Rats!

A question about : Rats!

I've got an ornamental fish pond with a waterfall close to my house. Recently I've noticed three burrows near the waterfall and a few 'rat runs' through the plants around the pound.

I'm an animal lover and my stepson used to keep a pair of tame rats but I cannot abide wild rats; now that I've got my young grandson with us, I don't want him to be at any risk from these filthy vermin and the diseases they spread.

I bought a rat trap and have managed to 'exterminate' one but the burrowing continues.

They are such clever creatures that they avoid anything new for weeks and that includes traps.

Has anyone else had vermin problems in their gardens, if so how did you resolve them?

Best answers:

• Get a cat
  A few years ago my cat left me a ''present'' of a rat on my doorstep. it was enormous, almost as big as my cat..lol god knows how he managed to kill it.
  Luckily my daughter and her partner were staying so he had to dispose of it for me.
• They are clever, my brother had trouble with rats and it took him ages to get rid of them.
  He started with traps but soon moved to poison tainted bait and even a shotgun
  I realise that poison is a route you may not want to go with your grandson roaming the garden but catching the rats before the breeding season might mean you will need to consider it.
  There are also sonic deterants available but I don't know how effective they are.
• I've learned to kick the bottom of the metal bins on our back green, so as to avoid any more heart attack inducing moments of opening the lid and suddenly having half a dozen rats fly out.
• When we had a rat problem a control officer, I think from the council, laid rat poison but the key point is that he placed it in the local sewer runs well out of the way of pets and children.
  Dealing with garden burrows is a whole different problem though Adey.
• Rats stay near a food source.
  When you feed the fish does some of it fall onto the ground?
  If so make sure it's always cleaned up.
  Look for bird tables or pet houses in gardens nearby too.
• It can be a cracked sewer pipe, cat/dog food left in bowls outside, dirty foods tins in the recycling etc.
• It doesn't matter where or what the food source is, you need to have the little bleeders murdered sharpish. Try an agricultural ratcatcher that covers north Lincs. A farmer's supplies outfit will have details of them.
  And have a read up on Weils disease.
• I have both trapped and poisoned rats.
  I used a bait box for the rat poison. It keeps it away from birds, other animals and children. Place along a rat run normally and fence edge or wall as they are not so brave out in the open as they have such poor eye sight.
  If you use a wooden trap they are better when they've been outside and weathered a bit.
  I drill a hole and attach a length of wire to the trap, then secure this by wrapping the wire round a stake in the ground. It's to stop the trap being carried off. The baited trap again place along a fence or wall along the rats run. I place a board up against the fence to make a tunnel. This stops a cat or the like getting hold of a dead caught rat.
  Fruit trees can attract rats also they will feed from compost bins and your neighbours bird food. They may have tunnels in your garden but you are not forced to be their main food source.
• I had a pair of rats - Posh & Becks highly intelligent creatures.
  Please don't go down the poison route, is truly a ghastly method.
• A couple of years ago I noticed a couple of rats scurrying around the shed and pond area , I stopped feeding the birds and the rats disappeared never seen one since now I put the bird feed on a table and clear up when it falls on the floor..
• We don't have mice or rats. The 4 cats my neighbour has two doors up sees to that. Mostly they lug them dead or dying to her house thankfully. They have caught parrots, fish and squirrels.
  I'm not a cat lover it has to be said. I wouldn't hurt one but don't really like their nature.
• Petrol down the burrow, followed by a lit match??
• Have you got a co2 fire extinguisher or can you borrow one ?
  Flood the burrows with the gas and then block the entrance with a stone or stake . Co2 is heavier than air and stays in the hole and asphyxiates them .
  It works !
• I also had pet rats as a child and would love to have more now (hubby is allergic unfortunately).
  But a few summers ago I was bitten by a wild rat a cat had dropped in the garden where children were playing. I foolishly assumed it was dead and picked it up by the stump of the tail, the sodding thing turned on me!
  Que a trip to A&E for emergency treatment as apparently it's a very high risk injury.
  Anyway the point of this tale is to be very careful around them, and despite being a pet rat lover I would use poison too.