Rats !

[Gazzer]

Anyone know about rats ? I am talking the vermin type not pets.

it seems that they have been seen around teh row of houses where I live. Now thinking sensibly , you would think that there will only be rats where there is something for them...ie, Food.

My neighbour has Rabbits and a Guinea pig and also a fish pond. Now I reckon the smell of pet food and the fact that she is throwing bread on her lawn for the birds is attracting them. She has agred to stop the bread throwing as she doesnt want rats either.

Now next to our houses is a large house that has been converted to flats and this is where I think the are coming from and using our back gardens to nest as its quieter.

Last year one of the neighbours called the council out and a man came and laid poison for them. It worked...well at least once as I found the dead rat feet up on my lawn. That was the last we saw of them until now. So looking up on the internet I see there are mixed views of how to get rid of them, ie , trap or poison ! My thoughts are to cut off the food supply bafore going crazy. One neighbour thinks he can shoot them with an air rifle !! i wonder if he is going to sit up all night waiting for them ?

Anyone else had this problem ? Its not nice to admit there are rats around your home.

 

[doug boardley]

apparently Neale, you're never more than 6 feet away from a rat (if popular myth is to be believed)

 

[nybor62]

i think cutting of the food supply is a start , rats breed at an alarming rate, do you know any one with working terriers they might do the job

 

[hillhead]

I built my house in the country on a site where I lived as a child,
I remember rats here as we had pigs etc at the time.
Now here we have no pigs but the rats are close by, they don't come near us as we have 4 cats ! Great hunters and nothing comes here.
Works for us anyway.
I seen terriers killing rats well on tv a while back, really well too!

 

[Deleted member 9966]

these lads have a jack russell dog whom they've trained to catch and kill rats

London Pest Control Experts | As Seen on BBC | 0207 384 4501: London Pest Control

 

[Gazzer]

apparently Neale, you're never more than 6 feet away from a rat (if popular myth is to be believed)

Yeah I have heard that but they seem to be more active lately. Maybe the warmer weather is a reason.

 

[Mike]

there's always rats around, as rob said don't feed them and put poison down. october time is the worst time for them, they're looking for somewere indoors to live then as the winters setting in

 

[doug boardley]

we have hens and I normally scatter the pellets in their coop, never seen a rat or sign of a rat thereabouts.......but maybe the three ferrets are deterring them!:smilewinkgrin:

 

[Andy Allen]

make sure you havn't got any ivy running up the side of the house or they can climb up and get in your house.

 

[Gazzer]

there's always rats around, as rob said don't feed them and put poison down. october time is the worst time for them, they're looking for somewere indoors to live then as the winters setting in

I dont intend to feed them unless its lead pellets or the poison.