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Produce => Wildlife forum => Topic started by: Jane the Novice on August 27, 2005, 18:17:53
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I have been watching the nightlife in my garden for a little while now and have been delighted by many frogs and fieldmice. However a couple of nights ago I saw what I thought was a larger mouse just sticking his nose out from under the shed then last night I saw the entire " large mouse" on one of my paved areas and to my horror I have a rat. Not quite sure how to deal with it at the moment without damaging the field mice and the toads. I will stop feeding the birds at ground level but will continue to fill the feeders and the table. I have considered getting myself a humane trap so if I inadvertantly catch on of the mice I can release it. I'm not sure that I could kill a rat even if I caught it although my husband says that he would do that for me. I'm sure that many of you will have ideas for me. In the meantime I will continue my night watch to see what else lurks among my plants.
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Hi Jane - have you any compost heaps close by. If so, the rats could be nesting in them. A neighbour of ours had this problem and had loads of little rats running around and had to get the experts in to help dispose of them. Other than that I cannot suggest anything else. As you say, you have to be careful not to harm any friendly visitors :o
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I have a humane rat and I caught two rats in it earlier in the year - much recounted on here. The following put some people off their breakfasts:
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/redclanger/ratinthetrap.jpg)
(http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/wuerg/vomit-smiley-002.gif)
I found that bread was a good bait but chocolate is meant to work well. It is best sited along a wall or such like that the rat has been observed running along. It is also best to cover the trap so the rat just thinks it is running through the tunnel. I drove mine about 5 miles before releasing them and then released the second one in exactly the same place.
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Inform the local council Jane , we had a rat under our shed but the chap next door had a compost heap, the ratman told us we would end up with dozens if we diden`t get rid so i let them do there stuff.
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Thankyou all for your replies. I have no compost heap and nor does my neighbour. I believe the little blighter is currently residing beneath my shed. Have been out this evening but can only find frogs and mice. The mice, by the way, have taken a fancy to my nice ripe tomatoes!
Redclanger...where did you get your trap from as I think I could use one of these and release my new found friend in a large woodland on the opposite side of the main road.
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I got it from a shop called Biggers in Lincoln. No web site. I will try to find the box to let you know who the company are.
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Just be ruthless with the horrible things and use poison. Put it in a piece of pipe or similar, and place it along the bottom of your shed wall, by the hole you saw it come out of.
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Rats don't really live in woodland, Jane - there's a good chance it will come back.
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The problem I see with using poison is that it would probably get the field mice and the frogs too. The rat in question doesn't emerge from a hole but from under the shed where I presume it resides with the mice and frogs. I know rats are bad but haven't the heart to kill anything. As to the question of it returning from the woodland I very much doubt if it would be able to relocate my garden from about a mile and a half away from the back of the woods. It would have to go and find somewhere else to live.
I have now stopped putting food on the ground for the birds and have just caught a mouse red handed with it's face in a tomato. I am now going back out there with a camera and if I manage to snap it will be back with the results.
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You'd probably get the mice, but certainly wouldn't harm the frogs. They eat insects not bright blue grain!
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We live 50 yards from a canal,and we often see a rat or two walking across the garden even in broad daylight.I dont feed the birds on the ground, only from feeders, but I hane seen them climb up a tree to try and get to the feeders, so I use the one that only have holes at the bottom, I wont put poison down for fear of killing anything else, I just live and let live, and try not to feed them.I supose that i am in the minority as I used to keep and show fancy rats, here is a pic of one, called Burt.(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/discovery/P1010032.jpg)
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I used to keep rats as well; of course they're a different species! Having had a rat destroy a beehive once, I now get an uncontrollable urge to kill every time I see one of the horrible things.
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Rat Trap ordered and should be arriving tomorrow....I hope he enjoys his last night of freedom!!
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We have a pest control bloke near me who only uses ferrets and dogs to despatch rats. Very environmentally friendly :)
If we get rats on the lotties they put a terrier under and have a few standing by to catch them as they come out. I used my own JRT to explore some leaf filled holes in my lotty. Fortunately the rats had left but I certainly didn't dare put my spade in it without the dog checking it out first :)
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Trap arrived this morning. I am currently at work but with nothing to do at the present. When I get home I will try and set the trap although it may prove a little difficult in the dark. I will let you all know how I get on and may even post some piccies of the little b*****d when I get him
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We have a pest control bloke near me who only uses ferrets and dogs to despatch rats. Very environmentally friendly :)
If we get rats on the lotties they put a terrier under and have a few standing by to catch them as they come out. I used my own JRT to explore some leaf filled holes in my lotty. Fortunately the rats had left but I certainly didn't dare put my spade in it without the dog checking it out first :)
You may have to check on the legality of it all if the dogs kill the rats. As far as I am aware, you can now only use dogs to fluch out animals and then a gun should be used to despatch them - I do not think rats are excluded.
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I don't think the law would be very interested in rats on my lotty and I don't think anyone is allowed a gun these days - least of all me I should hope ;D
Rats carry Weils disease so I don't want my little terrier catching anything nasty. I think rats flushed out by dogs get hit over the head but I should think folks will still use ferrets. I think they do on farms in your neck of the woods too - unless like you say it's been outlawed like most things nowadays, although it's safer to the environment and the pest control bloke than handling toxic poisons :o
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Rat trap is now primed ready to go. I have placed it along a wall which I believe to part of the rat run. I have baited it with a slice of my best bread. Apparently they like chocolate but I'm blowed if I'd waste good choccy on a pesky rat! I'm not sure how long I will have to wait but I have swept up every last grain of the bird food.I think a glass of wine and a comfy chair are called for.
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I think money on a kit kat will be well spent. Mice and rats love em and they are better bait than cheese. I rat would go for choccy over bread any day :)
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They Lurve peanut butter too!
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I think rats flushed out by dogs get hit over the head
I think that should be OK then. :)
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Hi all
just been cleaning out my shed & came face to face with a rat.
Don't know witch one of us moved faster. :o
Will have to put poison down.
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Just to update on my rat problem. This rat is clearly a very fussy eater and the bread has had no effect so last night I gave him some of my best choccy. Having gone for a good look around I discovered that he has been digging holes in my beds too. He has obviously watched the great escape once too often. He has managed to tunnel through into next doors garden which I have now filed in and covered with bricks. My next move will be to relocate the trap next to his favourite digging spot in the hope that the smell of the choccy is more tempting than his desire to dig.
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Sounds like a wiley critter does your rat ;D Hope you don't have to resort to explosives ;D
Have you seen the film Caddy Shack ;D
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I remember using traditional rat traps once, every night they'd take the bait, and the traps were never set off. When I was trapping mice in my shed though, I lost all the traps in the end as they kept catching rats which just went off with the trap attached.
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;D
I once had mice in my kitchen which coincided with me having whooping cough. One night I had to come down to get a drink and was hacking so much the traps went off ;D
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I have now declared a RAT WAR!!! Having filled in the hole and covered it with a brick my little furry friend has tunnelled underneath the bricks and is beginning to diturb the roots of my climbing hydrangea.He is now starting to get on my nerves and I will not be beaten by a rodent!!
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Just be ruthless and use poison.
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;D
I once had mice in my kitchen which coincided with me having whooping cough. One night I had to come down to get a drink and was hacking so much the traps went off ;D
Me too (the mouse, not whooping cough). Went through a variety of traps, starting off with the most humane (useless - mouse eat all the peanut butter without setting off the trap >:() and ending up with something like a medieval torture device that nearly cut the poor little blighter in half! And we've got a cat, which is completely useless - one night I went to make some toast, pulled out the grill to find mousey sitting in the grill pan eating crumbs. Mousey ran off before I could grab it, and the cat went like lightning... the opposite way! :o
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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Grill pan! Waaaaaaaaaaaagh :o When we had mice my dog slept in the kitchen (well he did anyway but that's beside the point). Anyway when we had mice the dog kept going berserk every night but we didn't know why. One night he ripped a great big piece out of the lino (the dog not the mouse). The mouse had run behind the dishwasher, persued by the dog who couldn't catch it and in true terrier style was trying to dig it out. The hole in my Marley Stay Flat was huge, right by the sink :( It cost me over £250 to replace it. The insurance co didn't want to know :( We did catch the little mousey with Kit Kat :)
Hope you catch your pesky rodent Jane but as you are finding out they are rather wiley and will try and outsmart you at every turn ;D
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I believe that I may have trapped the little blighter in next doors garden last night but it will only be a matter of time before he makes his way back round to mine. I may have to knock next door and ask him if he could possibly block the hole from his side. Once I have managed to confine him to my garden he may be a little easier to catch ( some hope!)
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I bet your rat has set up a military HQ and he's in there planning his campaign to outwit you. Wonder if he has a white flag ;D
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Now I know I've lost it!! Have just come in from an evening sortie armed with a torch and a big stick!
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Looked out of the kitchen window to see the ruddy rat on the bird feeder must need stronger poison.
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Your rat is clearly as smart as mine Tel......Good luck to you
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Never before have I had the urge to kill quite as much as I do now!! Have just been outside filling in holes and tunnels which I presume were dug by you know who. I've seen no evidence for a few days and presumed that he had gone to live next door. I had moved my trap to where he was digging through but he is clearly a very clever rat. I will now have to rethink my strategy.....back to the drawing board I guess.
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Have you considered a terrier? My lottie neighbours young terrier caught a rabbit the other day and they had it for tea last night with lotty onions and celeriac ;D
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I already have a large stupid dog who last night had to be shown to a cat in the garden before he realised it was there! He is an ex police dog......how he ever caught a criminal I will never know!
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Jane. At least your pesky rat has been giving us some laughs. I am just glad it is not in my garden. Obviously the torch and stick style of hunting was useless!! What next? regards Lorna.
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Couple of things...... I too kept fancy rats, and thought that they were exactly the same species, Rattus Norvegicus, as the wild brown rat? Only difference as far as I was aware was that our pets come via original lab stock (and Jack Black perhaps ).
And I think that rats ARE exempt from the hunting rule, as are rabbits. This Defra link explains things http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/summary.htm
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Oh dear Jane I sense that Rattus Rattus has the upper hand. For now at least! You might need to regroup and refocus. He is after all a rat and of low intelligence. You, on the other hand, are homosapiens and far cleverer so go get the bastid ;D
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Now I'm really angry >:( Rattus Rattus has dug a trench along the back wall of my shady garden. He is clearly of very little brain as that bed is surrounded by a wall and he will get nowhere. Tomorrow I will again fill in the hole and move my trap once more. I am even considering enticing him with a Ferrero Rocher which were given to me as a pressie by one of my patients. My husband is also going to buy him a chicken burger from Maccie D's since they are unfit for human consumption! If all this fails then I am going to have to admit defeat and call in the Terminator from the council.
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LOL! Sorry, but the posts are brilliant ;D I hope you catch Mr Rat for the sake of your sanity, although if it was rattus rattus it'd be incredibly rare!
Wonder if the council Terminator will come on a motorcycle wearing leathers and sunglasses? 8)
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Yea Anneski and he's coming with a great big gun and gonna blast that sucker ;D
My mate once got a rat (off the field behind her house) in her pantry :o :o Her brave husband went in after it with a 12 bore shot gun, closed the door and let loose. He shot her Baby Burco to oblivion but the rat was still sitting there cleaning its whiskers. Her hubby was a bit deaf after that ;D
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I doubt very much with all the activity that you are seeing that you have only one rat.
They are not solitary animals.Try a fish bait in your catch em alive cage .
Pilchards work well . If left to establish themselves You are going to have a right job getting rid of em..
Cheers .Jim...
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Got called into work at 4am so am now at home and have the rest of the day to think up strategies for eliminating Mr. Cleverclogs and his kith and kin!
1.......Drink coffee
2.......Fill in holes
3.......Drink more coffee
4.......Move trap and re-bait with yummy goodness
5.......Visit little girls room due to drinking too much coffee
6.......Await results from trap
p.s. did you know that mice eat slugs?
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No, didn't know that mice ate slugs! How do you know? Share :)
That Jim sounds knowledgeable - you a pest control chap Jim. Like you ferret (or polecat etc)
Try the fish thing Jane and report back. Knowing your luck you'll probably bag a moggie ;D
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Wardy...I watched a mouse take a slug last night while on rat patrol. He tapped it with his hand, it moved and he picked it up and ran with it.....very amusing to watch.
The trap has now been baited with left over roast chicken, bacon and small pieces of cheese.
Having had a lie down thisafternoon I looked out of my bedroom window to observe the criminal in question scavenging for food on the top patio. He is quite a sizeable beastie. I have since been out and swept yet again to ensure that there are no spoils left for him to pilfer in the hope that he will go to the bait.
I am finding this all very intriguing trying to outwit one of lifes true criminals. Who would have thought that one small creature could supply us with so much entertainment?
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Make sure you don't leave anything plastic about, eg black plastic sacks etc as they chew them up to make nests :o
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Hi all
Went to the shed today & by the poison was a dead rat yahoo.
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One down, just Jane's to go ;D
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Hi JTN
Have you got it yet.
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Rattus rattus is extinct in this country - you have rattus norvegicus. Your is cuter - rattus rattus is an ugly b*****d and the origin of the domestic rat - urgh.
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I have found in the past the best way to get rid of the rats from any where is get the local jackrussel team in. terriers are bred to tackle rats and they are the best deterrent.
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I sent mine in to a bank on my lotty where I suspected there were rats. I was trying to level this huge mound off where the hedge was dying back. It looked holey so I suspected some wildlife, rabbits or rats. I found a hole and tentatively probed it and it was stuffed with shredded plastic and leaves. I thought it must be rats so I woke my Jack Russell up and told him to fetch. He dug everything up (saved me doing it) and found nothing. At least my mind was at rest :)
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Unfortunately still no rat in the trap however he is still digging. All this despite the non feeding of the birdies except on the table....very interesting to watch half a dozen wood pigeons vying for space on one table....definitely a case of establishing the pecking order!! Not quite sure what my next move is going to be yet...might still have to resort to the man from the ministry,
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That's it! I have now resorted to poison. I gave him every opportunity to give himself up but he is determined to out-smart me. I have laid my first tray of poisoned pellets where I found a collection of droppings. Now let battle commence.
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Jane He's done a good job of outsmarting you to date ;D
Thought about you and your rat yesterday when was house hunting with niece. We visited a house and by the back door was a hole about 5" round but it was very deep and you could peer right down it and under the house. It must have been about 3 foot you could see down
Is this a rat hole or what? Any ideas anyone
I put Jack Russell (yes, I take him everywhere with me) to the hole and told him to fetch and he didn't seem interested so not sure what it is but it looked definitely animal made rather than human
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Too big for a rat. It could be something going on undreground; I've seen holes like that appear in tarmac but I don't know what caused them.
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Thanks Robert. I thought it must be animal as it's so round.
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pitty you wasn't closer would have come round and shot it or them for you 8)but i may be able to get some of the others from the gun site i use locally to contact you if that helps