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rat

blueflybluefly Posts: 42
in Problem solving
hi i have a rat in my backyard i have no garden but have a lot of plant pot with lots of plants will  i need to empty out all of my containers in case they are contaminated from the rat i am doing my best to get rid of the rat that is under my decking i did have more but i got rid of them and now i only see one that comes out at night i do have traps set with poison in them and hope for the best  many thanks for any advice given 
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Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I think you really only need to worry if you are growing edible plants in your pots. If they are flowers or shrubs l think you should be okay as long as you wear gloves just to be on the safe side when handling the containers. 
    If you are feeding the birds it might be worth stopping temporarily until the rat has been caught. Always sweep up any spilled food at the end of the day.
    https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/rats-in-the-garden/
  • blueflybluefly Posts: 42
    thank  you for your help I don't feed the birds anymore there is none they have all gone and i clean up the yard and hosepipe it down every day i just cant seem to get rid of this one rat than you once again 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd agree with @AnniD. You need to keep putting down the poison [safely] until it's not being taken any more. 
    Survival of the fittest - it's hung on longer than the others  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    It is always worth looking it up for yourself but as far as I know, and anyone please correct me if I'm wrong, the bacteria which causes leptospirosis, doesn't hang around that long in the soil. It needs good conditions to survive and will be killed off in the frost. This means it's more of an issue in the summer but if you wear gloves and wash your hands, you should be fine. 
    Even if you have rats peeing on your vegetables beds, the bacterial load is low and it's safe to eat the vegetables providing they have been washed.

    Rats move on if they don't have a food source. You might be in the same situation as we were when we had rats living under our shed because our neighbours had chickens, so see if there are any likely food sources near by. 
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    The rat will be looking for food as well as shelter.  
    It's unlikely that it will be interested in your container grown plants if their is no form of sustenance there.  It would be pointless to empty and re pot your plants.Rats are rather more common than many people think - just that we don't always see them .
    As per the advice above, all you can do at the moment is to continue with bait/trap placed under your decking if that is where you think it is sheltering.
    You mention having had a number of rats - have you checked with neighbours to try and ascertain the source ?  You could also contact your local council for advice.  Some councils will help if rats are in the garden, others will only be interested if they migrate to your house.  Whichever is the case, they should be able to point you in the direction of a reputable Pest Control company. 


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    It may well be worth changing the rodenticide you’re using. Rats can build up a tolerance to the poison being used a lot in their area … a professional pest controller will monitor this and be aware of and have access to whichever type is currently the most effective where you live. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    We always used Neosorexa Gold but you need to take a course  for a licence to use it now,  we’ve changed to this one,  works well. 


    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    edited January 2022
    I agree, changing the bait is worth a try.  Some of them are extremely wary of anything new or which has moved, and especially the smell of humans, so I always wear disposable gloves when refilling etc.  There were at least 5 here, now down to 1, but I think it's a pregnant female and (via night vision CCTV) looks like it's afraid of it's own shadow!  I moved a bait box a few inches and later saw it spring back several feet when it neared the box.  Very, very intelligent little bu&&ers! 
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    @bluefly, it may be worth contacting your local Council - have a look on their website.  Many councils (pre-Covid!) offer a service to eradicate rats.  They will visit, assess, place poison and arrange a return visit to check up for a relatively small fee.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    Personally I would be quite relaxed about a single rat in my backyard.

     I might even go so far as to suggest that from a health and wellbeing point of view, the greater danger may come from the poison and the unnecessary worry about the rat...
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