I have the loan of half a plot in the allotment where I have seen some monster rats, I watched one take an 18" parsnip in behind the bushes and make short work of it. there are loads of traps around the site but I was wondering if there were any plants you can grow to deter them Traps and poison don't seem to be the answer. Any pearls of wisdom to share with me. ???
:-\ Found this snippet of info regarding plants to deter rats: -
QuoteValerian especially, has an almost paralysing effect on rats and mice. Attraction or repulsion? Either way, the evil-smelling roots are used as bait for rodents and may well have been the Pied Pipers secret weapon!
Also found this: -
QuoteRats dislike Cat Nip (Nepeta cataria) the plant cats go crazy over.
Hope this helps......
(http://www.animated-gifs.eu/mammals-mice-food/0042.gif)
You need to sow some rat poison. Put it down regularly to minimise the population; it probably won't be possible to get rid of them altogether.
Hi there
We had similar problems, the local council guy came and was very effective in putting loads of poison down
What he do do which was clever, was to put it in plastic bags. The rats thought it was a tasty treat, and dragged the bag into the hidey hole to scoff (hopefully feeding the whole family if there are babies).
The council will come out for free and bait the area, then come back and check to see if its been effective, and if not, try something else
Good luck!
Joolieeeeeeeeee
i like to stick to rat traps because on are site hedgehogs were also being poisoned and other wildlife
hiya, big J..welcome to the site ;D
Quote from: big J on March 31, 2008, 14:59:41
i like to stick to rat traps because on are site hedgehogs were also being poisoned and other wildlife
Then buy a couple of rat bait boxes
http://www.solwayfeeders.com/ProductsDetail1.asp?STOCK_CODE=3210
Hi all and thanks for the replys, I would like to only use poison as the last resort though you have sugested some ideas. there maybe a combination aproache needed. Liked the mouse in Aromatic reply.
What is the problem with the rat poison if you spend £5 on a bait box you are not endangering any other wild life and you get the poison free from the council,s rat catcher.
If you just want to stick with traps and don,t use them properly they are more danger to wild life.
With traps you have three option
Glue Trap
Fen Trap
Live Trap
Neither are of any use if you do not know where the rats or rabbits are traveling.
Rabbit are habitual and will use the same entry/exit point all the time so you need to find that first and channel it to the trap.
Rat tend to travel close to fences so you need to find the run or rat droppings so the traps are in the right place. If you use the Fen Trap then again you need to channel the rat onto it, you don't need to bait this trap you force the rat or rabbit to go over it.
The same method applies to a live trap only it needs to be baited with some bait that smells to attract the rat in, i would suggest bacon as this is easily attached to the trigger
No matter which way you want to do it you will still have to spend money.
If you bury your head in the sand and dont do something you are leaving yourself open to catching Weils disease - Ratcatchers yellows caught by putting your hand down where the rat has peed.
Thanks all for the replays,
Ok I'm taking this all on board but what I was also looking for was there plants out there which put them off coming near the plot. Last option is poison and traps I don't mind just looking for some middle ground. Yes poison works but with having young children about is it safe?
Aiden
Put the poison in lengths of drain pipe will protect it from cats,dogs,foxes and other wildlife as well as untrained kids.
Traps and Poison boxes/pipes are not hard to hide away from the kids, they can go under old timber, sheds or bricks where the rat runs or will go for cover.
You can,t put plants all over the garden to deter them so other than what has been stated your only other option is a good terrier or air gun.
Quote from: davyw1 on March 31, 2008, 20:54:41
Quote from: big J on March 31, 2008, 14:59:41
i like to stick to rat traps because on are site hedgehogs were also being poisoned and other wildlife
Then buy a couple of rat bait boxes
http://www.solwayfeeders.com/ProductsDetail1.asp?STOCK_CODE=3210
what happens when a rat or mouse eats the poisin in the bait box and dies in the open it could be eat by cats foxes crows owls believe me it can happen
I know one guy who swears by his air rifle - but he does virtually live at the plot...
I too was told this afternoon that there is a HUGE rat living in my compost heap :o.
Will try the valerian and cat nip too. Maybe it will clear off and become a problem to someone who isn't quite so cowardly :-[
Quote from: big J on April 02, 2008, 23:14:04
Quote from: davyw1 on March 31, 2008, 20:54:41
Quote from: big J on March 31, 2008, 14:59:41
i like to stick to rat traps because on are site hedgehogs were also being poisoned and other wildlife
Then buy a couple of rat bait boxes
http://www.solwayfeeders.com/ProductsDetail1.asp?STOCK_CODE=3210
what happens when a rat or mouse eats the poisin in the bait box and dies in the open it could be eat by cats foxes crows owls believe me it can happen
You decide on who you want to be the victim of the rat.
If you wear leather type gardening glove when gardening and they come into contact with the rat or the rats urine the infection stays on that glove, if that part of the glove comes into contact with an open cut any disease the rat is carrying is transferred.
I think it is safe to say we all grow Sprouts, Sweetcorn, Peas, Broad Bean, Runner Bean, French Bean and Tomato,s, all tall plants and all that the rat eats. Well when the rat is happily chomping away on the fruit of the plant it is also urinating on the fruit below, the fruit you eat.
Next there is Carrots and Parsnips in raised beds or not, guess what the rat is doing when pulling them to eat.
Crop Damage. The rat does not stay in one place to eat, it will take a bite out of one beetroot then move to next and do the same again and again, this also applies to your Swede, Turnip, Coli Rabi, Celleric and so on. It has no intention of leaving anything for you to eat, but will give you every disease it carries
Sorry folks dont mean to put anyone off liking the rat, but now you know why i dislike it
Try to keep the plot tidy and free of places for them to live too. Dont have piles of stuff in a corner for them to live under. Also WEAR GLOVES, you dont want Weils disease.
To be honest there are rats everywhere really you just dont often see them.
At anyone time no matter where you are, your not 25 yards from a rat.
especially if you work in a law firm.
;)
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
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
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!
Ferrets and mongooses (or should that be mongeese?) are said to be great 'ratters'.
Need a pet for the kids?
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.