Another Rat Problem - Advice please

cuckoo · #1 (**permalink**) 01-05-2007, 02:46 PM

Hello everyone.

I live beside a field and have a small garden. I have an unwelcome guest at the moment under my shed. The rat is large and has taken to sunbathing in my garden during the day. My shed is about 10 foot away from my bungalow door and as you can imagine it is a bit worrying. I tried blocking off underneath my shed when the rat went for it's daily walk, but it decided to sunbathe in front of my elderly neighbours shed instead. Luckily she has bad eyesight and said look at that Squirrel laying there. It has now returned under my shed, cos I unblocked it as I did not want to be reponsible for my neighbour having a heart attack!
I have never come across a rat that is active during the day like this. I have a cat, but sooty has not shown any interest in it so far. I've just got a humane rat trap and what I'd like to know is how will the rat react in the trap as I live 100 yards away from the car park and will have to pass several peoples bungalows to get to my car and drive a few miles to another field. I don't like poisins as I have squirrels, hedgehogs etc here. I stop feeding the birds as soon as I saw the rat so there is nothing to eat in my garden. I would be grateful for any advice.

thunder · #2 (**permalink**) 01-05-2007, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cuckoo

Hello everyone.

I've just got a humane rat trap and what I'd like to know is how will the rat react in the trap as I live 100 yards away from the car park and will have to pass several peoples bungalows to get to my car and drive a few miles to another field.

It's possible that the rat will react violently to being carried in the trap by rushing about and squealing loudly. You may be able to reduce this by covering the trap full of rat with some opaque fabric - but do make sure you keep your fingers away from the mesh.

henrya

cuckoo · #3 (**permalink**) 01-05-2007, 05:12 PM

Thank you for your advice Henrya. I think this rat is extremely intelligent, I have not had a bird table for the last 4 years and 3 weeks ago I thought I would buy one to keep the food off the ground in case it attracted rats. It is almost as though he or she spotted the bird table and decided to move in.

gez · #4 (**permalink**) 01-05-2007, 06:03 PM

Please think very carefully about where you release the rat if yo udo catch it. & also note there are poss morevery close by. & what first attracted this rat may well attract more...

cuckoo · #5 (**permalink**) 01-05-2007, 06:48 PM

Thanks Gez. I'm hoping the rat will go back to the field, I have removed the bird table and all food. Although these are retirement bungalows we have several cats around and maybe one of them might scare it off. I've not put the trap out yet, but if one of the neighbours sees the rat I'd afraid they will be putting out poison in abundance. Apparently our council does not send anyone out if the rat is in the garden, which leaves the DIY poisoner to deal with problems (never a good things with wildlife etc about).

demicav · #6 (**permalink**) 01-05-2007, 09:23 PM

I'm very against using any poison on wildlife , it gets into the whole food chain and can affect all sorts of animals. Humane traps are the best thing and some thought over where to release the animal.

Tursiops2 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-05-2007, 10:05 PM

I can suggest an alternative to poison which might be appropriate for this situation, but it's not for the squeamish.

I used to work in archaeology, and a colleague once told me of the time he was digging somewhere in the Outer Hebrides. Camped on an isolated beach, their campsite was plagued by an enormous rat. They regularly came back from work to find their foodstores pillaged, until one day, the rat scoffed half a bag of dried pasta.

It never came back.

Dying of an exploding stomach is not something I'd wish on anything, but it's probably quicker than Warfarin, and at least it's not a threat to anything that isn't a rat.

mrs fish · #8 (**permalink**) 04-05-2007, 07:41 PM

They need to have some form of contraception given to them, I could live with one or two in the area but the do breed alot, sorry you have this dilemma it is every wildlife lovers nightmare

nightshade · #9 (**permalink**) 04-05-2007, 07:53 PM

For many years Rats lived in the countryside during the summer
and moved into human habitation during the winter but now they
seem to find enough food and shelter to please themselves
the new trend to putting rubbish out in bags instead of gnaw proof
bins is only encouraging them
I would be worried as where there is one there will soon be two
or more

overgrownbramble · #10 (**permalink**) 04-05-2007, 08:27 PM

I'd say go about it sneakily if you really don't want them to stay. I had a rat/rats move in, and being the sap I am started putting food out for them. Well, they're living creatures like any other, and shoot me down in flames but I think the diseases thing is blown way out of proportion. All creatures carry some diseases, I'm very cynical that rats should be singled out, I think it's been hyped up by the "they eat my profits" and "I hate spiders" types.

Anyway, I made water available too, and enjoyed watching them drinking and eating in the daytime - as cute as hamsters in my opinion, and like it or loathe it they ARE part of our flora and fauna and here to stay.

Well, mine stayed a week or a bit more, and now they're gone. I just hope no neighbours have put poison down. So I say if you decide you WANT them around, they'll almost certainly disappear!