Allotments 4 All

I had a rat in my dalek compost bin last winter so I put wire mesh under the bins. Now a rat has managed to get in by pushing a gap through the door at the bottom. It's in there for the warmth not the food as this compost is ready to use. So if you have these bins rat proofed with mesh on the bottom find some way to keep the door firmly closed. Any ideas appreciated.

Had rats in my daleks this and last year - drives my westie barmy(not hard to do).

They are certainly persistent, and the daft doors on these plastic bins are rubbish quality.

You can fold chicken wire in an "L", which sometimes deters one or two, but in the end I took to putting rat poison in the bin, just inside the door and taping the door shut so that previously mentioned stupid dog wouldn't get at it.

It worked, and the rats haven't come back - yet...

I get rats in mine, too. I just give it a big kick before I open it to give them a chance to clear out rather than give me the fright of my life when I open it!

Oh heck you have put me off buying them now  :o

I've only had rats in mine a couple of times that I know of. They're normally under the shed floor.

never seen one in my four darleks, don't want to see one, don't believe they exist.

Helps if you stand with your fingers and your ears and go " la la la la I can't seeeeeeeeeeeeeeee/hear you !"

8)

Quote from: MrsKP on October 26, 2007, 06:23:49
never seen one in my four darleks, don't want to see one, don't believe they exist.

Helps if you stand with your fingers and your ears and go " la la la la I can't seeeeeeeeeeeeeeee/hear you !"

8)

You are funny MrsKP!! I thought the same as you when I knew that rats had 'arrived' at my plot, I was merrily digging when something caught my eye, I looked up and one was sat on top of the compost heap watching me!!  :o  I think I was halucinating or maybe just a bit hung over...la la la la la ....... I can't seeeeeeeeeee you tooooooooo!  ;D

when i see micky mouse in the garden, i pretend that as long as i can only see one, that there IS only one !

if i see two, i know there's hunnerds !

denial is a great way to live.

;D

We know that we have mices on our plot as well.
A few weeks ago we left a  bucket on the plot and it had half filled with rain water. When we went up there, there was a drownded Mickey in it. Tiny ickle thing :'(, we were really mortified. We always turn watering cans and buckets upside down now.

oh no! that'd really upset me and mum too.
luckily most of our buckets etc are in the g'house or the shed- but i do have one out with my nettle soup in it- maybe i should cover it with my sieve  :-\

I saw a Mickey in the dalek recently - just the once.  Don't know if it was a regular mouse or a field mouse though?  What are the chances of it being a field mouse? 
Twinkletoes

House mouse is greyish-brown, field mouse (AKA wood mouse) is yellow-brown, far more agile, a jumper, with much bigger eyes. I get both, and I'm only a mile from teh centre of Birmingham.

Is a "Dalek" bin the same as a "Green Joanna" featured here? 
http://www.greencone.com/news-view.asp?id=113&lang=1

I have ordered the "Green Joanna" through our County Council at a cost of £24.00, so much cheaper than on the website above or elsewhere on the web. 

Looking at the design and how it is used, do you think rats will get in it?

Underneath. This one has a base plate, so as long as the rats don't chew a hole they won't get in. Most of them have no bottom. They're god places for rodents to nest, but I don't think they're any great attraction as I only get them in mine now and then.

Last year i got rid of the one in my compost bin by making the compost wetter and bashing the side of the bin when I was at the allotment.

The only rats in my dalek are dead ones that my cats have caught.

Get a cat.  ;D

It would be a bit lonely up at the allotment with just a few chickens and some rats for company! :'(