Allotments 4 All

You have probably heard on the news recently about the increase of rats in many towns and cities.

Well just in the last couple of months we discovered  that we had them on our allotments maybe they have always been around but we did not notice them as there were not that many.

The problem came to light a couple of months ago when a member on opening his shed was confronted with one and got such a fright that he dropped everything including his flask of tea and came running along the path as white as a sheet and it took a we bit of time to get him to tell us what had happened, after he finally told us about his encounter we went along to his shed and sure enough the signs that  he had rats was there the droppings seed packets all chewed and holes in potato sacks etc.

Luckily for us we think this was only the start of what could have been a very bad infestation of these horrible dirty rodents as after laying traps and poison we have had no further sightings  in the last month and the bait put down has now been untouched for quite some time so we hope we have nipped this problem in the bud.

As for the member who first discovered them he is now very wary when he comes up to his allotment after unlocking his shed he pulls his door open with a long stick and waits a we while before he goes in hopefully he will soon get over his fright and carry on as usual but i think this is a warning to all allotments to now keep an eye out before they face the same problem. 
   

If folk can't secure their seeds
in a tin, and store spuds in sacks in a wooden shed, then rats will come and help themselves in cold weather
for an alternative perspective on rats, try reading
'Maurice and his educated rodents' by Terry Pratchett. ;) you might look at them in a different light!!

Or the Rats by James Herbert. ;D

the only light i would want to see rats in would be a torch on the end of a rifle so i could pick them out and shoot the dirty horrible vermin that they are.

Quote from: Moonbeam65 on February 11, 2009, 18:51:13
the only light i would want to see rats in would be a torch on the end of a rifle so i could pick them out and shoot the dirty horrible vermin that they are.

that's very speciist of you!! Rats as a species are very intelligent, at least as clever as a dog. they are now being used instead of dogs when sniffing out chemicals in anti - terrorist operations. thousands of them are kept as pets, also!

Shoot the vermin.  >:(         ;D ;D ;D

I used to have a girlfriend who had two pet rats and I have to admit at first as far as I was concerned they were nothing but tamed vermin.
After a while though I did see signs of intelligence and even affection (not to me I will add they just knew I didn't like them).
That said if I see one on the Lotty its a pest and should be dealt with. On that point I have been given a humane trap but I have not set it yet as I am unsure of what to do with a rat in a cage.if I had a gun I would shoot it as this is the quickest way to kill it.
The guy who gave me the trap said when you catch one just drop the trap containing the rat into a bucket full of water :-\
At the minute the occasional rat does not create any problems for me but within a couple of weeks I will have hens and therefore feed on the Lotty so the situation will probably Need evaluating.

Quote from: Al37 on February 11, 2009, 22:23:33
On that point I have been given a humane trap but I have not set it yet as I am unsure of what to do with a rat in a cage.if I had a gun I would shoot it as this is the quickest way to kill it.
The guy who gave me the trap said when you catch one just drop the trap containing the rat into a bucket full of water :-\

Drowning rats is a criminal offence and carries a maximum penalty of a £5,000 fine or six months in prison. People have been prosecuted for despatching of grey squirrels by drowning even though you are legally obliged to kill them if you catch them.

The approved methods for despatching rats caught in cage traps are shooting or with a sharp blow to the head (outlined below).

1, Take hessian sack and place open end over cage trap
2, Open door of cage trap and encourage rat into sack
3, While holding down openable end of sack, locate head (bitey) end of rat and give it one sharp blow with a priest (or similar heavy object). A second blow is allowed if the first was not sufficient to kill it but any further blows after that are considered cruelty & you can be prosecuted for inflicting unnecessary suffering.
4, Remove dead rat from sack & dispose of it.

If you can't stomach killing them & choose to release them instead then remember to do so at least 2 miles away from where they were caught to prevent them returning. You are legally obliged to seek permission from the owner of the land you realease them onto & you must ensure they have a reasonable chance of survival eg: somewhere with food, shelter no predators, no other rats about which will kill them to protect their territory....  The chances of finding such a place & obtaining permission to release vermin there are spectacularly low but I thought I would mention it anyway incase you consider the possibility.

Quote from: tonybloke on February 11, 2009, 20:22:59

Quote from: Moonbeam65 on February 11, 2009, 18:51:13
the only light i would want to see rats in would be a torch on the end of a rifle so i could pick them out and shoot the dirty horrible vermin that they are.

that's very speciist of you!! Rats as a species are very intelligent, at least as clever as a dog. they are now being used instead of dogs when sniffing out chemicals in anti - terrorist operations. thousands of them are kept as pets, also!

OMG I hope I dont have terrorists on the lottie as well as rats ?!?!?!? that would really put paid to my plans.

I suppose if you kill them in water you must ensure that no one is about. I feel poison used carefully and by a professional would be the way forward.

This is for all the people who are diffending rats on this thred.

Bring your live traps ,and take all mine home with you.

Dont poisen them,its causes unnessasery suffering

when there stomuch explodes while having a drink.

One clean shot to the head ,thats the way forward.

I'd be surprised if there is an allotment site in the country that hasn't got rats! :(

I am amazed that so many people think that you can shoot rats.

Firstly, I do not intend to get a gun and secondly, seeing a rat is rare, let alone having enough time to find the gun taking aim and firing, they do not hang around to be shot.

If you see one, then you can bet there are 20+ hiding.

Any one who thinks that they do not have rats around is fooling themselves.

Poison is not ideal because the rats take it, get ill then know what it was they ate that upset them. They do not just eat seeds either. Compost, manure, any garden feed like blood and bone, they eat anything with any food value in it.

Those nice daleks for compost provide excellent nest boxes for them. Warm and dry. Water butts, ponds even puddles give them somewhere to drink. The allotment and garden where bread and nuts are left out for birds are perfect homes.

Setting traps will only catch a few and they must be destroyed, releasing them elsewhere is not getting rid of them either, if it is a female, she will almost certainly be pregnant and that means a new colony. They are not fussy about breeding with siblings.

rats on the adjacent plot are huge - like small cats because they live with the chickens and get food and water every day.  Never was a fan and hearing that they are inbred as well hardly surprises me!