Produce > Pests & Diseases

Rats?

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gray1720:
We have an excess of Siberian Hamsters on our plots at the mo - I saw at least 8 of the buggers this evening whilst mowing the paths.

And enough bunny huggers that the committee are going to have to be handled carefully... Me, I'm for going medieval, especially as they are under my compost heap, which will have to be moved when I get back from holiday. Grr!

https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/67668383.jpg

Beersmith:

--- Quote from: gray1720 on April 13, 2022, 20:14:55 ---We have an excess of Siberian Hamsters on our plots at the mo - I saw at least 8 of the buggers this evening whilst mowing the paths.

And enough bunny huggers that the committee are going to have to be handled carefully... Me, I'm for going medieval, especially as they are under my compost heap, which will have to be moved when I get back from holiday. Grr!

https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/67668383.jpg

--- End quote ---

You need a response on three fronts.  If there are heaps and old sheds where they can safely nest, and a regular source of food then it is difficult to get rid of them even if you can keep them under control with traps and poisons, which is tricky anyway as they are remarkably wary.  Does your site have chickens?  If so I fear Basil and all the little Basil's are going to be more or less permanent fixtures.

gray1720:
No chickens, luckily - plenty of heaps, though, and houses close enough that it's getting harder and harder to burn rubbish without trouble from somewhere, which I'm sure leads to extra heaps. We do have outbreaks every few years, despite the excess of foxes and cats locally, which historically have been dealt with by poison.

To my startlement, it looks as though the agreed solution this time  - which appears to be supported by the no poison faction - is going to be to get *truly* medieval on Basil and his pals and get terriers in! It's certainly faster than poison, but I'm more than a bit surprised that no-one seems to have objected yet. Maybe rats truly get no sympathy from anyone? They've never got a great deal from me, least of all when they are on my plot, but given the pinkness and fluffiness of a fair few plotholders.....................................

Beersmith:

--- Quote from: gray1720 on April 17, 2022, 21:22:53 ---
It looks as though the agreed solution this time   get terriers in!


--- End quote ---

My word that triggered some memories of long ago.  I was just a lad of ten when my old pap had a rat catcher call to help clear his hen houses.  Would you like to watch?  The rat catcher was frightening to behold with a scar on his cheek.  He arrived with ferrets in addition to his terriers and went to work.  Everyday stuff for him but I was captivated and terrified at the same time.  Pap kept me at a safe distance but I don't think I slept for a week afterwards.

Back on topic I don't think terriers will do much without a method to flush Basil out of their runs.

gray1720:
Oh dear...

Basil, Basil, and Basil succumbed to the Jack Russells. Given that I saw 8 while I was mowing, and if they are anything like moles that's just the tip of the iceberg, 3 is a pretty poor bag. Traps will be going out next... I'm just waiting for them to fail and poison to be resorted to to see what the objectors make.

Unfortunately I wasn't fast enough with the fork to get the one in my compost heap...

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