Rat release allowed

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Many
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I've just googled rats there is no mention of having to release them)! When I saw there photos it made me feel disgusted )
Westi
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Hi Many, Welcome to the forum.

I'm not sure what your saying you were disgusted with - were there pics of dead ones or just pics of the gross size they grow to? They certainly make you leap when you find one in your shed, and the damage they do is quite substantial. I plug every hole I can find in the shed & still they get in & make a right mess. I've had to burn perfectly good netting they had fouled & disinfect everything several times last year.

They have got in again so I will be doing it again this weekend - luckily I have put everything up onto shelving & this time they didn't foul anything. They just dug up Jerusalem Artichokes and dragged them in to eat off the floor in the corner - bypassing the bait box, but poison had been taken also.

I imagine I have lots of bloated farty rats running around the plot based on their current dietary choice! ;)
Westi
PLUMPUDDING
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That's quite an image Westi. I checked my apple store in an outside hut yesterday and there are four apples left. Rats have been in and eaten two tray fulls. I thought I had made it rat proof by concreting all round the base of the door where they got in last time. The only entry point I can find is a small gap at the top of the door so I might have to take the cat in with me if they can't get out again. I've not been using poison as the cat eats them. I've resorted to humane traps and then drowning them. Probably illegal but quick. My son said I should bring some glue traps back with me but I didn't think I could cope with seeing live things glued to a board and it could catch birds or anything and definitely not humane.
robo
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Plum pudding I use glue traps but always find the rats dead never still alive
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Diane
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How about one of these - the video shows exactly how it works.

https://goodnaturetraps.co.uk
'Preserve wildlife - pickle a rat'
Westi
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Hi Diane

I was fine with that thinking that's a good idea - then I clicked a bit more & saw the price - EEK! I wonder if the committee would be interested in investing though? Everyone complains about the rats & most chicken owners practice good hygiene & those that don't are pretty swiftly asked to sort it or remove the chickens.
Westi
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Mouse2
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Hi Plumpudding.
We've had to have pest control out recently to try to track down 'the loft monster'. That one remains a mystery, but we thought we would get our money's worth by getting him to deal with the rats in the back yard while he was here. He is a very friendly, chatty, and down-to-earth guy, so during one of his visits, I decided to pick his brains on how we are supposed to dispose of live rats that we have caught in traps. He said that the officially preferred method is to tip them into a sack and bash them! He agreed with me that it isn't as easy as it sounds. I then asked about drowning them. He didn't bat an eyelid, and didn't say anything to suggest it was illegal, but suggested that you don't tell any animal rights activists about it!
PLUMPUDDING
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Thanks Mouse, drowning is my preferred method if I have to kill them. I certainly couldn't beat them to death in a sack. That's horrible.

I've not seen any or noticed any activity for over a week and have been wondering whether the council have poisoned them as they were coming through the wall from the old people's flats next door. Hope it has solved the problem for the time being at least.
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