Rats

I have had 5 cats over the years and you are right they do help with the rats. Unfortunately at the moment I cannot get another one.

Yes I have read'heard that decking can encourage rats to make nests underneath.

Whilst many think that by putting bird food up high the rats wont get it ! rats can climb, also we have rats under our wooden shed.

Next door fed the birds on one of those fancy hanging things, the food that the birds dropped went on the ground, the rats had a constant supply of dropped food, and made a run from the shed to the bottom of the bird feeder.

We put poison down, on removing our wooden shed there was a nest approx 15 inch wide all packed in a circle, over the week we found one large body in the nest and around 8 smaller ones dotted around the garden. When I say smaller I mean about 5 inch body length..yuk!

I now never can leave my conservatory door open.

Why not block their access to underneath the shed and through to next door? Either welded mesh or cement blocks would stop them.

I dont know what the answer to rats is. I have lived in my home for over 20 years. I started getting rats when my neighbour bought chickens . I got a rat man in and he told me rats and chickens always go together and I was on a hiding to nothing other than to stop them further invading.

Then the other side got chickens as pets and it got worse. Now one side has moved and there seem to be fewer rats as the other side had a clear out a few weeks ago - still got chickens but had the terriers in. They keep a terrier themselves too.

Have you thought of getting a terrier?

I have a cat. he does seem to deter them but he has also had a nasty bite from one. Vets job as the rat was clearly carrying something nasty.

I keep the area around my house completely clear of any rubbish . Its all cravelled or pathed and swept all the time. Dustbins are always lidded. Recycling completely boed. No sheds. Its not how I would want it...... I cannot feed the birds, it attracts the rats.

The above keeps them at bay. But I still see them occassionally. I know they are around. Occassionally I have bated their demes ( holes in the banks etc. tell you where those are).

I had one in the house once ..... that freaked me out! Even the cat couldnt get at it. OH blugeoned it to death when it got in a corner behind my kitchen sink ( sorry for the detail). It was an adult and even he was afraid. neither of us had ever killed anything in our whole lives. It was awful.

Best of luck with the problem OP.

Decking is known for attracting rats. I think rat poison is your only answer.

RatX Non-Toxic (ebay) works - no need for poison!

It has been well reported in recent months that wherever you are in Britain these days, on average you are never more than six feet (1.82 meters) from a rat.

Many sources have brought about the large increase in the Rat and mouse population which recycling of food packaging and food waste being left in unsealed containers being in the forefront.

Many workplaces have witnessed rat and mice infestation in recent times which does give rise to the problem of infection in workers which can prove very problematic to completely resolve on any lasting time basis by employers.

In regard to domestic gardens and gardening, the best prevention against infection brought about from rats and mice is to ensure you always wear thick gloves, and in that ensure those gloves never touch your face while working. The gloves should then be placed in a very hot wash each time on finishing.

I always wear gloves but I know people who love the feel of the soil on their hands. The worrying thing is if children play in the garden where rats have been possibly urinating.

Our Council does provide supposedly rat-proof food waste containers. It's a good idea to wash all food wrapping thoroughly before putting it out too.

Decking is the culprit here.
Rat bait stations are commonly used around hospitals etc. Not accessible for other wildlife (not much anyway)
Very interesting documentary on Radio 4 recently about New Zealand trying to become rat free to save bird life.
When coypus were a menace in East Anglia in the 50s and 60s there was a bounty paid for each one killed. A very successful
campaign. A good terrier will work wonders but I find they usually get bitten before they learn to kill - this means a quick trip to the vet (leptospirosis) - but it is the most humane solution. If you get a cat - get a good farm cat.

There is no way we can block access. At the edge of our garden is a fence which we put up to prevent our grandchildren falling down a cliff onto the road below. There is a wall, but it is very low. We feed the birds, and DH puts food on the ground for the pheasants that visit us.
I see no way of deterring the rats, unless we can put down traps, but what else might we catch?

A cat, there's a thought. Did you know that the Cats Protection League rehomes feral cats?
I learned this from a lady at the Great Yorkshire Show last summer. I wonder how you would keep a feral cat on your property though. Has anyone done this, and how did it work out?

The trouble with cats is that they like to bring presents indoors.

Rat poison is probably illegal due to danger to toddlers ,other wild animals, and pets

Big tom cats eat rats

It is not illegal; it is on sale at garden centres with appropriate warnings. The container would make it difficult to get into and other animals eg hedgehogs, cannot access the poison in the box, according to the rodent inspector.

Certainly a pet could not access it unless someone is in the habit of letting their gerbils or hamsters run around the garden.

Callistemon, that actually worries me, there are so many irresponsible and plain criminal people around.

Little cats will eat them too but I think the joy is in the chase and the killing of the rodent.
I don't think they'd eat an already deceased one.

What i mean is there are people who will not bother or even criminals who leave the stuff out to kill the neighbour's cat

So glad I found this thread I've seen at least 3 in the last few weeks in the garden I back onto field I've lived here 8 years and have only had the problem once before .I'm absolutely paranoid and hardly dare go in garden which in the current isolation is driving me mad I have got a pest controller from the council coming Monday they now charge but this includes up to three visits I have a young grandson who loves to be in the garden but the other day he had obviously seen something that scared him at the top of garden as he ran inside and wanted the door closing he is two so was unable to communicate but I fear it was a rat that had scared him

Yes we have this problem and have used rat traps with poison but the bait is a worry and we are now using spring traps. With peanut butter.Which in a way is more humane.
Yes I think decking is a problem.
Can I ask people about pigeons. They roost on our satellite dishes and make real mess on the window sills and sideway.
I am hoping to get some of thee dishes removed. Any ideas?

I feed the birds and squirrels that come to my garden, and several weeks ago, noticed a large rat. I now no longer leave food on the bird table (birds were knocking it off, so it had been ending up on the lawn).

The rat is still hanging around, but a couple of days ago, there was a sparrowhawk on my fence, so the rat won't be a problem for much longer..........

I'd say don't leave food out at all, and contact a pest control firm if you're really bothered about rats.

I don't leave any food out for birds but neighbours have a hanging bird feeder I'm waiting for pest control on Monday to come out although feeling a bit guilty about poison as I have lots of rabbits come into garden

Alexa You reckon big tom cats eat rats - they don't always.
My male cat is about 15lb (large) and he's never killed anything, ever

A proper bait box and regular poison is no risk to anything else, having a hunting cat or terrier is a big risk to all wildlife in your garden. Cats and dogs will kill birds and terriers will kill hedgehogs as well.

An aside... I always kept a bar of soap in a dish in my allotment shed and it kept disappearing, then one day someone told me rats eat soap, so it's now in a jar. They always took the whole bar, even that old-fashioned coal tar stuff.