For the sake of the Hoggies this could well be an option and after reading your post it makes a lot of sense as I really don't want my problem to turn into someone else's.
Please, before you do anything, I'm part of a hedgehog group on Facebook and there is a lot of information about hedgehogs and rats but this is the crux of the trap issue including the laws regarding it.
I pulled that from the group and they are 100% the best people to ask (if you're on FB) as a number of the experts on there run hedgehog rescues. I've found them a great help and if you like watching videos of hedgehog night time antics I'd definitely recommend it. You can use the search function on their page to look for posts on rat problems, there's quite a few of them, although I'm having trouble getting a working link for all of the results. This is the only one I could get to work.
I would stop feeding the hedgehogs. There should be plenty of food appearing now and, as others have said, as long as there is a food source the rat(s) will keep coming.
@Sheps Hedgehogs are very adept at getting into small spaces, especially when they can smell anything edible. There are five different ways they can get in and out of my garden, a couple of them are very small gaps under gravel boards. My OH's mum heard some banging in her garden one night and when she looked outside, it was a hedgehog who had got itself stuck in a tin can trying to get at the remains of the contents. They'll try to squeeze into anything to get to something they can eat. Don't forget as well that young hedgehogs can be really dinky and can get into even smaller spaces.
The only problem with blocking an entrance is whether or not you're also blocking the hedgehog's method of getting into your garden. This feeding station is supposed to be a rat deterrent https://hedgehogsrus.co.uk/hedgehog-shop/ols/products/cat-rat-deterrent-hedgehog-feeding-station but it's not cheap. It depends how into your hedgehogs you are. I swore I wouldn't buy one but then caved because so many people were posting their videos of hedgehogs using it.
It's a crappy quandary to be in and you're definitely not alone. I don't think there's a perfect solution but definitely check out places like the forums on www.hedgehogstreet.org where the question pops up and people share their ways of dealing with the problem.
We've got another bloody rat!! Never saw one until the family at the back moved in.. Sorry birds, I have to stop feeding you, my garden is way too small to share with hundreds of large rodents. 😢
@februarysgirl You are quite right in pointing out the disadvantages of lethal traps and I agree with you about care needing to be taken when using them. I should perhaps have added to the "correctly set" and included safe positioning. My mistake . The point I was trying to make was the suggestion of using a humane trap and then letting the rat loose elsewhere to create problems for others. I've certainly enjoyed Hedgehogs ( and rescued a few ) in previous gardens. Rats will always be with us whilst some of our other species need our help if we want to conserve them.
Good luck to @Sheps and others with resolving the issue.
Posts
For the sake of the Hoggies this could well be an option and after reading your post it makes a lot of sense as I really don't want my problem to turn into someone else's.
Something to think about over the weekend.
Thanks for the advice 🙂
I pulled that from the group and they are 100% the best people to ask (if you're on FB) as a number of the experts on there run hedgehog rescues. I've found them a great help and if you like watching videos of hedgehog night time antics I'd definitely recommend it. You can use the search function on their page to look for posts on rat problems, there's quite a few of them, although I'm having trouble getting a working link for all of the results. This is the only one I could get to work.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.956232538440962&type=3
The only way I think I could use one is to make a brick enclosure surrounding the trap making it impossible for the hogs to get in.
The only problem with blocking an entrance is whether or not you're also blocking the hedgehog's method of getting into your garden. This feeding station is supposed to be a rat deterrent https://hedgehogsrus.co.uk/hedgehog-shop/ols/products/cat-rat-deterrent-hedgehog-feeding-station but it's not cheap. It depends how into your hedgehogs you are. I swore I wouldn't buy one but then caved because so many people were posting their videos of hedgehogs using it.
It's a crappy quandary to be in and you're definitely not alone. I don't think there's a perfect solution but definitely check out places like the forums on www.hedgehogstreet.org where the question pops up and people share their ways of dealing with the problem.
Sorry birds, I have to stop feeding you, my garden is way too small to share with hundreds of large rodents. 😢
The point I was trying to make was the suggestion of using a humane trap and then letting the rat loose elsewhere to create problems for others.
I've certainly enjoyed Hedgehogs ( and rescued a few ) in previous gardens. Rats will always be with us whilst some of our other species need our help if we want to conserve them.
Good luck to @Sheps and others with resolving the issue.