Rat sighting!

I read some years ago that we are never more than 10ft away from a rat.

They don't tend to seek our company, just our food!

One rat is hardly a plague! We saw a small rat in our garden. It was a beautiful, brown paper bag colour and we didn't feel the need to kill it or to risk poisoning other wildlife. We rearranged our bird feeding stations, nothing on the ground near to bushes or other cover. Apparently, rats are wary of open spaces. We haven't seen it since we removed its access to bird food.

ReturningFromExile

Glad to hear that your local foxes deal with the rats, Merlotgran. Some of our neighbours are incensed by the appearance of a fox family in their back garden, digging up their lawn. If I tell them that foxes eat rats - which they're even more upset about - perhaps that will make them put up with the foxes - at least, that's my hope.

I have a gravel garden so no lawn for them to dig up which is a blessing.
I’ve had whole, undamaged eggs buried in pots which is amusing and the smell during mating season is not something I would choose but I’d rather have a fox than rats any day.
The only damage has been when ‘Oscar’ bit the plastic top off my water feature so he could use it as a drinking fountain and all the fingertips were bitten of a pair of gardening gloves I left out one night! 😳

They are very quick and move around close to walls, fences etc as they don’t like open spaces around them. As someone else said, we’re never far away from rats and if there’s a food source they will make themselves at home.
The rats won’t be bothered with your friend sitting outside to enjoy the warm weather either.

BlueBelle

Poor rats they are only trying to live like us all

Yuk! I hate to admit it, but I absolutely loathe rats and had a really horrible situation with an entire family, when working in the square mile in London, it was horrifying!

Hate the wretched bu****s

Poor rats they are only trying to live like us all

Glad to hear that your local foxes deal with the rats, Merlotgran. Some of our neighbours are incensed by the appearance of a fox family in their back garden, digging up their lawn. If I tell them that foxes eat rats - which they're even more upset about - perhaps that will make them put up with the foxes - at least, that's my hope.

I have 2 cats but we still see Rats on the fence especially when I have the Bird food out.
However, the Rat population in our area might be a bit down as one of my Cats has recently presented us with 4 or 5 young dead ones lately.

We see rats in our garden. Where we live, down the hill from our house is a plant hire firm. They also sell gravel and firewood etc. I think the rats come up from there. DH keeps bird seed in his shed, he says he has to knock on the door before he goes in as there are often rats in there trying to get into the bin he keeps it in.
Our cat brought in a baby rat that disappeared behind the kick boards and died there. For a few days the smell was horrible 😫.

Oreo

Having an occasional rat appear in the garden is nothing to worry about, I expect it happens in most gardens.

Exactly that. So long as rats don't get into the house, they're nothing to be concerned about.

Dylis

I had one on my kitchen work surface. We had new windows put in last autumn and it has been bliss to open the kitchen window. Unfortunately I forgot to close the window at dusk and the little sod climbed in.
I yelled for my DH and slammed the door behind me. My DH picked up a golf club (no idea why he has it, he doesn't play) and went bravely into the kitchen. The rat disappeared behind the washing machine and under the kick boards. We put out an ancient trap and caught him after 2 days.
I was relieved because I had spent several days wearing long wellies and a thick overcoat every time I had to venture into the kitchen. Also while I was cleaning and disinfecting the kitchen after his visit.
I now close the windows at dusk and after talking to a pest controller it seems there has been a huge explosion in the rat population locally.

Poor you. Why the thick coat! It might have jumped into your pocket 😂
Not funny really, I’d be petrified too

I think l most gardens will have rats!
😱

I think this will be quite common atm with people eating outdoors in their gardens and leaving crumbs etc outside.
Did your friend feed the birds in March??
As long as your friend makes sure there are no tasty edibles in his garden and has not seen the rat for months, would imagine the rat has moved on to pastures new.

I had one on my kitchen work surface. We had new windows put in last autumn and it has been bliss to open the kitchen window. Unfortunately I forgot to close the window at dusk and the little sod climbed in.
I yelled for my DH and slammed the door behind me. My DH picked up a golf club (no idea why he has it, he doesn't play) and went bravely into the kitchen. The rat disappeared behind the washing machine and under the kick boards. We put out an ancient trap and caught him after 2 days.
I was relieved because I had spent several days wearing long wellies and a thick overcoat every time I had to venture into the kitchen. Also while I was cleaning and disinfecting the kitchen after his visit.
I now close the windows at dusk and after talking to a pest controller it seems there has been a huge explosion in the rat population locally.

Our local fox population deals with any rat problems in the gardens where I live.

Yes we had one come trotting quite the thing past the conservatory. By the time I put my head out of the door it had disappeared.
I think it had come from next door’s drainage as they were dug up at the time.
Like they say, you are never more than 6 feet away from a rat 😅

I bought a sensor gadget on Amazon, but that is for indoors and at the time it was to get rid of mice. My cat at the time sat and looked at them. I bought a fairly expensive one for half price and I haven't had a problem since. It is meant to cover upstairs, but I bought a similar one, not that I have ever seen one upstairs.

If he is certain there is a rat problem, he should have a word with his neighbours and they employ a professional to get rid of them.

Having an occasional rat appear in the garden is nothing to worry about, I expect it happens in most gardens.