Rats eating Sweetcorn cobs

[june_862]

(posted this in wrong place originally!)

Hi - would like some advice re Sweetcorn being destroyed

I suspected vandals had hit my sweetcorn but as only the cobs were shredded and bits of corn left around the base could this be rats? (I would prefer to think it was rats) All the mature cobs were attacked. I have some that I planted later - how can I protect them when they mature?

[june_862]

[tim]

That's original, at least!

I may be old fashioned, but rats seem to come under 'Pests etc' ? = Tim

[june_862]

This is why I hate posting on these boards - I'm new to this and don't need to be told off by patronising posters sorry to spoil your tidy world

[Pixie]

Hi June

Welcome to the board - I'm sort of new here too  ;D and they are quite a good bunch really, given lots of good advice.

I don't know much about rats (although we did have a pet one at some point in my childhood) but my collegue is a farming wife and she said that they quite often get at her veggies if they cant find nibbles in the barn, but that they prefer feed or dried food to fresh.

I hope you haven't got any vandals or other pests  ;D

Sam

PS I will try to copy your query on to the pests board for you

[Admin aka Dan]

June_862

Welcome to allotments4all - we have the same problem with rats, although my partner swears it is mice!

I think we can allow this thread in here - after all the sweetcorn is being eaten by rats  ;D

Hope you enjoy the site, especially as you are our 1000 member.

Cheers

Dan

[ina]

Welcome June and congratulations for being the 1000th. member here.
(Btw. Tim doesn't bite, he's just old fashioned ;D)

Warm greetings,
Ina

[john_miller]

Here in the U.S. racoons can cause a tremendous amount of damage, just as you describe.  Additionally, over here, skunks, black bear, deer and gophers will all sample the crop (I think I just had a skunk rifling my compost heap for stripped corn cobs!). That makes me wonder that if you may even have badgers, or something else, causing the damage.