Rats

I hate these nasty, scary, disease ridden things.

Last Saturday afternoon, I was standing at the kitchen sink and noticed something on my bird table.
I thought at first it was a squirrel because I always get loads of them.

I got my little spy glass thing out and had a proper look, and that is when I saw a huge long tail hanging over the edge of the feeder!! : It was the biggest rat I have ever seen.

During the afternoon, I saw another 3 !! These were half grown ones, so they must be breeding somewhere.

My dogs have been telling me for several weeks that something was the other side of my fence in the neighbours undergrowth. I have never saw, smelled or heard anything, but the dogs have been glued to that bit of fence for weeks. They always know.

When I went outside, the rat took off at lightning speed and shot over the fence, so I reckon that is where they are nesting.

Problem is, I have phoned the council this morning, and as the nest is not on my property, they said the neighbour has to phone them. It costs £77.70 now for their pest control people to visit.

Now I hardly know those people, and I am worried about knocking on their door and telling them they have rats and would they please deal with them.
What if they refuse?

Meantime, the council have told me to stop feeding the birds which upsets me as I have always fed them and they wait for me every morning. I feel bad about leaving them.

I suppose I shall have to go round to the neighbour, it is the people behind my garden, (big posh houses), not next door.

Oh well, I can only see what they say.

I am very concerned though, because about 8 years ago, a neighbour 2 doors down had a nest under his shed and they kept coming into my garden as well.
Pest control baited, all safely tucked away in bait boxes.

My oldest dog started being repeatedly sick one night, throwing up blood. A 1 am. trip to the vets showed poisoning. She was on a drip all night and not expected to survive until morning.

She never did get to the bait, so all I could think of was she had eaten mice or something else that had taken the bait.
She lived thank God, but I have been terrified of any bait about ever since that episode, I would rather trap.
My dog was a whisker away from death that night.

Re: Rats

I'm not too worried about them myself but I do gat scared they could harm my dogs, as you found they get the bait from the dead animal even if you keep the bait boxes safely.

The caravan site is having a terrible time with them because some numpty has been putting out meat for the farm cats, the cats look healthy enough without anyone putting food out for them so it's made trouble for no reason.

Re: Rats

When I used to breed canaries, rats were always a problem, I had a couple of the wire traps about the size of a shoe box. They have a spring loaded door that traps the first rat and then there is a small entrance with a door that falls behind any more that try to get in. If you are lucky you can catch two or three per night. Chuck the whole thing in a big bucket of water and drown the little sods.

Re: Rats

My sister had them in her house. I think they also went after the bird food she feeds on her balcony.
I wonder if they'd reach those hanging bird feeders Mups?
They do build beautiful nests though.

Re: Rats

I stopped feeding the birds in my garden because of rats and now put bird food down the lane instead.

I was horrified to see a rat running through the chives along the side of the small patio wall in my garden to reach the bird table so it had to go.

The lane is unadopted and I walk down it every day so no inconvenience . My 'bird table' is a sawn off tree trunk and the food also includes a container of slugs caught in the garden.

The only drawback is not seeing the birds feed in my garden but I can still see them on the neighbours bird table.

Re: Rats

Because l keep hens, l have had problems with rats being in my garden. I also got rid of my bird feeding station when l saw three rats playing merrily on my lawn, below it!
I am lucky because in my area the local authority still provides the rat pest control service for free.
I haven't seen a rat or rat holes in my garden for quite a while now.
(Famous last words!)

Re: Rats

Oh I'm too frightened to feed the birds because of this . My bird feeder is about 2tf off the ground and if I do put seed in I only put a small amount so it goes quite quickly , but now I'm thinking I won't do it anymore . I'm so afraid of these creatures

Yuk

Re: Rats

We have them MUPS, tried to get rid off them, but they always come back, they are just after the food you put out for the birds. They have managed to dig big holes in my garden.

Re: Rats

Horrible things aren't they. They are one of the few creatures I really don't like. Rats, snakes, and wasps.

I have three bird tables but it seems just the one next to the fence they are after, perhaps because they easily jump on it from the fence top.

The bloke next door gives me the willies, but I saw his Mum there this morning and told her they are running off over his garden. She said she would get her husband to have a look around.
I had to climb some steps to see over the fence to talk to her, and it was then I saw about 20 bread rolls chucked all over his garden! His Mum said she would go and pick them all up and put them in the bin instead.

My little family of Dunnocks have been hopping round the feeder all day looking for their food. I don't half feel mean.

Re: Rats

As Purwell says, the wire cage traps are good for catching them. Leave one loaded along the edge of the garden where they tend to run. I caught seven in my last garden (one at a time) after leaving chocolate and ham as bait. I didn't drown them though, drove them to a piece of open countryside and let them free.