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Rat in the garden!

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notnecessarilywiser Sat 02-Nov-19 19:40:32

Thanks, all! I guess the birds will have to forage elsewhere for the time being sad.

I'll keep the Tabasco for a Bloody Mary, but chilli powder looks like the way to go - this is exactly the sort of solution I was hoping for, so thanks for that LondonGranny.

BlueBelle - I hadn't considered them coming into my house! I'm now planning an inspection in the daylight tomorrow to see if bathroom extractor fan needs to be protected.

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LondonGranny Sat 02-Nov-19 17:50:32

You do need to reapply it though, especially after rain.

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LondonGranny Sat 02-Nov-19 17:49:43

btw, chilli powder, chilli oil and Tabasco is recommended to deter squirrels (and rats) by the RSPB so it's definitely safe for birdsbecause they can't detect it . Personally I wouldn't use Tabasco as it's too expensive!

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LondonGranny Sat 02-Nov-19 17:45:44

Rats (and squirrels) hate chilli powder. It doesn't harm them, they just hate the chilliness. Get some extra-hot chilli powder (Asian shops do the cheapest big bags) and sprinkle it on rat-runs etc. Birds don't have the chilli receptor neurons so they don't notice, it's mammals that feel the heat.

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BlueBelle Sat 02-Nov-19 17:40:21

My neighbours kept a lot of rubbish in the garden and one day I heard the kids having lots of whopping so went out to find out and they were chasing a rat out their garden within a few days I started noticing the Lino in my loo chewed at the edges and the bottom of the door with gnaw marks I found out eventually it came in through the tumble dryer hole (now blocked with a plastic flower pot) managed to get rid of it with difficulty (I don’t believe in traps) so took me a lot of cunning but never had one since blocking the hole up
I don’t dislike them apart from their chewing of everything

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phoenix Sat 02-Nov-19 17:38:22

Sorry to say that where there is bird food, rats will often appear to scavenge the odd bits that fall to the ground.

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notnecessarilywiser Sat 02-Nov-19 17:32:35

Neighbour A used to feed the local foxes, and since she's a good friend I'd always expressed my disagreement with the practice. A couple of years ago, neighbour B was disturbed to see a rat in her garden - I half-jokingly suggested to A that was her fault. Because I didn't want to be visited by rodents, I didn't fill my bird feeders for the last two winters.

Having heard from friend A earlier this year that she no longer feeds the foxes, I thought I'd be safe to resume putting nuts and seeds in the bird feeders. Did so earlier this week, and was delighted to see the feathered visitors congregate as they had done in the past.

But ... this morning, I'm pretty sure I saw a rat trotting along the garden and behind my shed! (Added info : we live backing onto a woorland area, there's nothing in the shed that would constitute food for a rat or a family of them , I have no pets, Neighbour A has a dog and three cats, Neighbour B has a couple of dogs).

I'm not phobic about rats, but would really prefer not to provide accommodation to them. Equally, I'd be very disappointed to have to stop feeding the birds. Any advice for me?

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