Allotments 4 All

Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: florence on July 31, 2012, 19:47:45

Title: Rats eating sweetcorn
Post by: florence on July 31, 2012, 19:47:45
Our allotment site has rats. They have climbed sweetcorn & nibbled the cobs before. This year they seem to have developed the technique of biting through the sweetcorn stem at the base so it falls over, then eating the developing corn. Virtually the whole lots has been felled in a week.
Has anyone else had anything similar and any suggestions? Traps and poisons aren't very practical as allotment neighbours bring their dogs up and the local fox might get injured.....
Title: Re: Rats eating sweetcorn
Post by: pumkinlover on July 31, 2012, 20:11:28
Not suggesting it's not rats but it's badgers on our site who have a taste for sweetcorn.
Title: Re: Rats eating sweetcorn
Post by: davyw1 on July 31, 2012, 20:28:53
Get 2 litre milk bottles and cut down the side oppsite to the handle and place them over the cobs
Title: Re: Rats eating sweetcorn
Post by: Ninnyscrops. on July 31, 2012, 20:30:44
Smear a bit of Vic on the stems at ground level  ;)

Ninny
Title: Re: Rats eating sweetcorn
Post by: pumkinlover on July 31, 2012, 20:48:30
Opp sorry I pressed edit by mistake!
Title: Re: Rats eating sweetcorn
Post by: florence on August 01, 2012, 20:08:30
Thanks for the ideas, I'm going to buy some Vic tomorrow and try them both.
Title: Re: Rats eating sweetcorn
Post by: kippers garden on August 01, 2012, 22:47:40
Quote from: Ninnyscrops. on July 31, 2012, 20:30:44
Smear a bit of Vic on the stems at ground level  ;)

Ninny

oooh what a good idea
Title: Re: Rats eating sweetcorn
Post by: mergles on August 01, 2012, 23:55:33
We have the same problem with squirrels - I use 2 litre pop bottlles with the tops cut off - just slide over the developing cobs.
Hope you find a suitable solution.