Rat seen in the garden!

We had mice last year after I began feeding birds, figured out they were using the air bricks to gain entry so we covered them with mesh. They seemed immune to the blue blocks we bought (indoors) so I think maybe professionals have a stronger compound.

Your local Council will sort. It cost us £75 for 3 visits. They put down a box which no other creature (e.g. Hedgehog) can enter. Inside the box is poison. We have had this problem in this garden and in our last garden and both times it was sorted by the Council. They also dealt with an infestation of flies in our external cladding. The service was excellent.

I posted a similar thread on the garden forum about 3weeks ago I am like you I was afraid to go in the garden to hang washing or open a window it was making my life a misery and I wasn't sleeping my neighbour put down poison and I rang pest control at my council they charge for the service but since they have been touch wood nothing other than a couple of dead ones on the path next door included in the service is a second call out to check boxes they left and areas where poison was I'm gradually becoming more confident about going into garden I hung out washing yesterday but I'm still wary my advice would be call in the professionals I was told by the man who came out lockdown has made the situation worse as they are more daring and hungry it is much quieter in areas and less people about my second call out is tomorrow so I will see what that brings

As you’re on Gransnet you may well be a pensioner, and if so your local council will get rid of the rats for you in a humane way. (Mine do, at least). The traps will only get rats and not other creatures (Erm, I think they may get mice as well). My ex’s reaction would’ve been exactly the same as your DH. Even when we heard noises and something knocked over downstairs it was me who had to go down and investigate!

Last July it was pouring down outside but I had back door which looks out on the garden open fir a shirt while then closed it. A few minutes later the dog went crazy and a rat came out from under the sofa... I was so shocked and upset but opened the door again and called my husband at work ... then I called my neighbours and they came in to help me look fir it. Didn’t find it and can only assume it wanted to get out if the rain and realised it’s mistake when if heard the dog. I was really upset and took me ages to be able to relax in my kitchen after that ... it’s disturbing to know that they are so near and able to come in garden. I would NEVER out meat out in the garden.

Your problem stems from your neighbours on both sides. I have one neighbour whose garden is like a forest - she can’t even open her back door because of the overgrown trees - and neighbours the other side with decking wher they sit and eat their bbq food - crumbs, etc drop through and that is food for the rats. My garden is a thoroughfare for the rats and I hate them. Sadly a ‘rat man’ said that unless everybody makes an effort to eradicate them they will just multiply.

Yes i saw one had shinned up my tree to feast on the bird food! I went out& it scuttled away under the hedges- so maybe your hubby's right! I reported it to pest control (that was last summer) who said to stop feeding the birds.i asked him NOT to put down bait because of my GC and my cat and local cats.so he didnt.(you can just get them in for advice, he wouldnt place rat bait if you dont want to!) So i got rid of all my hanging bird feeders.then in winter(jan) i had seen no rat so got a couple of new bird feeders..but by spring it happened again.But was told they werent sending pest control in lockdown!(seems daft when it would be ideal time as no one outside-& how do they know rats arent spreading covid19 like they did the plaugue?)Anyway, once again i threw away the new feeders! I feel quite mean on the birds though. A couple more neighbours cats have been popping in to our garden to visit our cat(they all just sit there, socially distanced for a bit)or maybe hes called them in to help with 'Rat Watch' i dont know, but i think marauding cats will help deter the rats.

We’ve had rats in the garden for years and never had any bother with them. I’m quite ‘live and let live’. They never came near the house. Recently, they’ve gone, and we think someone poisoned them as we saw one or two dying in obvious pain. Nasty.

rats have to eat too . and live their life just like you do....i would fence off the rat run so the rat knows you dont like him...maybe tidy up the garden...dont poison them .that cruel...seen plenty of rats about and they are human ones ..(not you)

When I had a guinea pig hutch outside I suspected rats. Their droppings are similar to guinea pig droppings but darker. They managed to get into the hutch and kill my guinea pig they chewed a hole in the corner of the hutch.
When we took the hutch down there was the remains of a rats nest under neath and two rat carcasses. I won’t be having any animals in an outside hutch again you can be sure of that!

My daughter had a rat problem. She lives by a river. Her cat was wonderful at catching and killing them. She was keen on feeding birds and had to stop doing that. Since she stopped she's seen no more rats but her cat continues to patrol, just in case!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

We to have a stream in our garden and sheds.The rats have dug under the shed and we often see rats strolling around.We have three terriers and they have each caught one.The problem is that they bring the trophies to us.

I feel so mean though to the poor birds, and i used to put out food my cat had left (hes very fussy!) for the couple of stray cats and also hedgehogs used to come around.(we're a bit semi-rural) But now i darent do it.I think the blooming housing associations or council should take responsibility now things have opened up again as some areas havent had full bin emptying have they in lockdown?

I have so many cats that use my garden as their own that I have never seen a rat. Seen some cute little garden mice though.

Moggie57, i bet you'd not just say that if they came in your house/garden.

I've seen a rat at Sandringham. It shot across a path in front of me. My thinking is, if it's not a problem for HM then why should we worry?

We did have a rat who visited. OH disposed of it and we haven't seen any since. They're pretty intelligent, aren't they?

If you call the 'rat man' in (i called him that too) then he could go tell the neighbours as well, about not leaving food around etc, and just say its a 'local problem' so you wouldnt have to deal with the anti-social neighbours?

I called out pest control for a rat once. All they did was look over my neighbours fences and said "That's your problem - bird feeders". I asked what they could do and all they said was they could put rat killer down but the problem will return until the neighbours stop putting food/bird seed out. I tried speaking to the neighbours but they were adamant it wasn't due to the bird feeders. Couple of days later I found 2 enormous dead rats.
Everything went quiet. Then, at the top of my garden I was planting a shrub and noticed the spade went in easily. The rats had created a series of tunnels from one neighbours garden to the other. I was also horrified when I saw a rat climb the fence. I went into my shed and found a hole in the corner leading deep down. In it 2 dead rats and tons of bird seed which they had collected from next door. I went to considerable expense to fill in all the tunnels and block their paths. I removed the shed. Had a new concrete base put down and a new shed. Now I keep rat poison down constantly. We also get mice. It should be against the law to feed birds, squirrels etc. Rats are vermin and in my opinion over rides the need to feed birds.

Problem for me phloembundle, is all the cats congregate in back garden, so ive never seen any there- but none ever are in front (even mine) where the rats were seen!

I was very alarmed when our live in carer told me we had rats upstairs!

I went up in trepidation and she showed me a cardboard box that had been chewed and scattered. Luckily I recognised it as the work of one of our cats.....

Might ask again then LadyBella, if they have things other creatures can't get into, or humane traps?as i wouldnt want any birds, cats,or hedgehogs or grey squirrels (we have those too) harmed.

I feed the birds but any seed that falls down is eaten by the pigeons.
I have heard that the rat population is on the increase but have not seen any in my garden.

Main problem near us is probably next door keeps bloody chickens! (Dont know why as theres been foxes spotted round here as well!) The rat man last year said the house at end of our terrace had been overun by them though, when it was empty.(some folk moved in but didnt stay long (now i know why) some new folk in now so must have been treated?) But my son thought he heard 'something' in attic, but i think they're pigeons, as can hear hopping not scratching? Any advice?

My son lives in the country with his family. They spotted a big rat in the garden and called in the council. A young lady came out and put some poison down in hidden places, as my daughter in law especially told her they were afraid other wildlife would be harmed. Unfortunately the next day they found one a dead rat but also some beautiful squirrels.