sweetcorn/rats

[retropants]

well, it has taken them some years, but the local vermin population has finally worked out how to get to the cobs of corn protected by plastic bottles. for years they have left them alone. now it seems, they have got the knack of getting up inside the bottle, pushing it off and eating every last kernel. I was hoping to harvest the last 4 cobs yesterday, but all have been noshed. NOT a happy bunny, the corn was really good this year.

[Westi]

Every year mice get my sweetcorn so I didn't even sow any this year. I was going to try the plastic bottle trick for next year. I don't think I have rats so hoping it will work on mice.

Westi

[robo]

Put some sticky pads on the ground near the plants put a little bit of chocolate in the centre wont take long to rid your plot of them

[retropants]

What are these sticky pads of which you speak robo? I am intrigued!

[Beryl]

Yes I am intrigued too Robo. Do the rats find the chocolate poisonous or what? I imagine any pad with something to stick the chocolate will do.

Beryl.

[robo]

Have a look at amazon sticky pads vermin control they are not cheap I think I paid around £16 for 9 but you can cut them in half, basically a piece of cardboard about 9 x 6 inches when cut covered in a strong sticky adhesive a bit of chocolate will attract the rat once they step on them its over, I bought them direct from the makers I will try and find the name and post it on here

[robo]

Try googling http://www.gluetraps.co.uk

[retropants]

gosh, that's grim.....stuck alive for ever on a piece of board....plus, we can only get there twice a week, so I think alternative methods are required, perhaps an allotment cat?

thanks though Robo!

[Beryl]

Mmmmm interesting but I think I too will pass on this one. But thanks for the info.

Beryl.

[peter]

Vol au vents for foxes.

[alan refail]

Glue traps! I never heard of them till now. What a vile way to kill anything - even a rat!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQPP0LTWWEQ

WARNING: The video is not for the squeamish - but it's the reality.

[robo]

When I was using them I checked them every morning I did not find one rat that was alive, I dont think its any worst than using poison that takes days to kill them but I have never worried about killing vermin

[Elaine]

Oh I don't think I could use those.... I wouldn't have the stomach to put them out of their misery. I had enough problems despatching a poor bird which had been badly injured by a neighbours cat.

[Primrose]

I'm intrigued exactly how you use the plastic bottles to protect your Sweetcorn. Do you slice them down their entire length to act as a collar around the stem base or somehow use them as a collars round each individual cob while it's growing? If the latter does that affect pollination?

[retropants]

Primrose, we cut the bottom off and slide them over the cob once it is pollinated. The creatures aren't interested in them until they are ripe. This year, however, the figured out how to push the bottles back off again