Help. Mouse ok. Rat NO!

I have rats on the "payroll"so to speak ,living right against fields and a pig farm ,what else can I expect,Roland and his family disappear from time to time.Although I dont care for them they are fascinating to watch.I've fed the birds for over thirty years,but only get Roland &co occaisionally.

We put food (and water) out for the birds, squirrels and foxes year-round. We do get some mice in the garden, including a few the cats have come home with, but I have only ever seen 1 rat (and 2 hedgehogs) in 20+ years. Unless you see more or they come up to/into the house I wouldn't panic just yet. At the moment we have adorable fox cubs to watch nightly - maybe their parents deal with any rats or mice

I always feed the birds and hedgehogs, never seen a rat, although living in a rural area I'm sure there are some around. The only droppings I ever see are those left by hedgehogs.

We do have wood mice come into the house but they don't stay around, in any case I use a humane trap filled with hay and peanut butter and then I let them go in the morning.

I too have seen a rat in our garden, I have stopped feeding the birds. Our neighbors have put down a lot of decking in their garden. I have been told that Rats love this, as they are warm and dry and can breed without worrying about predators. I called our local council as I am convinced they are coming from next door garden. After about a week and half some one from the council did come, she had gone next door and suggested that they put poison down, and so should we. I won't leave my garden door open, or front door open, as I am terrified one could get into,the house. Is there anything else I can do to deter them from coming close to the house. Help please.

you can buy electronic plug in that apparently send out a high pitched signal (humans cannot hear it) have a google they sell them in Wilkos...think you get 2 in a pack about £29 no idea if they work....

No bikergran they don't! I bought one from Coopers and after a while the bl**dy mouse just used to run past it. I saw it do it one evening when I walked into the kitchen. We had to get the experts in eventually. They found a hole that was hidden by furniture in the wooden door frame of the back door and blocked it with wire wool. Result = No more mice. But he said not to leave any outside doors open or they will get in again! Great in that really hot weather!!

Even elderly cats that feel the mice are too quick for them can be a deterrant. Do yours use a litter tray? If so when changing it, leave the used litter standing for a bit where you saw the critter, thus alerting it to the fact that its public enemy no. 1 lives with you.
Both rats and mice can cause considerable damage to electric wiring etc. so if getting rid of the bird table doesn't solve the problem, I am with those who suggest calling the rat catcher.
Unless your cats and you would consider an apprentice mouse and rat catcher in the shape of one of the many kittens looking for a good home?

Get a cat!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201706/medium-886709-img-2636.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201706/medium-141167-img-2637.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201706/medium-549727-img-2638.jpg

like these grandtante? lol my dd cat has recently had kittens..their getting ready to go to new homes...(noooo!I am not! having one)!

they are adorable !

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I don't like to use poison as many creatures that eat the mice and rats end up dying too, owls especially. Not good for the environment. Maybe not leaving food lying around is a start. Good idea planting bushes and trees that produce berries the birds can eat.

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Reported.
Somehow I saw it coming,didn’t you?

Sadly we had to stop feeding the birds when our neighbour acquired a rat which ended up in her loft. She was horrified.

When we moved into our new house the previous owners had thrown lots of food on the compost heap and filled a bin to bursting with old frozen stuff and things from the fridge. We hadn't been there long when we saw rats. We cleared everything up. Bought proper bins for the rubbish and cleared the stuff off the compost heap. We have had no trouble since. We do not, sadly ,feed the birds now

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Reported!

Since I posted earlier in this thread, we have had a rat in our garden. It was eating the food I had put out for the ground feeding birds and taking some back to a gap in the side of the steps that lead to the top lawn, into which it disappeared. I saw it pop it’s head out again but when it saw me, it went back in so I promptly got some bricks and blocked up the hole! We had a look around the shed and saw no sign in there so called out, at considerable expense, the council pest controller, who put a couple of bait boxes down once the hole had been unblocked again. He came again last week to inspect them and said none of the bait had been touched. He is coming back again soon. I think the little b****r is lying low until the bait has gone and then he will come out with his mates and party!