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Eeek I've got a rat

BluebelleBluebelle Posts: 28
in Talkback

Just spotted it in a flower bed underneath a bird feeder. Also noticed a hole in my raised veg bed were I have garlic growing. Thinking nows the time to get a Jack Russell. Any tips on rat removal that won't hurt birds / wildlife ? I live near fields and a barn, suspect he has mates. 

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  • BluebelleBluebelle Posts: 28

    Thanks pansy face.... unfortunately that will hinder ground feeders such as blackbirds and robins.  Difficult. He's a big en too, thought it was a rabbit at first. image 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    Put the groundfeeders' food on a tray and bring it in at dusk and put it back in the morning.  Rats do most of their feeding at night  image


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





  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    Put poison half way down a pipe so only something that goes down the pipe can get it. Position the pipe along the base of a wall or building where the rats run. Replenish the poison as it is eaten using perhaps a spoon attached to a long stick.
  • Lou12Lou12 Posts: 1,149

    image

     Meet my number one excellent rat killer - feral cat Willow.

  • flumpy1flumpy1 Posts: 3,117

    I rang the council, it took three lots of poison but it did the job, and it's free, it all started when I started hanging fat balls for the birds, so that attracted the rat, I just don't feed the birds any more image

  • cornellycornelly Posts: 970

    Have you a shed, on raised runners, I place a tray of poisen under ours does the trick, and away from birds cats etc.

  • RainbowfishRainbowfish Posts: 276

    watch out for (4ft) big brothers image

  • Lyn Plant-WellsLyn Plant-Wells Posts: 338

    I sympathise. I have a rat problem - one or two are really big. They are crafty blighters - usually come out around tea time (wonder why!)  They even climb up the shiny metal plant obelisks!  I put out the blue wheat based stuff (suitably covered) and it disappeared every night. I estimated that there was either one enormous rat or several on a calorie controlled diet (to quote from Truly Madly Deeply)  I still saw rats - whether they were new ones or immmune to the poison.  The guy who did my garden makeover advised a mix of plaster and cocoa. Maybe it was because it was dental plaster - they didn't go for it!  I got one with my air-gun (it was making a bad job of climbing my Pyracantha after the birds' fat balls) and I caught one in an old rat trap.

    It has gone quiet for the past couple of days but I know they're out there . . . waiting.

  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237

    The rat poison I used first of all was one of the blue wheat based ones and the rats liked it so much that they ate their way into the plastic container when I was away (so not topping up the bait trap). I switched to a different kind though and the rats were gone within days.

  • Lyn Plant-WellsLyn Plant-Wells Posts: 338

    What did you switch to SG? image

     

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