If we didn't have rats to eat the food waste thrown away in this country we would sink below the seas, into oblivion. I hate rates, classify them with tics, but know there are plenty in my garden because I live in the middle of fields and my neighbour has chickens. Where there are chickens, there are rats, where there is rubbish there are rats. What would we do without them. Just try not to leave any food lying around in our gardens.
Think I have rats in all my compost bins, and I have many. Unwilling to use poison because of the environmental implications and because I doubt it will have much effect. So I just learn to live with them. I wash hands after gardening. They always keep away from me
Sadly Arthur rats breed prolifically and I really don’t want them around with other animals and my grandchildren. I did put poison in the bin (which is well contained unless your a rat!) and I found a dead one in the morning.
I’m making a lot of noise around the composter and that seems to have disturbed the so fingers crossed 🤞
Think I have rats in all my compost bins, and I have many. Unwilling to use poison because of the environmental implications and because I doubt it will have much effect. So I just learn to live with them. I wash hands after gardening. They always keep away from me
Sadly Arthur rats breed prolifically and I really don’t want them around with other animals and my grandchildren.
Not to mention Weil's/Lyme disease. Using a secure box/trap so that they're contained, and without suitable access for other wildlife, is the usual method for safe dispatching.
I hope you have success @LynfromSea, but if you have one, you'll probably have more, unfortunately.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
During the warmer months, when the backdoor is mostly open, my three dogs keep the rats at bay. I am sure they are still there, just out of sight. In winter they are much more visible particularly under the bird table. We have used poison before but I doubt it's long term effectiveness.
Hi @LynfromSea I posted a discussion a month or so ago “Can you garden in a wild friendly way and not have rats?” and I think the consensus was no!
I feed the birds, have built a pond, left piles of wood in a corner for insects, frogs, hedgehogs and my husband also made me a wooden compost bin which was providing fantastic compost. But I was unfortunately, also creating the perfect habitat for rats to set up home. I started seeing a couple of rats and they built a burrow under the compost bin. I tried all sorts of things such as putting the hosepipe through it to drench it, banged it regularly, poured eucalyptus oil into it but nothing deterred them so in the end I dismantled it, which I was really fed up about. I also temporarily moved the bird feeder to the front garden. I haven’t seen a rat for a week now but I realise that for as long as I feed the birds I will also attract rats. I’ve come to the conclusion that for me a passing rat is fine but I don’t want them setting up home in the garden hence the removal of the compost bin.
I am in the same situation. I have 3 compost heaps in my garden. And I have rats. Nothing recommended has ever worked long term though my dogs keep them at bay in summer. Rats better than squirrels at accessing birdfeeders. I now just try to put up with them.
My cat makes inroads into baby rats and the occasional larger one, He keeps them away from the bird feeders by sitting underneath looking out for one to appear. He's not bothered about the birds and the birds on the feeders aren't bothered about him either. The ground feeders just wait till he moves away to go in and tidy up
I have purpose built bird feeders, enclosed with suitable gauge wire mesh, so nothing can get in apart from the smaller birds and mice. The food on the ground feeder is all eaten in daylight, so nothing much left for any rats that might come calling
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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I hate rates, classify them with tics, but know there are plenty in my garden because I live in the middle of fields and my neighbour has chickens. Where there are chickens, there are rats, where there is rubbish there are rats.
What would we do without them.
Just try not to leave any food lying around in our gardens.
Using a secure box/trap so that they're contained, and without suitable access for other wildlife, is the usual method for safe dispatching.
I hope you have success @LynfromSea, but if you have one, you'll probably have more, unfortunately.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I now just try to put up with them.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border