RATS

[jock_edin]

I suspected for a week or so there were something living around the back of my hut on the allotie. Then today when I went down to drop of compostable stuff from my garden, a rat was sitting at the front door of the hut nibbling at the bottom of the door. I unsuccessfully tried to hit it and it dissapeared round the back. When I got there inbetween the water butts a huge hole under the back of the hut. How do you go about getting rid of them, is it the pellets from b&q or if anyone can tell me of another way to rid them from round the plot. Thanks if you can help.        Willie

[jock_edin]

[growmore]

The local council usually come and bait for rats free...Wardies way is more fun though.Another idea is put a hose pipe down the hole you found flood them out and stand back with a big stick...cheers Jim...

[Wicker]

We have them on our site just now too, Jock!  Since you are in the same area as us all you have to do is phone and report the situaution to the Allotment Officer at the Council  and the Environmental Officer (used to be Rat Man!!) will pay a vist.  The poison is in special boxes or bags which birds and pets can't access.   When phoning you should give the plot numbers where ras have been seen as the EO is only supposed to "treat" plots with the plotholoder's consent.

Usually needs a return visit (which the EO does automatically) and then uisually clear for the season - fingers crossed anyway

[adam04]

use a rat trap....tis fun!

or buy a box with poison in, then you just put it down on the ground and it should work. just bought one for mice.

[Tulipa]

Cats can be poisoned by catching poisoned mice or rats. 

Thankfully our council too is free and they are coming out next week to find out what is running round our loft at night!  The lady said mice are much noisier than rats so hopefully that is what it is!

[JohnnyLarge]

We had a couple on a nearby plot.
I baited them with some cat-food and then blammed them stone dead with my airgun.
Sorted! ;)
John :)

[agapanthus]

I can't understand why anyone would find it fun taking another life ??? ???

[TEL]

No not fun but some times necessary. :-\

[agapanthus]

I understand the necessity Tel had to do it myself...but took no pleasure at all :(

[agapanthus]

Thank you redclanger ;)

[Val]

 ;D ;D ;Dblood thirsty lot ;)..wouldn't catch me killing a poor innocent rodent, no I'd run like hell and wouldn't go back :o...oh yuk...why did I read this ??? ;)

[Merlins Mum]

I can't understand why anyone would find it fun taking another life ??? ???

I also agree
MM

[Wickham]

On the subject of rats, the recent cold weather has caused us to find extensive “activity” in our allotment shed! A bag of potatoes we‘ve stored in our shed (quite high up off the floor) has been plundered and ½ a bucket worth of spuds have been chewed up. Our compost bin has also been heavily “raided”. We’ve few other places to store our spuds, and I feel our labours through the season are benefiting rats rather than us. Rats are hardly an endangered species. They're an introduced species and are vectors of disease to many. I’m contacting the local council: hope they can help. I value wildlife, but I absolutely detest rats. It's simply "us or them"!

Sorry, had to tell somebody!

[Treacletop]

 :-[ We too have rats in our compost heap but have yet to get in the shed.

Can't risk poison as have 2 cats so will have to resort to the scare tactics! Lots of noise and big boots! Fingers crossed!

[Wickham]

We've already tried using traps for the rats, but they seem too smart for this! I'm afraid I think the only effective strategy is poison baiting. Walfarin has been officially replaced by a "new generation" of poison (scientific name?) which kills them more slowly - creates a lethargy for some days before death (said to be painless for the rat). Problem is, the affected rat might be more likely to wander out into the open and be eaten by something else. I fear this might be a particular likelihood on an allotment. I will post info we hope to receive from our local council.

[Palustris]

I too do not like taking a life without good reason, but rats are a problem. People should bear in mind that they (and mice) communicate by leaving urine trails where ever they go. That urine contains some very nasty pathogens which can affect humans. Weil's disease especially is spreads by rat urine. They also spoil as much food as they consume. After all would you want to eat rat urine soaked potatoes?
Rather have vinegar on my chips!

[RW]

This link is a good guide about rat control:

http://www.csl.gov.uk/prodserv/cons/RatControlGuidelines.pdf

[Wickham]

Thanks RW for this extensive amount of info re:rat control. I am browsing through it now.

I emailed/reported our allotment rat problem to our local city council at the same time as my first post above (Nov 29th): we've heard nothing in return from them up to now. Unfortunately, they don't appear to be as responsive to problems as the members of this forum are!

[chriszog]

I had rats in my compost bin last year. I emptied the bin, mixed the contents and then re filled it and didnt put any fresh waste in it for a couple of weeks. The rats disappeared. I know they probably went to someone elses plot but it cured my problem without resorting to extreme measures of violence.
Why kill them , just upset their homes and make them go somewhere else
Good Luck
Chris

[growmore]

They damage goods and property and carry disease including Leptospirosis, otherwise called Weil’s Disease (pronounced Veil’s). This disease is transmitted to humans in the urine of infected rats. It is usually associated with watercourses, sewage systems and even damp soil where there is an infestation of rats. Other diseases associated with rats are salmonella and the less common rat-bite fever and typhoid. Parasites caused by rodents include, ringworm, roundworm, tapeworm, ticks and fleas

Life cycle
Life and breeding cycle of rodents is as follow:- In the wild, the average life span of a rat is one year. Gestation period for a rat is three weeks, the female rat can give birth to about 20 young a year (4-6 at a time) if she lives that long!! The young are weaned at 4-5 weeks, at 3 months old they are ready to start breeding!!

Lovely things eh ..The only place I would move them on to is the big rat muck heap in the sky ..I hates the bu**ers...cheers Jim...