I opened my compost bin to find mice had made a cosy nest in the shredded paper I had put in to absorb some of the moisture from my kitchen waste.I stopped up the holes they used to get in and out, but a couple of days later thought "where will they have gone?".MY SHED!!! So down went the mouse trap.4 dead so far , I feel guilty but then they are not an endangered species!
In August Sept 2009 I noticed a hole in my compost bin and put it down to a mole who has thrown his hills up near the bin. It was very wet at the time and I thought he might be sheltering, mmmm. Then at the very end of the year we bought 4 hens. By the spring of 2010 we noticed holes appearing in the hens run and then saw two rats up my neighbours tree after the bird seed. We made sure there was no food in our garden for the rats and never saw them in our garden at all but my neighbour was very upset about them in hers so I spoke to the parish council who brought in the local council rat man. The moment he saw we had hens he blamed me for the rats even though I told him they were there long before I had any hens. He put bait down which got rid of the rats but then I had to be ultra careful that my hens couldn't get it or anything that had eaten it. Hens will eat mice. The Point is that rats are around anyway and poultry keepers shouldn't be blamed. Also rat poison is so indescriminate, it will kill anything that eats it including birds. I would rather have the rats.
The only good rat is a dead rat. I cannot believe all this nonsense. I am a farmer and it is not just the damage that they do, they also urinate and defecate on food destined for humans and animals unless very great care is taken. Many seem to think it is ok to tolerate rats the only way is to employ a proffessional to lay poisioned bait, kill them all
The rats in my country garden are all around the bird feeders when I draw my curtains in the morning - so much for removing food at night! I bought feeders on metal poles to stop them climbing but they still get up there. Now I have bottomless drinks bottles around the shafts, which does at least keep them off the feeders. But they're still there taking no notice of me - they're almost running round my feet. I also get mice indoors in winter. Wnen I returned from a christmas break last year, they had nested in one of my pillows (yes, really in the bed), in a pile of clothes which they chewed, in drawers where they chewed packets of incense, and they even chewed my little bear filled with lavender seeds. I don't want to kill anything but this is the limit. I tried humane traps and released them in woods well away from the house but I'm still invaded. The foundations under the row of cottages here are hollow and they have the run of all four. If anyone knows how to stop them getting in, I'd be really grateful because I really don't want to kill them. But I can't face sharing my food, my clothes and even my bed with them. Help!
I had a nest of baby rats in my fast composter. I left them alone and they went in due course. One winter I noticed droppings in the garden shed and was confronted by a rat which was sleeping in the folds of a garden brolly! I stopped up a few holes and it went!I would not like them in the house, but they are not a big threat in the garden
Everyone should know about Weil's Disease, especially gardeners. I only heard about it from my son who works for Network Rail (making them aware of the dangers + desease's they can catch while working on a rail track.) I have a tiny garden (30x30ft) and grow everything in pots as most of the garden is crazy paved by previous tennant,I have a compost bin and found that rats had been rumageing around in it so tuned it over + moved it to a another location. Rats are a contender and need to be got rid of. ANYONE WHO SAYS YE YE YE BUT, BLA BLA BLA are talking rubbinsh, RATS are NOT cute NOT helpful, NOT friendly AND CAN KILL
'Fancy rats' from breeders make wonderful pets. They are very clean, friendly, non-aggressive, and are brilliant parents to their young. (Having lit the touchpaper, I'll retire to a safe distance). I wonder what Richard Jones thinks?
Posts
A: It's breathing.
I'll get my coat!
Kate