Topic: Rats in the allotment

[green sleeves]

I have lifted some of the plastic covering the last guy had  down and sure enough the rats have been  working their way along the row of spuds under it , If I was a rat why would I want to leave  it food and cover so it has all been lifted and am in the middle of getting rid of the food source. The  poison in the pipe sounds like a good idea if I cover it in black plastic, I now know why the rats have been ignoring the food in  the traps used in the other plots surrounding me. As for the air gun , there is a ceasefire over here we are not allowed to shoot the rats , even the ones with 2 legs( just joking). Thanks , your advise has not fallen on deaf ears. i am told that the rats go into their hides  after taking the poison and die there.

Here's hopeing

[allaboutliverpool]

My allotment is 150 yards from the Mersey and rats should be a problem.
We have a lot of feral cats which live underneath the containers that are used as our offices and shop and they do a great job minimising the problem!

The only snag is keeping them of freshly seeded beds!

Make sure that everyone on the site does not put eggshells, cheese or meat products in the compost heap.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

[GrannieAnnie]

One case of Weil's disease can knock out your kidneys and put you on dialysis.
Thanks for the reminder to wear gloves. I needed that!

[PurpleHeather]

Ferrets and mongooses (or should that be mongeese?) are said to be great 'ratters'.

Need a pet for the kids?

[green sleeves]

So far have removed  about 24 stone of spuds and   runners off the site and am nearing the end. I have been using  ruber gloves to reduce the chances of infection  and hope to get to the local DIY tomorrow to get the poison. Plastic removed  to  above ground  levil  and no sightings of  the rodents this week. I have the pipe ready and  some carpet to cover it but do you need to add  any food to the poison or just lay it as it comes.

[Robert_Brenchley]

just lay it as it comes. Put the pipes somewhere the rats are likely to go - under a shed, along a wall or hedge, anywhere there's a bit of cover for them.

[Emagggie]

That bit of text at the bottom of your post, Green Sleeves, is sooo funny. Made a miserable old bat laugh out loud. ;D ;D ;D ;D

[green sleeves]

First  laying of poison  in the pipes and  2 days later the stuff is gone , every single bit of it. Have filled the pipes again  but  havent found any  dead rats but they could be in others plots. Corn is to go into the plot this weekend so hopefully this will work.

[OllieC]

One thing that you may or may not know - if they eat a bit and then it runs out, they will feel ill but recover. And being clever, they will learn not to take it again - so it's essential to keep the feeding stations well topped up.

[Robert_Brenchley]

On the other hand, they take several days to die, and in that time they can eat a lot more than a fatal dose. It's a question of keeping a happy medium. I haven't had any problems keeping them down with a topup once a week or so. Just use a decent amount each time.

[Thegoodlife]

if you can get hold of it try chemic, its a sianide base fertilizer for clematis i think i know the commercial growers get it has about 1% of it in there mix it with some bread and jam, wear gloves & wash hands after keep pets away, put it near the run or hole they will eat it & 24hrs dead!! we had this trouble all winter but now gone, i also have some tablets you block all known holes up drop a tablet down the hole pour some water on it and cover the hole with a brick leave overnight they will be dead, and yes the tablets are sianide base too so precuations should be taken.

[green sleeves]

So far I have gone through 4  bags of rat poison and have reset them every time they have been eaten. . I'll look into the other sugestions  mentioned  recently.