Kitchen Garden Forum

I have been rather quiet of late battling the dreaded coughing virus but today found the energy to call in the council!s rat control people as these pests are becoming a growing menace in our garden, not helped by the fact that the rat bail sold to members of the general public is of insufficient sufficient strength to kill them these days. They just gobble it up and become bolder and bolder. After several DIY attempts we now have to call in the professionals as we cannot obtain Professional" strength bait. It seems that humans are not the only species who are becoming immune to drugs like antibiotics. We have one one aggressive rat in particular who mercilessly chases squirrels, magpies and crows around the lawn despite them being several times his own size and who who is starting to control the area like a member of the Mafia. None of the other wildlife species will risk entangle with him (or her).

Hi primrose , I have a lot of problems with rats down the plot ,we are surrounded by wild fields they have a field day in the chicken run I found the poisons sold on Amazon very good ,big cheese is one I alternate it with a rentokill one I buy the blocks with the hole in the middle I tie 3 or 4 on a loop of wire that I stake down in the run ( if you look closely you will see the run)I then cover it up so only rats and mice can get at it they usually take a week or two with daily toppings up when the poisons stops getting eaten you know you are winning , I have not had a problem since before the pollcat made its visit I now keep the wire cages baited but up to date I've not caught any, we also have a council vermin control guy who has put black box's all around the plots but they do not work that well,

They don't like lead either, worked for me.

I borrowed a 22 off my brother I thought I could shoot some I don't know whether it was the riffle or me but I had more chance of clubbing them with the stock while holding the barrel ,as it was it was stolen on the first break in we had

I buy the blocks from an agricultural merchant and alternate the brands in case they get used to them. I nail four or five to a piece of wood and slide it under the hen hut, which is too low for cats, hens etc to get under. They have to eat it in situ and can't drag them away to store, so you know they are eating them. Same as you Robo. Not sure how effective the new green ones are but they are eating them.

It is difficult, rats like all native fauna should be allowed to live in harmony with us, but if they start being a pest, then they have to go. I have shot rabbits, rats and pigeons recently and you can eat them, though Baldrick put me off eating rats, I try to chase them away , if they to ignore the first warning, then there's a price to pay. Shooting is the most efficient method with(if you practice and set up your sights properly) no collateral damage.

Shooting is a bit awkward for myself as we are on a council owned allotment and they have banned any type of gun from council property I did take the chance with my brothers raffle but when it was stolen I could not put it on my list of missing things

Just have a question on rats' smaller cousin, field mice: we have some in our shed and I have been catching four in four days in a live mouse trap and releasing them about 100 yards away, but behind a watery ditch and two dry stone walls. Do you think I am re-catching the same mouse? How far should I take them before they could find their way home?

You'll have to get some sheep dye off a local farmer and repeat the snail experiment.

The council come down a few times a year & shoot some of the excess bunnies but just put down poison for the rats. Our rat problem has improved since the committee wrote to the offenders further up & made them reduce the chicken numbers & actually grow crops. My direct neighbour with chickens practises excellent hygiene with their chickens & I knew the rats didn't originate there, but they had to spend to sort the invasion into their hen house as well.

tigerburnie is right they do not like lead, we are not allowed air guns on our allotment so I use the big rat trap (spring type) with Nutella chocolate on it with good results

The thing with lead is the speed it enters their bodies that does the damage, sorry I didn't want to just shout out I shot the ones we had, rabbits too, they are just doing too much damage. I have had to stop feeding the birds with bird seed or anything on the ground and clear away a lot of the overgrown "nature" bits of the garden, it seems to have got rid of the rats, but there's fresh rabbit droppings, so handy I got a new licence for my rifle.

We have received a long missive from the pest control company demanding that we stop feeding the birds for the six week duration of their treatment, otherwise they will stop the process. It,s bad timing that this has had to be done at the coldest time of the year for them when small birds have to eat their body weight every day to survive. But as the rat population seems to be increasing, we are turn between a rock and a hard place and I don,t want rats running and urinating all over my vegetable growing areas.

Weill's disease is a nasty thing and Rats are a well known spreader of it, better to be safe I think. One of the spots I go bird watching has a problem with them just now

Advice Required re: Rats at Lottie.

The blighters had a go at my spuds, found 2 dug up & chewed so put chicken wire over the beds. I have found 2 paths (maybe just 1 but both ends), they use. One in the compost bin on the right side at the back where they have made a cave at the bottom of the heap & chewed through the pallet surround & squeezed through the wire around this & one on the left on the other side of the plot where they have pushed the corrugated steel sheets where they overlap. Just near this one is where the most droppings are. I'm assuming they travel between these 2 points, most likely along the steel sheet fencing for safety.

I have bought the bait & station. Where do you recommend I put this for the most effectiveness? My DIY skills have kept them out of the shed which is about 3' front of their access on the left side, but they have been in the shed too before, so most activity seems to be on the left and my spud bed is on this side of the plot as well.