Rat in the garden

[Jonny]

The family spotted a squirrel sized rat in our garden today. Should I take action??????
Since we have been feeding the birds regulary I suppose it was going to happen somewhen or other. Should I treat it as nature and watch it or should I go in with traps etc, what would you recommend...................Jon

[Boddie]

Depends on where you live I guess. If you are rural I would let it chill. If you are in a built up area it could be hazardous to others.

[Helen]

We had two rats in the garden, beautiful creatures they are. We left them to their own devices, they used to clean up after the birds had retired for the day.

Mind you, I'm talking about a rural location.

[Jonny]

I am semi rural, I live on the outside of a town. I am glad that you both are saying leave it be as I find rats facinating, we used to have a pet rat and it was an amazing creature.
Anyone in the destroy them camp ???....................Jon

[Kayleigh]

If its only a couple I would leave them alone. If on the other hand you were over run with them then I would take action. We are never that far from rats Its just you don't see them.
When I lived in Derby on a busy main road. There was a raised drain with lots of rats, we informed the council they knocked the drain down soon after. But they did'nt use any poison. The rats lived happily ever after in the sewer

[Helen]

Our two disappeared No idea what happened to them, although there was a mink hanging around, and a weasel.

[nightshade]

One may be passing through.Be wary if you see more, especially with children around (weils disease),tidy up bird food around tea time while it is still light and bin it or store it in something vermin proof,always wash hands wear gloves, if in doubt speak to your council

[nightshade]

A single rat passing through is usually no problem, two or more would indicate a breeding situation.

[paulinemiller10]

I live in the centre of a small town, have ten pet rabbits and feed hedghogs and the wild birds and often get the odd rat or two, and sometimes the whole family, I catch them in a home made shutter trap and relocate them where there are no buildings, if I leave them, in no time there would be loads of them, and neighbours would blame my rabbits or poison them, and they would take days to die in agony which is a sad and painful way to end their life. but I did have one rat that never went into my trap and would go right up to a plate of food, but would never eat, but would eat the scraps left on the floor after the hedeghogs had been walking through the food, but I think he got caught in a snap trap , his shoulder swelled up, and one night I saw him on the live cam in the hog den just drinking water out of the hog bowl, something he would never do, it was to be the last time we saw Houdini as we called him, and I can t help thinking what a sad life he had to lead, not feeling safe anywhere, not able to eat from the hog bowl, not even a drink untill he was too ill, poor animal, and after all that he decided he was going to end his days in the best place he could find, but he never felt safe. Posting a pic of him. Pauline

[arvensis]

Originally Posted by Jonny

I am semi rural, I live on the outside of a town. I am glad that you both are saying leave it be as I find rats facinating, we used to have a pet rat and it was an amazing creature.
Anyone in the destroy them camp ???....................Jon

I suppose that depends on where you live and how many there are. I live in town so if there was too many I would be in the destroy them camp.

On the flip-side arent we(humans) the ones to blame for the increase in rat numbers in urban connurbations? Well you only have to see the amount of food debris that is left after a friday/saturday night on the town- the rats are making the most of it.

Mark