have got is there is an old building at the bottom of our gardens, that's virtually falling down and very over grown that used to be a Coffin builders shop and privately owned. all the roof has rotted and fallen into it, there's no windows and the walls are caving in slowly. Our neighbours did ask him to knock it all down, but as yet hes done nothing to it......we are guessing there could be a loud in there, hiding out under the old timbers and brush.


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## fossyant (17 Nov 2021)

Your never far from a rat. We rarely see any, but I've only seen them when I've put food out for the birds, they come off the field behind our house and have a nibble. None in the back garden. So long as they aren't in the shed/house then leave them be. You've got no chance of them not being near with chickens and their feed.

The buggers can climb very well, so they can scale your fence no issue.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

one of the things i have learnt while reading about getting rid of them online is they hate the smell of bleach.........so i emptied the brick shed and cleaned it all with domestos and sprayed all round the door with peppermint oil, which they hate too.

im sorry but i bloody hate the things and will do what i can to keep them out of my house, garden, greenhouse etc etc


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## oldwheels (17 Nov 2021)

HMS_Dave said:


> I personally wouldn't accept these pests in the garden. They'll chew everything and breed like forced buggery if they get into a shed or shelter...
> 
> My old man had everything chewed in his shed. Wires to nearly all of his electrical items, drills, mowers, strimmers. They got another cat in the end (a cat the could be bothered to hunt) which if nothing else, seemed to scare them away.
> 
> They didn't want to use poison so no experience there, but probably not wise if there are other animals about...


Not wise to use poison and in any case present day poisons are not very effective on rats but they can harm cats or dogs who may eat a dead rat they find. In my malting and distilling days we were plagued by rats but managed to find a good poison which is now banned. Rat traps which are inspected regularly are really the only domestic answer IMO.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

oldwheels said:


> *Not wise to use poison and in any case present day poisons are not very effective on rats but they can harm cats or dogs who may eat a dead rat they find*. In my malting and distilling days we were plagued by rats but managed to find a good poison which is now banned. Rat traps which are inspected regularly are really the only domestic answer IMO.


nonesense, you dont get secondary poisoning with todays poisons and they are also very effect single feed poisons out there.......


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## oldwheels (17 Nov 2021)

jowwy said:


> nonesense, you dont get secondary poisoning with todays poisons and they are also very effect single feed poisons out there.......


Not rats admittedly but I had problems last winter with mouse poison which I used in my garden shed. Neighbour's cats got badly affected.
Not seen rats locally for a long time.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

oldwheels said:


> Not rats admittedly but I had problems last winter with mouse poison which I used in my garden shed. Neighbour's cats got badly affected.
> Not seen rats locally for a long time.


so you used poison, even when stating its not wise to use poison........hmmmmmmm. Anyway all my poison is securely stored and bait boxes are locked up so no other animals have access to the poisons


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## Electric_Andy (17 Nov 2021)

We've had a letter from the council to say that rats have been spotted in the next road over from me. I've never seen a rat here in the 4 years I've been living here. The letter says that we should take steps to eradicate them, but I'm doing nothing. I'm not going to put out bait or poison and risk hurting other wildlife or pets just because someone else has a rat problem (if they even do). I see the odd squirell but that's about it


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

Electric_Andy said:


> We've had a letter from the council to say that rats have been spotted in the next road over from me. I've never seen a rat here in the 4 years I've been living here. The letter says that we should take steps to eradicate them, but I'm doing nothing. I'm not going to put out bait or poison and risk hurting other wildlife or pets just because someone else has a rat problem (if they even do). I see the odd squirell but that's about it


i thought the same, until i was sat watching the TV and started hearing the scratching and scurrying in the wall by the side of my head........and then in the attic at night above the bed.......


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## Electric_Andy (17 Nov 2021)

jowwy said:


> i thought the same, until i was sat watching the TV and started hearing the scratching and scurrying in the wall by the side of my head........and then in the attack at night above the bed.......


I'd certainly do something about it if I saw or heard anything, but until then I think I'm safe.


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## T4tomo (17 Nov 2021)

Electric_Andy said:


> I'm not going to put out bait or poison and risk hurting other wildlife or pets just because someone else has a rat problem (if they even do)


The proper rat bait boxes that @jowwy described are very secure though, cat / dogs cant get at it, just vermin. They have a nibble, return to base and croak it.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

T4tomo said:


> The proper rat bait boxes that @jowwy described are very secure though, cat / dogs cant get at it, just vermin. They have a nibble, return to base and croak it.


or they crack off a block, take it with them to the nest and blitz the whole crew


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## fossyant (17 Nov 2021)

The only reason I spotted the rat(s) was I was working in the summer house all day, and one would climb up the chain mail fence from the field, up the raised beds next to the summer house, then onto the soil and up a tree stump to the bird food. Then again, I had loads of squirrels too.

I think you are on a loser here, especially with the neighbour's chickens. We've a massive bag of peanuts in the garage, but nothing has been in to have a chew, but any food that's put out, the various forms of wildlife will nibble it. The rats have a ready source of food in the chicken feed, so they will use your garden to get to it. You've blocked off access points to your property, so the buggers will likely move on.

Poisons can and do affect other wildlife, and TBH, rats do serve a purpose of one of nature's little cleaners. It's your neighbour that needs to address the chicken feed issue.


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## oldwheels (17 Nov 2021)

jowwy said:


> so you used poison, even when stating its not wise to use poison........hmmmmmmm. Anyway all my poison is securely stored and bait boxes are locked up so no other animals have access to the poisons


The cats in question allegedly ate dead mice they found. My comment about not using comes after that experience.
I had a lot of experience with rats in grain storage which were a nightmare sometimes. In the past they became immune to the legal poisons then used which were warfarin based. In the end I twice had to resort to Rentokil and on another occasion to what is now an illegal but effective poison.


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## welsh dragon (17 Nov 2021)

An air rifle is the fastest and most humane way of dealing with rats I find. I daresay we have some here in the middle of nowhere, but I have only seen one once when we kept chickens. It got caught in the chicken wire fence. I shot it with my air rifle.

I wouldn't use poison as any number of different animals can get hold of it.


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## iluvmybike (17 Nov 2021)

We have rats in the garden occasinally - they come from behind a nieghbours garage where there is lots of garden waste - they don't get distubred there as it is up against the side of the hill we live on. We looked for their 'runway' and put bait boxes with poison blocks in them down where they come through - generally they will skirt along the side of things as they do not like being in the open. They avoided them initially as they are 'new' to them. But eventually their curiosity gets the better of them and they go in and, because they have to chew to keep their teeth short, they nibble it. Within 2-3 weeks they are usually gone. The bait boxes are not accessible to hedgehogs, domestic pets, birds etc so safe enough. Rats can squeeze themselves through miniscule gaps - almost flattening their bodies out. If they want in and can't then they will just gnaw through wire, wood, plastic whatever.


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## Teamfixed (17 Nov 2021)

This may sound obvious but whatever you do, do not put poison under the floor. They will die there and the stench is horrendous. I know from experience but was lucky in that I managed to locate the creature and extract it. Not pleasant.
The only way to properly control them I now realise is to prevent access in the first place. I had removed an air brick and they took up residence, until one day I did some very noisy work on the upstairs floor and I actually saw two rats scarper from out of the hole left by the air brick.


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## Beebo (17 Nov 2021)

Have you found and removed the dead rat. 
I had one die in a cavity wall and it stank the house out.


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## gavroche (17 Nov 2021)

We have a cat and a cocker spaniel. A rat wouldn't stand a chance or mice and that is why we don't have any.


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## Landsurfer (17 Nov 2021)

We had rats under the decking ....
Buy a kilo of pigeon corn,
Soak in antifreeze for 24 hours.
Drill 20 mm hole in decking approx the centre.
With a funnel pour the pigeon corn / anti freeze under the decking.
Bye, Bye, Rats ..............


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

Landsurfer said:


> We had rats under the decking ....
> Buy a kilo of pigeon corn,
> Soak in antifreeze for 24 hours.
> Drill 20 mm hole in decking approx the centre.
> ...


Luckily for me i left a panel accessible for just that reason………


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

Beebo said:


> Have you found and removed the dead rat.
> I had one die in a cavity wall and it stank the house out.


I havent been up in the attic yet, but will on the weekend. But i do know that 100g of poison as been eaten. So he would have lasted 2 days tops after that little luncheon lol


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## oldwheels (17 Nov 2021)

Just remembered a novel way to kill rats. Squash them flat.
In making whisky and beer the malted barley is passed through a roller mill and produces grist. This is then mixed with water at a strictly controlled temperature for the mashing.
The malted barley in our case was fed to the mill by a slotted conveyor belt and from time to time a thump was heard and sometimes the mill jammed up. The thump was a rat being flattened and they could be seen during mashing. The jam was caused by a particularly big rat which could not be flattened enough to pass through.
We just left them as the probably added a certain something to the final flavour.
It certainly curtailed the illicit drinking of pundi which was the partly fermented wash


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## Drago (17 Nov 2021)

Ive heard that rats like to set up shop under decking.


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

Drago said:


> Ive heard that rats like to set up shop under decking.


Yup they do indeed……just glad my decking is laid intop of concrete, so they cant dig or burrow underneath it……always check for holes or chewed areas though just in case they are trying. I also clean all around the deck in hot water and bleach to ensure its clean and free from what they call rat grease


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## simongt (17 Nov 2021)

Profpointy said:


> The only rats we get in the house have been brought in by this girl


As we have ten of her 'relatives', even with allotments with chickens on t'other side of fence, rats are not an issue in our house. 
And the allotment holders appreciate the 'patrolling' of the local cats as it keeps the rat population down.


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## slowmotion (17 Nov 2021)

Drago said:


> Ive heard that rats like to set up shop under decking.


So do urban foxes.


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## bikingdad90 (17 Nov 2021)

The problem with bait is that is entices rats to the property when it’s placed outside as it is a lovely food source, you are better off trapping outside as they are more likely to stumble across the choice of food in the trap as a snack rather than in active search of food. 

You should also put these non return valves in you sewer outlet and rainwater outlet to stop them coming up the pipe works or going under and flaps/man hole access points https://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine...zGRJk7B77Omav-p8zpBoCbLQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


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## Gillstay (17 Nov 2021)

The problem with the poisons is that they kill hedgehogs and other predators such as Owls and Kestrels.
A simple live trap will do it I got 4 in the last month, but you need to wear gloves so as not to leave any scent and not disturb the trap.
Best of all, but expensive is the gas fired squirrel traps that act like a humane killer. They can be set up to kill rats as well. A cafe had a lot of problems with rodents eating their way into food and waste bins and destroying expensive lids. He got 7 on the first day.
They have a counter on them which was good as the local foxes caught up quick and carried off the first 6 before he saw a dead one.


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## rockyroller (17 Nov 2021)

Profpointy said:


> The only rats we get in the house have been brought in by this girl


👍 we recently lost this hunter, but we have 2 more


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## Gillstay (17 Nov 2021)

jowwy said:


> nonesense, you dont get secondary poisoning with todays poisons and they are also very effect single feed poisons out there.......


The BTO research says otherwise !


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

Gillstay said:


> The problem with the poisons is that they kill hedgehogs and other predators such as Owls and Kestrels.
> A simple live trap will do it I got 4 in the last month, but you need to wear gloves so as not to leave any scent and not disturb the trap.
> Best of all, but expensive is the gas fired squirrel traps that act like a humane killer. They can be set up to kill rats as well. A cafe had a lot of problems with rodents eating their way into food and waste bins and destroying expensive lids. He got 7 on the first day.
> They have a counter on them which was good as the local foxes caught up quick and carried off the first 6 before he saw a dead one.


We dont have owls, kestrels or hedhogs were i live………


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

bikingdad90 said:


> The problem with bait is that is entices rats to the property when it’s placed outside as it is a lovely food source, you are better off trapping outside as they are more likely to stumble across the choice of food in the trap as a snack rather than in active search of food.
> 
> You should also put these non return valves in you sewer outlet and rainwater outlet to stop them coming up the pipe works or going under and flaps/man hole access points https://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine...zGRJk7B77Omav-p8zpBoCbLQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


The bait boxes are around 10mtrs away from the house, around halfway down the garden were the slatted fence starts. They can come there all day and feed on the poison blocks if they want, but at least they wont come back a second time


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## jowwy (17 Nov 2021)

Gillstay said:


> The BTO research says otherwise !


Would you like to provide a link to that research as proof???


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## Mr Celine (17 Nov 2021)

I've had chickens in the garden for over 10 years and the only evidence of a rat I've ever found was one tail. It was in the coop, presumably the rest of the rat had been eaten by the chooks.


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## jowwy (18 Nov 2021)

Mr Celine said:


> I've had chickens in the garden for over 10 years and the only evidence of a rat I've ever found was one tail. It was in the coop, presumably the rest of the rat had been eaten by the chooks.


i suppose its all according were you live i suppose......im in a pretty rural area of wales and up in the mountain air too. there a few farms around us on the hills. also a lot of the houses around me have been sold to the younger generations and they are starting working on their very over grown and large gardens and turning them into veggie patches, so may be disturbing nests and hiding places and dispursing the rats to other areas

All i know is, they've been in my garden, my shed and in my wall cavity. I will deal with them in they way i see fit to protect my home environment. if poisons weren't allowed to be used then rentokill and such like companies wouldn't be allowed to sell them for public use.


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## cyberknight (18 Nov 2021)

Profpointy said:


> My view on rats in the garden is live and let live, so long as they're not in the house. There are rats pretty much everywhere, but I doubt killing them has any value as there'll be a number of rats the area will support and however many you kill will be replaced, so might as well accept them.
> 
> The only rats we get in the house have been brought in by this girl


similar although one rat set up residence in the shoe cupboard, living off cat biscuits and pooping in shoes ..............


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## Drago (18 Nov 2021)

Gillstay said:


> The BTO research says otherwise !


Bachmann Turner Overdrive certainly seem to be branching out these days.


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## Dave7 (18 Nov 2021)

We have "a" rat visiting (don't see more than one as a time).
I am not too fussed but it is getting bolder.
I keep my air rifle handy but as soon as I open the door it is OFF.


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## Gillstay (18 Nov 2021)

jowwy said:


> Would you like to provide a link to that research as proof???


It was in one of the magazines and recall talking to a farmer at the time and he said that the farmers weekly had a simlar article in relation to lack of breeding in Owls. I will try and find it. Are you going to do the same as I am not sure the companies who sell the stuff do much research on the wildlife.


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## Gillstay (18 Nov 2021)

If poisons weren't allowed to be used then rentokill and such like companies wouldn't be allowed to sell them for public use.
[/QUOTE]
Yes of course they would. We sell cigarettes and asbestos still ! Slug killers that poison hedgehogs.


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## jowwy (18 Nov 2021)

Gillstay said:


> If poisons weren't allowed to be used then rentokill and such like companies wouldn't be allowed to sell them for public use.


Yes of course they would. We sell cigarettes and asbestos still ! Slug killers that poison hedgehogs.
[/QUOTE]
Nope slug killers that poison are banned……….and stricknen for killing rats is banned, but other poisons are not.

as for comparing it cigarettes or asbestos, they both arent banned either, so your comparisons are a moot point.


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## midlife (18 Nov 2021)

Used to have several rat visitors, one was recognisable so called him Scamp. Pretty rural here so as long as they stuck to the garden was OK with me. Since we have had a regular feral cat mooching around (called Winston) no sign of Scamp and family!


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## silvervanplumberman (18 Nov 2021)

Our guard cat left us a rat last weekend. Good boy. 
First one we’ve seen for a couple of years.


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## steveindenmark (19 Nov 2021)

jowwy said:


> Anyone had issues with rats in their garden.
> 
> i had one get through a repired hole around my waste pioe and get into the wall cavity And climb the cavity up into the attick…..he’s dead now and the hole repaired, bait boxes put out around the edges of the garden between the fences and planter boxes. Since last thursday 8 bait blocks have been eaten and the ones in there now have been nibbled at.
> 
> bloody neighbours and their chickens gggrrrrrr


Im taking it that the bait boxes are plastic. Plastic has fish oil in it and rats are attracted to it. Bait boxes should be metal.


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## jowwy (19 Nov 2021)

steveindenmark said:


> Im taking it that the bait boxes are plastic. Plastic has fish oil in it and rats are attracted to it. Bait boxes should be metal.


They are plastic and come from professional pest control suppliers.


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## Hicky (19 Nov 2021)

We had rats for a short while in lockdown, possibly due to me being very active in the garden and having plenty of food out for the birds/insects.
I stopped feeding for a while and the visible evidence of them went.
I must admit I'd of left them apart from my Ms being very keen on getting rid of them. I found them amusing, they'd climb to the bird feeders and jump into the bush close by if you approached. If you backed off a few meters out they'd pop and carry on eating. Necky buggers


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## T4tomo (19 Nov 2021)

Gillstay said:


> The problem with the poisons is that they kill hedgehogs and other predators such as Owls and Kestrels.


not if you use one of these.....







Drago said:


> Bachmann Turner Overdrive certainly seem to be branching out these days.


You ain't seen nothing yet....


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## simongt (19 Nov 2021)

oldwheels said:


> Just remembered a novel way to kill rats. Squash them flat.


Back in the day, we used a Webley Mk. 1 Senior. Very effective - !


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## oldwheels (19 Nov 2021)

simongt said:


> Back in the day, we used a Webley Mk. 1 Senior. Very effective - !


On a couple of occasions I had hundreds or perhaps thousands to deal with. I used an Anschutz rifle for domestic pests but the ones I mention were on an industrial scale in grain stores.


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## simongt (21 Nov 2021)

oldwheels said:


> I had hundreds or perhaps thousands to deal with


Would a pack of hungry Jack Russels have done better - ?


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## oldwheels (21 Nov 2021)

simongt said:


> Would a pack of hungry Jack Russels have done better - ?


Terriers were certainly used on farms I worked on but not available in a semi urban situation.
We once owned a Jack Russel but it's favourite meal were ankles particularly of postmen and the police who came in response to the postmans complaint.
I saw it once tear the ear from a Bull Terrier owned by a surgeon who sewed the ear back on remaking that it was the first time he ever had to do that with his own dog.


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