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pest control

Linda SpendloveLinda Spendlove Posts: 2
in Talkback

 

I have had a rat run at the rear of my garden, suspect it goes from a shed in neighbor’s gardens one next door and one at rear of my garden. I have had the pest control out who put poison down on 3 occasions and it seems to have done the trick as I have not seen any for a while but next door has seen them in her garden.

If I was to concrete the back part of the garden  in the area were the run was do you think it will solve the problem as I want to put raised beds for plants in  there or am I waiting my time putting concrete down or should I just dig the area over & take pot luck 

Posts

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    Concrete will not solve the problem of rats. Were you thinking of building your raised beds on concrete? How would they drain? They really need to be built on earth. I would go ahead and build the beds and just keep an eye out. If you do spot more rats then you will have to call the pest control out again. If your neighbour is seeing them, any chance she could call them out?

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,134

    Rats love concrete - they tunnel into the hardcore that the concrete is laid over, and make warrens under the concrete that no one can get at.

    There's no need to panic - practice good garden hygiene - no cooked food in the compost.  I wouldn't put potato peelings in there either - rats love potatoes.  Make sure there's no bird seed spilled on the ground and bring the feeders in at dusk.  If they climb up onto bird tables use the metal shepherd's crook pole-type hangers.  My daughter's found the rats that were feeding from her bird feeders cannot do it any more now she uses the metal poles.

    Also ensure that concrete around drains and manholes is well-maintained.  

    If next door are still seeing rats then pest control need to visit again - they will get rid of them. 


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





  • FruitcakeFruitcake Posts: 810
    I've only found one good rat deterrent- a catimage
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328

    Obviously nobody wants an infestation of rats - or rats in the house.  But I reckon I can tolerate the odd one crossing my path (or garden) from time to time without having a panic.  After all, there are supposed to be more rats than people in this country, but they don't generally impact much on our lives. 

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Linda SpendloveLinda Spendlove Posts: 2

    Thanks to all who replied will just make a raisedbed on existing soil

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    Best thing to use is old fashioned traps. Poisons aren't as effective as they used to be whereas traps are 100% effective. 

  • archiepemarchiepem Posts: 1,155

    If you have chickens remove the feeders when they have gone in at dusk .

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