Kitchen Garden Forum

Have issue with rats in netted tunnel can see where they have chewed netting to gain access in a few places.

If I covered it with polytunnel sheeting would the rats still chew there way in?

They don't bother chewing the plastic to gain entry to my tunnel, however they still manage to get in by digging under the buried plastic outside. My buried plastic is not very deep so maybe if you buried the sheeting deeper you could keep them out totally. Good Luck!

If you can find their Run you could put a trap at the entrance or exit from your tunnel or put poison down

There seems to be a huge amount of Rats about this year, and seem to be still breeding, despite the cooler temperatures…..maybe down to so many people now feeding the birds.

Thank you all for feedback.
Going to put chicken wire about foot deep around the tunnel.

If that does not work may go to covering all the floor/growing space only issue digging it out and upsetting the no dig compost.

I have had traps down but they just set them off without getting caught or go round them, don't want to use poison.

I'm told one of the few things they can't/won't chew through is wirewool.

Yes I'm afraid they'll just dig under it Colin. They,re pretty diligent diggers and you would probably need very fine sturdy wire of some kind buried into the ground for about 12 inches deep to be reasonably sure of defeating them. A regularly topped up bait box nearby will help too. If yiu can guess riughky where the rats might be coming from, out in close to their pathway. We,ve noticed they seem to have their favourite rat runs.

Evidently rats are social animals and like to eat together so a fellow plot holder is making a large 2ft x 2ft box for bait and see if it works.